Listen to Your Body
I’m 68 now.
I’ve had asthma most of my life. It’s under control most of the time.
February 2025
The first of February 2025, my breathing was not good.
I thought it was my asthma.
My nebulizer was doing nothing.
I went to urgent care. They did a chest x-ray and said everything looked fine. Gave me 5 days worth of steroids.
But I didn’t get better.
Something Was Different
After 5 days, my chest hurt. Hard to breathe. I felt dizzy.
I was so scared.
I thought I was having a heart attack.
My dad passed away in my arms from a heart attack.
I told my husband: “This is NOT my asthma! It’s either my heart or my lungs. I just know it!”
The Emergency Room
We went into emergency.
They did a CT scan and an MRI.
And I was right — but it was both.
I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism, that enlarged the right side of my heart because it was working harder.
The Realization
I didn’t even realize how serious this was until I got out of the hospital and researched it.
My God. I could have died.
I had a thrombectomy to remove it and I’m on warfarin now — for how long, I don’t know.
It was deemed nonprovoked. No risk factors were ever identified.
Life After
It’s been over a year. I’ve been doing fine since then.
But it really gave me a new perspective on how fragile life could be.
I’m retired now, but exercising more and trying to eat healthier.
I’ve learned that I’m not alone.
What I Want Others to Know
Now I tell people — listen to your body!
If something doesn’t feel right, DO NOT hesitate to get it checked out.
Listen to your body!! If something doesn’t feel right, get it checked out!
