I took poorly at the end of March 2018 with what I thought was a chest infection. I was prescribed antibiotics, but I was gradually getting worse.
The doctor then started me on treatment for pneumonia. I was still feeling very poorly, though, and when I coughed up blood, I went to A&E (emergency room in the United Kingdom).
They did a CT scan and X-rays and I was then told I had two pulmonary emboli (PEs), one in each of my lungs. I was only 39 years old and very scared.
In the hospital, I developed another two PEs. The doctors couldn’t believe it, as I was on all the correct medications for the clots.
This experience changed my life completely. Although I’m five years PE-free, I’m on blood thinners for life. I still get breathless from time to time and get a lot of lung and chest infections.
Never think that going to the doctor is wasting their time because you know your own body and when something isn’t quite right. No matter how healthy you are, that can change dramatically in an instant.
Resources
Hospitalization
How is a PE Diagnosed?
Living Your Best Life on Blood Thinners
