I was diagnosed with two left pulmonary emboli on January 22, 2024. I tested positive for Covid one week prior, and I had just started estrogen-based birth control for irregular periods as well.
On Sunday, January 21, I started having shortness of breath and left-sided chest pain. I still had a cough from Covid, and I work in the medical field. So, I thought maybe I had pneumonia.
In bed that night, I was struggling to breathe, and I could not lie down flat. Around 4 a.m., I went to the ER. I had an EKG, basic lab work, and a chest X-ray, and all were normal.
My heart rate was still high, and the pain was not getting any better. The ER doctor decided to do a D-dimer blood test, and it came back extremely high. I needed a CT scan of the chest with contrast to rule out PE. It turns out I had two blood clots in my left lung.
At first, I was absolutely terrified, because I continued having a cough and some shortness of breath. Once that subsided, I had a follow-up CT scan that showed the clots had resolved. I felt much better.
It can be a very scary process, but never give up hope.
Resources
Covid and Blood Clots
Birth Control
Know Your Risk
