On a Friday afternoon at work, I suddenly started to feel incredibly nauseous. I didn’t think much of it at first. I went home, tried to sleep it off, and that night I felt feverish and sore. I took Panadol and managed to get some rest.
By Saturday I felt lethargic, and on Sunday morning I began vomiting. Later that night, I developed a strange pain along my left side and around my chest. I took Panadol and Nurofen to manage it and tried not to worry too much.
By early Tuesday morning, the pain had become so severe that it woke me from sleep. Around 5 a.m., I went to the emergency department. They ran the usual tests and told me everything looked fine, so I was sent home.
The pain continued. On Wednesday, it woke me again. I decided to see a different GP, hoping to get stronger pain medication to help me get through whatever was happening. After hearing my symptoms and family history, she immediately sent me for an urgent CT pulmonary angiogram.
During the scan, doctors discovered I had multiple pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. The imaging center sent me straight back to emergency, where I was admitted for monitoring, injections, and treatment. I spent the night in hospital and was given a care plan involving several months of medication and follow-up appointments.
It still hasn’t fully sunk in how lucky I was. Doctors later told me I had been a “ticking time bomb,” and that the GP who ordered the scan likely saved my life.
I had actually presented at the emergency department the day before with severe chest and left flank pain. I was told there was “something going on,” but nothing showed up on the tests they ran. Despite having been on the combined birth control pill for 12 years, blood clots were not considered as a possible cause.
Since this experience, I feel mostly the same physically — but emotionally, I am incredibly grateful to be alive. I now make an effort to educate others about the risks of blood clots and the importance of advocating for yourself.
If something doesn’t feel right, seek a second opinion. Ask questions. Trust your instincts.
It could save your life.
