Hi Darlene!
Yes, 3/4 of a mile still so soon after your injury was probably too far. Mine happened on November 19/20, and still by Christmas that year I was unable to even walk a flight of stairs. I went Christmas shopping with a friend of mine who had a good time making fun (all in good fun) at me for walking like a 90-year-old, but I really couldn't go any faster! A week after my event, I went on a 2 km walk, and that night was back in the hospital unable to breathe, thinking it was another clot. All night and all day wasted for them to tell me I overdid it. Take it very easy, you don't want to overtax your recovering respiratory system. Since I worked in the hospital, I saw some of the doctors that treated me and I usually got harped at when they thought I was walking too fast, even to the coffee shop! (lol)
The half-way sounds like a plan. I'm not sure what type of job you have, but if it's a sit-down job like mine is, make it a priority from now on to get up once an hour and walk around, even if it's in place, for a few minutes. Point your toes, as this causes the blood to rush faster through the veins (that's what the ultrasound tech told me when she was doing my ultrasound, that didn't find any clot!). If you're on your feet a lot, maybe consider having yourself fitted for compression stockings. If you fly a lot, those would probably be a good idea anyway. You can get them in but the really good ones need to be professionally fitted. I'm not sure what the health care is like in S. Korea, but here in Canada we can get them prescribed to us, so the cost is covered. They're about $80-90 here.
When I had my clot, I was 24, which is what they believe contributed to me surviving it. I have a strong, healthy heart (even though I'm overweight) and that was probably my only saving grace. My heart was able to handle the massive clot pass through it without sending me into cardiac arrest (for which they had me on a monitored bed all night because they were scared I was still at risk for suffering a heart attack). If you have no heart problems, that's also probably why yours managed to keep going through the injury.
The clot is MOSTLY dissolved after they start you on IV therapy. Because you had a much longer run of IV therapy than I did, who chose 2 days of IV and then 7 days of injections, your clot is probably almost completely gone. The reason for the 'blood thinners' now is to stop a recurrence of the incident. It's so you don't get another clot. The clot you have is likely nearly completely dissolved. The problems you have now with breathing and fatigue, are the after-effects. They're signs your body is trying to heal. A blood clot like ours is a MASSIVE injury and both the heart and lungs are trying to recover, which causes the fatigue as they use a lot of energy doing so. The blood clot though, is likely nearly gone. You should have another x-ray, though, in 3-6 months which may reveal how dissolved the clot is (it should be VERY VERY tiny at that point).
My boss didn't seem to understand the severity of my incident. In January (after having the clot in November, taking 3 weeks off on sick leave, coming back to work for a week, then having a week and a half vacation time over Christmas) hauled me into her office to discuss my "dismal" performance over the previous 2 months. My productivity (I'm a medical transcriptionist, so we really had to produce, produce, produce) was way down (in like the 57 minutes/average when I should have been around 80 minutes/average a night) and my quality had dropped from 97% accuracy to 89% accuracy. Huge cause for concern (lol). I had to re-explain to her everything that I had told her in November, and everything the doctor had told her in my sick note. She figured I would have been over it by then, even going so far as to tell me she would be quality checking my recent work and asked if I believed I had improved (I told her I had) because she wasn't convinced that the dip was caused by this event(!). It was all I could do to keep from snarking at her 2 weeks later when she e-mailed the results of the recent quality check and my minutes were up to 82/average and my accuracy was at 98%.
I was lucky though. Because I worked in a hospital, my coworkers understood what happened and that I was recovering. They knew recovery doesn't happen overnight. My parents, who lived 400 km away from me, didn't realize how badly I was affected until around Christmas when I was still having trouble moving about quickly. My mom was more upset that I refused to have her drive the 400 km the night my event took place (because it was storming and blowing snow through the mountain pass she'd have to drive through AND because my younger sister had had dental surgery that same day).
My advice for you regarding people who think you're 'raring' to go is to maybe have a small, 1 page sheet of what a pulmonary embolism is and how severe it can be. Most people not involved in health care and who have never experienced (either personally or through family) a PE can't understand how it can affect you.
Have you been scheduled to see a hematologist to have a genetic work-up done? Because my clot was a 'what the **** happened' case, they sent me to one for genetic testing to check for clotting disorders. I came back with nothing, which is why they figure it was the Yasmin I was on for only 28 days (yep, had only finished 1 package of pills before the clot happened).
Sorry for the insanely long post!
I is so helpful to hear from other people who have gone through this. I was at work yesterday and I compared it to having the flu with out the runny nose and upset stomach. They got it then. They also got it when I said the clot is still in there and they are waiting for it to dissolve. Like you....the doctor said I was so stable that I am very lucky to be alive. i had no real signs except for the breathlessness. I sleep like a rock at night but I like I said earlier.....I just want to know the clot is gone 100%. Hopefully they will give me a date for a final CT. Did you eventually have one? They say they did not see it on the x-rays only with a CT.
My medical care here in Korea was excellent. I cannot say enough about the nurses and armies of doctors that came and went. It made me feel really safe in the hospital. They were so careful with me even taking a walk on the floor. Other patients could do laps and be around the corner. Not me they made me do a horse shoe walk in front of the desk unless I had a buddy. If I had a buddy I could walk to the elevator. Every time I buzzed they were there in less than two minutes.
@ Martine and Rainbow......Can I ask what were your blood levels while on warafin? I am at 1.96 right now. Does it go up as you progress?
DollyR, I remember never getting above 2 for about a week after leaving the hospital, which is why I continued having to use Lovenox for a while. It took me a good two weeks of daily blood tests to start seeing some stabilizing above 2, but on the odd day I would dip back down below 2 and had to give myself a shot of Lovenox (I hated that part, it left me with huge bruises on my abdomen for weeks). They finally figured out the right dosage after about 3 weeks and the blood tests became less and less frequent and eventually stopped altogether when they were satisfied that the warfarin was working well.
I too had some genetic testing done, I agreed to take part in a study on deep vein thrombosis (my doctor was a specialist in the field), and all tests came back negative, it really was because of the birth control pill and that I being sedentary post-op that I developped a blood clot.
I wasn't given another CT scan because during my event, I found out I'm allergic to the CT contrast (it felt like SCALDING oil being poured into my veins. I have never screamed that loudly in my life. Even with saline mixed in, I was still writhing in agony) so they did chest x-rays at the 3 month and 6 month marks.
My INR was kept between 2 and 3. It's not supposed to go up - when you go up (higher than 3) you risk easy bruising (more so than already when you're on warfarin) and potentially increased bleeding (bleeding out). There was a mix-up with my warfarin one time. I thought I was getting the 1 mg pills with my renewal but they gave me 3 mg tablets instead. So I took 6 of them, as was usual, for like 3 days before going for my blood work, and my INR had shot up to 5.
I think the universal numbers for INR with clot prevention is between 2 and 3.
This has been fascinating to read. I feel like I have been educated and if I ever have anyone with PE or DVT, I will be an understanding friend.
A few years ago, I had a simple case of food poisoning or stomach flu that nearly killed me. You sure do have a more serious respect for life after an experience like that.
I had a PE in 2005 at the age of 22. That spurred my first big weight loss. This last one was incited due to obesity induced hypotension. My BP was dropping dramatically and I would get light headed or black out. In early August 2011 I blacked out going about 45 mph and drove into a brick and glass building. Took 2 hours for them to cut me from a F150 Supercrew. After a helicopter ride and 5 days in the trauma unit with a big new scar across my forehead and then a 7 day stay 2 weeks later from the MRSA I got from the first stay, I really just wanted to die. Around November I took a turn and had my strength back. I was at 270. Today, I'm 197 lbs with a 3.5 GPA. If I can do this with my schedule, you can Darlene. Best of luck and many wishes for you!
Read the whole thread - thanks for adding to my arsenal of info! My dad (now 70) is on lifetime Coumadin after three blood clots. In the process of recovering from the 3rd one, he was tested and found heterozygous for Factor V Leiden, which makes one 30% more likely to suffer DVT than the general population. After he turned up positive, I was tested - I've got it too. This did inspire me to get and stay healthy! No blood clots so far, thank God, but I'm always reading and grateful to those willing to tell their stories.
Read the whole thread - thanks for adding to my arsenal of info! My dad (now 70) is on lifetime Coumadin after three blood clots. In the process of recovering from the 3rd one, he was tested and found heterozygous for Factor V Leiden, which makes one 30% more likely to suffer DVT than the general population. After he turned up positive, I was tested - I've got it too. This did inspire me to get and stay healthy! No blood clots so far, thank God, but I'm always reading and grateful to those willing to tell their stories.
I have read there are some people born with that issue. When I go back at the end of the month I will ask one of the doctors if they tested me for it. I had so much blood work I was getting sore in my hands and arms from it.
Below is a link to the Mayo Clinic for a description Factor V Leiden:
My father had a type of anemia which people who come from the Mediterranean can have. (His was a mild form) I believe it was thalassemia anemia (sp)? The doctors however did not seem to think this had anything to do with my issue.
My Goodness Darlene, My heart was in my throat just reading your post. I can't imagine how frightened you must have been, and probably still are!
I wish you all good luck with this. You sure have me thinking! I have gotten into the bad habit of watching certain TV programs since I retired. Between that and the PC I'm living dangerously.
Now I'm determined to get to the Senior Friendship Center and use the wellness (exercise equipment) room. I'm going to be sure to keep reading your progress. Best of luck to you! ..... Carbie
Thanks for the support and advice ladies. Does anyone know if there is there a thread for 100 pounds to lose with medical issues or something like that?
My husband is diabetic and had a PE in 2009. I woke up to him hitting the floor by our bed. I called 911 and the ER thought maybe it was heart related, sent him for stress test and it came back showing something.They called us into the office the next morning and he was still complaining of shortness of breath so they did some labs and found his blood clots. He had 4 small ones lined up in a row. He spent 3 days in the hospital and is on warafin for life.
His energy has never returned to normal. They didnt do a follow up ct scan. I was told that the clots kinda harden not really dissolve. That a chest xray will always show the area where they were. They said to always tell your dr when having a chest xray that you have had PEs. His heart was fine thank God! The dr told us that 2/3 of people who have PE dont make it!!
How long before you started exercising during recovery? I have to exercise to lose weight and I know it is a slow process after this but I want to get started. FYI.....the fatigue is getting to me.
How long before you started exercising during recovery? I have to exercise to lose weight and I know it is a slow process after this but I want to get started. FYI.....the fatigue is getting to me.
I would definitely ask your physician when they thought it was safe, but if I remember correctly, mine told me that as long as I didn't over-exert myself, the best thing would be to start exercising. She recommended water aerobics, since they're gentle on the body while still providing a good work out.
Maybe do a little bit of walking, but focus more on diet while you recover rather than physical activity?
I will see the doctor today and ask about walking and swimming. We have a nice pool at the health club and I think just getting in the water will be a good start.
