The scare of a lifetime

No...I am not pregnant! lol....isn't that the scare of every 40 something woman?

One week ago today, I stood up from the couch and walked upstairs for dinner. When I reached the top of the stairs, I could not catch my breath. I sat down for a few minutes and my breathing slowed and I chalked it up to the cold I had been fighting for 2 weeks. After dinner I did the dishes and started to become short of breath again, and then began sweating. I went back downstairs where Martin was and sat on the couch, unable to catch my breath. I could feel my pulse racing.

I asked Martin to call our neighbor, who is an ER nurse. She came and assessed me and called 911 for an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, I was continuing to have difficulty breathing. My pulse rate was 160 and my O2 sat was 82. Normal for each is 70 and 100, respectively. I was put on oxygen and a heart monitor and put in the ambulance. An IV was started on the way to the hospital.

Once at the hospital they continued the assessment. Because I had had some slight leg pain for a couple of days, and my shortness of breath, I had an ultrasound of my leg which showed I had a blood clot. Then I had a CAT scan of my lungs and they found 2 large blood clots near my pulmonary artery and several small ones scattered throughout my lungs!

The ER doctor came to tell us the news, and said it was very serious. According to him and probably 20 other doctors and nurses, a lot of people collapse and die when this happens. I have been told I am very lucky to be alive!

There was some debate over whether I needed to go to a nearby teaching hospital or stay in the local hospital. It was decided I could stay locally and I was transferred to ICU and started on blood thinners.

After 3 days in ICU, I was sent home. The picc line ( a special IV that goes into my heart) that was used to give blood thinners and take blood was left in for blood draws. I had to learn to flush that with saline and also had to give myself shots of blood thinners for a few days at home.

The picc line has been removed, because it was bleeding and I no longer need to give myself shots. YAY! I will see my doctor tomorrow and we will map out a plan for treating this. I will be on blood thinners long term, maybe for life.

As for what caused this..the underlying problem is I have Factor V Leiden. This is a genetic clotting disorder that I have known I had since 2001. My doctors felt I did not need treatment at the time. I have one mutation, which is better than having two, but still increases the risk of forming blood clots. My daughter has one mutation as well. My mother and brother are being tested to see if they have any mutations as well.

SO....I am off work for a couple weeks, again...and am laying pretty low. I still get short of breath when moving around. Showering and dressing seem to be the worst culprits!

A few months ago, I started using a quote in some of sigs on various forums. It originally spoke to me about loving someone. It has now taken on a completely different meaning for me and I leave you with the quote:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.