Two weeks ago I suffered a potentially life-threatening condition called a pulmonary embolism. It is a complication of a condition called deep vein thrombosis in which a blood clot forms in the large veins of the legs or pelvis. When a part of the clot breaks off, it travels to the pulmonary artery and blocks blood flow to the lung(s). This puts great strain on the heart as it's trying to pump blood through narrowed passages while not receiving adequate oxygen itself.
The week before it happened I had moderate pain in my left hip that spread down to the back of my knee that made walking difficult. Since it felt like muscle pain I thought that I'd wait it out and never suspected anything serious. By the day before my embolism I noticed some very mild swelling and redness on my thigh and foot. Again, it was mild but I was becoming slightly concerned that the pain was not improving.
While I was walking back from class I felt my whole left leg tighten and cramp up. About 15 seconds later the cramp let up and I immediately began hyperventilating. My heart began to beat fast and abnormally. I began to feel an sense of impending doom that really, really frightened me. I made it to a chair to sit down as I began to feel weak and lightheaded. It took me a couple minutes to realize that this was not going to go away, so I called my mom. In retrospect, I should have just called 911 but I was panicking and couldn't really think straight.
While waiting for my mom to arrive to take me to the hospital, I began to calm down a little. About 2 hours later we arrive at the University hospital. I could barely walk 20 feet without having to sit down. At the emergency triage, the nurse took a look at my vitals and immediately took me to get checked out. The nurses hooked me up to an EKG and a machine that monitors heart rate and respiration. The machine showed a heart rate of 140 b/m, which is more than double the normal rate of someone my age. A medical student asked me a battery of questions, and then I was taken to be given a chest x-ray. Afterwards I was admitted to the emergency department.
There the resident asked me more questions about my symptoms and family history. She suspected a pulmonary embolism but needed a V/Q scan (ventillation/perfusion scan) to be sure. (I thought the idea of inhaling radioactive isotopes and having gamma rays emitted from my lungs was soooo cool, which cracked the nuclear tech up. Even when I'm sick I don't stop being the nerdy science student.) A ultrasound of my leg was done to check for any clots, which there were none, so either the clot came from somewhere else or the whole thing made its way to my lungs. The V/Q scan showed two large clots in both of my lungs. The nurses started me on anticoagulant injections that will hopefully prevent any new clots from forming.
I was lucky to have been stable enough to be released from the hospital and subsequently be treated as an outpatient. A ton of bloodwork is being done to test for any clotting disorders or autoimmune diseases, as pulmonary embolism is not common in young people. I am going to have to be on anticoagulants for at least 6 months, and if any clotting disorders are found I'll be on them for a lifetime.
Nothing can be done for the clots already in my lungs. They will be reabsorbed by my body in time. How long it will take me to recover, I really don't know. For now being active is really tiring and I become short of breath very easily, which means my training is on hold for a while. How long I'm not sure, as it depends on how I feel in time. Remaining, at least, relatively active during my recovery is important as it will help prevent another clot from forming.
Please be aware that this condition can happen to anyone of any age. I was previously healthy before it happened to me. I want anyone who reads this to be aware of the symptoms of not only pulmonary embolism, but of deep vein thrombosis. When you are injured or sick, try to get moving as soon as possible (within reason) in order to reduce the risk of clots. If you experience any sudden shortness of breath and chest pain, call an ambulance. Don't wait for a ride to the hospital like I did.
If you made it through this post, thanks for reading as I know it's really long. This was mostly just for me as a way to "let go" of that experience and a way to lift a weight off my back. Writing experiences down definately releases any leftover emotions and also allows you reflect on the significance of that experience.
I'm feeling much better than I did last week, so hopefully I'll continue that trend. I will still be hanging around the kwoon during my recovery so I'm not disappearing entirely.
Sihing Karissa Martin
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, AB
www.silentriverkungfu.com
