A near miss and big consequences

[Dabbler]

I've been having trouble with my lungs since I was a kid. About 10 or 11 days ago I started feeling short of breath, but not heart attack type, but more of an asthma attack type. no chest pains, etc. Then 6 or 7 days ago I was clipping hedges and leaning way out using my right leg to stretch out to reach the far branches. So I got a charlie horse. no big deal.

I began treating the charlie horse with heat and massage, and things were more recalcitrant than usual, but I was making progress.

On Sunday I was fixing a trailer when I ran out of breath, and my adopted sister was worried,. So my wife and Tatyana convinced me to see my doctor. So on Monday I got a Wednesday AM appointment. After using all the 'toys', he said I couldn't drive and to get a ride to emergency.

I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and a large deep vein thrombosis. the leg had a 5" long blockage in the lower leg, and they didn't bother mapping my PE, as the treatment was identical, and immediate.

Any time from the first shortness of breath to the hospital stay I could have just ended. About 25% of the people with PE die as their first symptom, so my angels were very busy this month. So with social changes, identity changes, now I have medical changes - i live a very exiting life!

 

[David]

Been there done that. In 2004 I developed a DVT from a long stay in the hospital where I could not be anti-coagulated due to concerns about internal bleeding. During the pandemic I could not see my doc and I ran out of anti-coagulants and ended up in the hospital with a PE.
VERY SCARY!!!!
Glad you're still on the green side of the grass!

 

[Doggggboy]

You don't eff around when it's time for change, huh?
Be well.

 

[mickeyf]

About 25% of the people with PE die as their first symptom

Um, don't you mean "last and only symptom"?

Seriously though - good luck and take care of yourself. It's better to be over cautious at risk of appearing to be a hypochondriac than "oh, it'll get better by itself" but then it goes the other way and beyond easy or even any recovery.

 

[whydontu]

Exiting life is bad, exciting life is good. That’s me being a spelling fussbudget. Glad to hear your OK and our amazing medical folks were able to quickly provide the care you needed.

 

[Dusty]

@ Dabbler take care of yourself man, good friends like you are hard found.

 

[KeeponDragon]

they say complacency kills...And I don't mean that as a barb...I'm bad for assuming...oh it's just a pain...I'm fine...
I'm just glad you listened to the ladies and got your butt into the emerg...
In my 20's, I thought I had a very bad flu...turned out my appendix was on it's way to bursting...my partner at the time said "I'm taking your stubborn ass to the walk-in" Doc poked me in the guts and I just about stroked him...
"Get him to the ER...I'm calling ahead" is all he said to my girl...If not for her...I'd have been in some real trouble.

 

[Tomc938]

Take care. Glad to hear you dodged that bullet.

Hopefully no other issues with this.

 

[Doggggboy]

That’s me being a spelling fussbudget. Glad to hear your OK

you're
LOL

 

[Bandit]

Take care Dabbler! Glad it was found.
When they asked me why/what has caused my neck problems, they looked at me a bit funny, when I said “ staying alive has likely had something to do with it.”

 

[eotrfish]

Dabbler

Glad you dodged that bullet
Take care

Brent

 

[Ironman]

Dabbler, I went through this in 2015, exactly the same.
My lungs have never been any good since, but you and I are still alive, so we must have a lucky charm..

 

[David]

Dabbler, I went through this in 2015, exactly the same.
My lungs have never been any good since, but you and I are still alive, so we must have a lucky charm..

Likewise. I have very little aerobic capacity now.

 

[Tom O]

Good to see your recovering.

 

[whydontu]

you're
LOL

Sigh. Hoist with my own petard.

 

[Dabbler]

I was typing this phone thingamajig... exiting seems to be preferred over exciting... and I forgot to correct it manually...

 

[Doggggboy]

Sigh. Hoist with my own petard.

Autocorrect is your worst enema.

 

[Janger]

Speech to text is worse. I told my PM "I'm in Love" last week.

 

[DPittman]

Glad to hear you got things taken care of in time. I've had a couple close calls with cardiac blockages that hadn't I had quick and immediate attention, I would've been a goner. Time is of the essence with these sort of things. I have made quite a few visits to E.R. to only have them tell me the issue was not life threating and each time I was told by ER staff that it is better to be safe than sorry. I've always agreed. I hope your next trip to ER turns out to be unnecessary and just a bit of an inconvenience for your time.

 

[Elektrishun]

“That which does not kill you makes you weaker, and will probably kill you the next time it shows up” - Norm Macdonald

@Dabbler

The first time I heard Norm make that comment I laughed out loud. When it comes to physical recovery I think Norm's twist on Nietzsche's famous quote is more often true than not. You lose a little or a lot, no matter how well you recover physically.

On the other hand, when it comes to our psychological selves, or at least our spiritual selves, I think we often become stronger when we get through tough times.

Therefore, mentally you must be as tough as nails by now. Take care.