“You’re too young for a blood clot” – I have learnt that nobody it TOO young, and pulmonary embolisms can happen to anyone.. any age, race, gender, and with all levels of health and physical fitness.
A pulmonary embolism (PE) might be “provoked”, meaning there is a reason behind its formation and an explanation why, however on the rare occasion (like myself) they are “unprovoked” meaning no formation reason, this can be hard for anybody, as it was me, to digest.
It was the last weekend in February I had a hard time breathing deeply, with a painful stitch-like feeling in my chest, back and neck along the left hand side. The morning of the 1st March I visited my GP with my wonderful Mam in hope that a simple assessment and maybe medication would resolve the issue. However, that was not the case as at this point, I was experiencing severe shooting chest pains after every breath.
I was, on GPs request, admitted to hospital
I was, on GPs request, admitted to hospital as an emergency where I was urgently seen by a doctor, given medication to temporarily ease the pain while they conducted an ECG (an Electrocardiogram test used to detect underlying heart conditions), took blood samples & sent me for an emergency chest x-ray to establish if, at worst case, I had a PE.
the x-ray showed something was slightly different
Following receiving clear results on both bloods and ECG outcome, the x-ray showed something was slightly different, so the doctor had a growing concern that an area of my lung was showing a possible issue.
On closer assessment they allowed me to be discharged overnight as an outpatient after injecting anticoagulant into my stomach and talking me through how to inject myself in the early hours to prevent any further damage before I was admitted back to hospital for an emergency CT and ultrasound scan the following morning.
For now, I am slowly but surely on the way up, feeling better
The results from the CT scan unexpectedly showed a larger than expected clot blocking multiple veins, that if was left any longer could have shockingly been life threatening. I was extremely lucky that day. They are not sure why a young, healthy female developed a PE, and I have a follow up planned with a haematologist to run more tests to hopefully get to the bottom of it, along with a heart echo scan to check for any heart damage as a result. For now, I am slowly but surely on the way up, feeling better, and am on pain meds and blood thinners and am looking forward to a hopefully healthy future ahead.
I would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to our amazing NHS service for the VIP treatment, you blew me away!
raise more awareness for a diagnosis that too many people, including once myself, do not have enough knowledge on
In 2021 I will be completing the “Cycle The UK” challenge to raise funds for a charity that now, and forever will be close to my heart, but also to raise more awareness for a diagnosis that too many people, including once myself, do not have enough knowledge on.
See Kate’s Fundraising page at: