Hi, my name is Chloe, I’m 25 and work as a Paediatric Nurse! I had struggled with acne for a long time and so started the combined hormonal contraceptive pill in August 2024.
About a month into my pill journey, I started noticing some pain in my leg after a long shift, but didn’t think too much of it. Then, whilst at work two months later, I suffered a sudden onset of very significant chest pain, and was sent to A&E. To my surprise, after tests were carried out while in A&E, I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism! The shock of the diagnosis took a while to set in. I am a relatively fit person, I do long 12-hour shifts on my feet, as well as dance 1-2 times each week.
I had experienced little to no symptoms in the lead up to my diagnosis and certainly wasn’t used to being on the other side of healthcare!
The risks of the pill had been explained to me in depth, but I, like many others, had the ‘it won’t happen to me’ mindset, and didn’t give it too much of a second thought until I was in A&E hearing the news.
Physically it has taken me only a few weeks to feel back to ‘normal’ which I am ever thankful for, although I still experience breathlessness and fatigue often. It has been the effect on my mental health however that has been the most significant. I am scared at every small pain in my chest, legs and head, cautious due to my anti-coagulants and I couldn’t sleep alone for weeks due to my overwhelming fear of falling asleep and something happening.
Luckily, I have an amazing community of people around me who have supported me all the way through, but I fear my health anxiety is now forever heightened due to my experience. One of the only resources that gave me any reassurance was the Thrombosis UK app ‘Let’s Talk Clots’, and hearing others’ stories who had similar experiences.
I am now returning to work after a month away, both excited and nervous. I am also navigating a life on anti-coagulants at 25, which is scarier and more cautious than I once thought. I will be forever thankful to my colleagues for getting me to A&E and giving me such thorough treatment, and my family for their continued support in what has been the scariest moment of my life to date. Thank you, Chloe.
