In 2021, Paul went into the hospital for a routine hernia operation, but complications during the procedure left him unable to stand afterward. He was discharged from hospital the next day, however a few days later he was rushed back to hospital as he couldn’t get out of bed.
While in hospital, he developed two large clots (pulmonary embolisms) in his lungs, which eventually collapsed.
Thankfully, as he was already in hospital, the doctors could act quickly and treat him.
He was in hospital for two weeks and had to take some time off work. He now has pleurisy in his left lung and some lasting damage to his groin area. His experience also took a mental toll and started seeking counselling to help him process the operation and subsequent blood clot.
More recently he has been back in hospital for his second hernia repair and the operation went well. The staff at the hospital were proactive with managing his blood clot risk this time around and he returned home and on blood thinning injections for one month to prevent any blood clots forming.
Paul wanted to share his story to help anyone who has experienced blood clots and raise awareness about the risk of clots after surgery. His advice would be to make sure you keep moving and more importantly to keep thinking positively – it’s hard going through this, but if you surround yourself with family and friends, it’s easier to keep fighting.
