On Monday 24th August 2020, I started to feel very breathless after my normal fitness class, very unusual but just put it down to my asthma. This carried on for the rest of the week. It really didn’t feel like my normal asthma as I had no wheeze.
didn’t feel like my normal asthma as I had no wheeze
By the Saturday I was feeling so unwell I called 111, thinking I maybe needed some steroids or to go onto a nebuliser. I spoke to a lovely GP who advised that I should go straight to A&E as she could hear how breathless I was.
My husband took me to A&E where I had blood tests, ECG and a chest X-ray. The doctor said he agreed with me that was probably my asthma and to book an appointment with my asthma nurse and sent me home.
I still felt quite unwell for the rest of the day and the next but continued to think ‘it must be my asthma I’ll be fine’.
However, on Sunday evening the last thing I remember saying to my husband is “I feel bloody awful!” The next thing I know and can remember is I’m in intensive care and being brought out of a induced coma a week later.
Apparently, I’d suffered a cardiac arrest due to the amount and size of a bilateral pulmonary embolism. I was put in an induced coma and most of my organs were packing up and they really didn’t think I’d make it through the night. I had the ‘do not resuscitate’ sign on me so I am really feel lucky to have this second chance.
nearly eight months later I still don’t think I’ve recovered mentally
I was in hospital for three weeks and nearly eight months later I still don’t think I’ve recovered mentally and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same, but hey I’m so lucky to be here and to be able to tell my tale.
I feel it’s so important to share awareness of blood clots
Other than being breathless I had no other signs what so ever of any blood clots no – DVTs, no painful legs etc.
Even A&E didn’t pick up on the blood clots but if I’d been diagnosed sooner I almost certainly would not have had a cardiac arrest and so would not have been in a coma. I suffered with hypoxia due to being starved of oxygen for 15 minutes and have an acquired brain injury.
That’s why I feel it’s so important to share awareness of blood clots and the added implications they can cause for example, cardiac arrests where only 8% of people survive a cardiac arrest outside of hospital.
My lasting message is – it is so important not to ignore your body.