I had been experiencing increased breathlessness just doing things like going up stairs, doing work outs and walking up any incline, which was unusual for me but didn’t feel too alarmed by it, putting it down to things like lockdown and losing fitness.
I experienced this for about a month and a half before it got to the point I felt a crushing feeling on my chest, was feeling super tired and a bit sick. I began needing rests after walking up the stairs in my home which prompted me to contact my GP and they offered me an appointment the next day.
However, later that evening I was walking up a slight hill and had to sit down on the pavement because I couldn’t breathe properly and had a pain in my chest. I called 111 and they wanted to get me an ambulance but I refused as I didn’t think my situation was that serious. Thank god they managed to persuade me to go to A&E as they discovered two large blood clots on my lungs.
In the hospital they explained that the size of the clots was putting a large strain on my heart (and likely had been for awhile) and that something could go wrong at any moment and therefore needed to stay in under observation. After six days in hospital I collapsed on the ward and was taken to intensive care. Luckily I then started to improve quite quickly and was discharged five days later.
It was an incredibly scary time as I was very alert to what was going on and the severity of my condition through hospital. I am so thankful that my boyfriend persuaded me to go to A&E and that the hospital discovered my blood clots when they did as I was told if it was left any later I may not have been so lucky.
The first month after being discharged was tough, feeling really tired physically but also dealing with the shock of what happened. I found I would have repeating dreams of being in hospital and memories of being in hospital kept coming up throughout the day too. Talking about the experience both with professionals and those close to me really helped. I gradually built my confidence being back on my feet, starting off walking short distances with other people, then building up to going out on my own. Then in more recent months gradually building up my fitness again (after having the ok from doctors) going on light jogs and doing light workouts. Getting back into exercise as soon as I could has really helped me build my confidence and to feel I’m doing all I can’t to protect my health.
I’m still having ongoing blood tests to understand more about the cause, such as blood conditions/auto immune diseases but a few things have been ruled out now and so they think it was likely the contraception I was on.
I hope this story encourages anyone to get new symptoms checked out and for anyone on contraception to make sure they are having regular checks ups.