Hello Everyone! Firstly, I sympathize with anyone who is going through this scary experience.

I had a skiing accident a month a ago, ripping ligaments in my left knee and elbow. Bad enough, huh! Then when being immobile I have started to have an awful sharp pain in my side on breathing in. I was sure it was some kind of neuralgia, but when I started to feel like fainting (never happens to me) my husband called an ambulance. The paramedics assessed me and after listening to my lungs said I might be having a pneumonia, nothing life threatening. It was the middle of the night, but I decided to go to hospital anyway, rather than waiting till the morning to visit my GP.

As it turned out (I had CT straight after addmission) PE in both lungs. In addition I did indeed have a pneumonia, so they put me on both Clexane and antibiotics. Then I had an ultrasound of my leg (2 clots, one 6cm long), heart echo (all OK) and chest X-ray.

I stayed in hospital for 11 days, came back home 2 weeks a week ago. Before leaving hospital I had an ultrasound of my leg and apparently the clots are smaller, and chest X-ray (some lung collapse). My doc in hospital was not very communicative so I don’t know very much about the extent of my PE. I know only that my D-dimer test at the beginning of stay at hospital was nearly 6 thousand. The bad pain passed after 3 days of hospital stay, and then I only had a residual pain around my chest.

Now I can breath fairly deeply (doing breathing exercises), can walk as much as my leg in brace allows and do not pant too much, even going up hill and started working a bit from home. Overall I feel OK, today I have a bit of pain in my chest, but very tiny. I finished all the antibiotics yesterday, but still injecting myself with 120mg Clexane daily, until I see my doctor in 2.5 weeks time. I worry only a bit, though I suffered for years from a panic disorder and I’m on antidepressants permanently, so maybe it helps.

But as silly as it sounds I sometimes think I feel too good for this stage and I start feeling uneasy. Maybe I am missing something… So I feel a bit anxious.

I don’t know whether I should wear the compression stockings. I have some from hospital which I was given by a nurse that was surprised that the doctor didn’t advise any.

I don’t know what to expect when my period comes (apologies to the male participants). I know it maybe be heavier, but when I should be alarmed.

What tests should be done and when to see whether my clots dissipated? I’d rather visit my doctor equipped with this knowledge rather than being dismissed.

I overlooked my file and noticed that I had a genetic tests done in hospital (the doctor didn’t mention anything!). I don’t have the Factor V Leiden, which is good news I suppose. I don’t remember what’s the other test was, but I’d like to ask my GP for other tests to see whether I’m susceptible to blood clots. I know my DVT was provoked by my injury, but I have varicose veins (had two operations on other leg) which elevates the risk as well. And I’m not getting any younger, I’m 51. I wish I could back to skiing, maybe, but I would probably need to get an operation for my knee, but I’m scared I can get another PE.

So that’s my story. I hope I didn’t bore you all too much :-).