Pulmonary Embolism Support Group
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.
Hi everyone! I'm celebrating my 5th clotiversary today. It's been five years since I wound up in the ER with multiple bilateral PEs. Five years since bouncing through four doctor's offices in an attempt to get diagnosed. Five years since the shock and the worry and the overwhelming anxiety.
And, truthfully, its been a good five years. Admittedly, the first six months or so were hard ... REALLY hard. Battling with SOB, exhaustion, and anxiety. But things slowly got better and, at this point, they've been better for a long time. I do everything I used to do (and a few things I didn't used to do) and my lungs aren't even the first consideration (or the 10th) when I'm thinking about going hiking, or bike-riding, or (like this morning) helping a friend move.
For everyone who has just started on their journey, I just want you to know that it DOES get better. Your life isn't over--not by a long shot--and someday you'll look back on all this as a distant memory. Hang in there, be as grateful as you can for the little things, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
And, truthfully, its been a good five years. Admittedly, the first six months or so were hard ... REALLY hard. Battling with SOB, exhaustion, and anxiety. But things slowly got better and, at this point, they've been better for a long time. I do everything I used to do (and a few things I didn't used to do) and my lungs aren't even the first consideration (or the 10th) when I'm thinking about going hiking, or bike-riding, or (like this morning) helping a friend move.
For everyone who has just started on their journey, I just want you to know that it DOES get better. Your life isn't over--not by a long shot--and someday you'll look back on all this as a distant memory. Hang in there, be as grateful as you can for the little things, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
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Look at what my best friend did with my picture!
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We all have 24 hours in a day. How we spend these hours is important. Watching a little bit of a video about how sitting affects us made me aware of how much sitting and laying down I do. Gonna have to work on that.Your turn. Tell me another truth.
Glad you're still here, and by that I mean still here on DS, and still HERE,
So grateful for my posse of PE peeps!
Stephanie
Thank you so much for all your replies and kind words, it really helps!
good luck on your journey!
...and thanks to everyone else for advising, informing, or just 'befriending' me in this strange journey we're all on.
I am a newbie and not sure if I am just in denial or its been too soon. I was diagnosed with bilateral PE in both lungs on 02/26/15 and went back to work on 02/09, I even had the Inferior Vena Cava Filter place. I feel normal right now but I do get out breath when I walk for an extended period of time. Can anyone tell me if that's normal? Well congrats on your clotiversary!