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 Gang, Sorry I wasn't here last evening but I went and stayed at Hotel ICU. My INR levels dropped below therapeutic and those magically appearing blood clots magically appeared. I am now once again the human pin cushion and have bruising all over my tummy and arms from needle sticks all night long. They kept me to make sure my heart wasn't affected too since the pains went away after a shot of lovenox and a spray of nitroglycerin under the tongue. This morning after discovering they didn't have an indoor pool I checked out to find more suitable accommodations. Anyway I am now scheduled for a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer just to make sure that's not where the clots are coming from. The doctor said she didn't wish colon cancer on anyone but at least that they could cut the cancer out and I wouldn't have clots anymore. What a weird world.
On a side note after my daughter picked me up from the hospital we went over to Wal-Mart to get my new coumadin prescription I'm now on 10 mg and while I was waiting this man keep saying I need help, I need help. No one was helping him so I walked over and asked him what was wrong. His wife had quit breathing so daughter and I threw her onto the floor and began CPR and rescue breathing on her. We told the pharmacist to call 911 and get us a mask for rescue breathing and their reply was whats that, we asked for an AED and they didn't know where it was and when we asked for scissors to cut the woman's blouse off they handed us a box cutter. Finally the ambulance crew arrived and that's when we informed Wal-Mart of all their inadequacies in their employees. Unfortunately when we were finally able to get an AED on the woman she was beyond saving. Please say a prayer for her. However I think she had been gone for awhile before we even started CPR on her as she was very cyanotic and blue.
On a side note after my daughter picked me up from the hospital we went over to Wal-Mart to get my new coumadin prescription I'm now on 10 mg and while I was waiting this man keep saying I need help, I need help. No one was helping him so I walked over and asked him what was wrong. His wife had quit breathing so daughter and I threw her onto the floor and began CPR and rescue breathing on her. We told the pharmacist to call 911 and get us a mask for rescue breathing and their reply was whats that, we asked for an AED and they didn't know where it was and when we asked for scissors to cut the woman's blouse off they handed us a box cutter. Finally the ambulance crew arrived and that's when we informed Wal-Mart of all their inadequacies in their employees. Unfortunately when we were finally able to get an AED on the woman she was beyond saving. Please say a prayer for her. However I think she had been gone for awhile before we even started CPR on her as she was very cyanotic and blue.
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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.
Blessings, Teri
Not even that Sumo suit, would have helped.
Welcome to the pin cushion club!!!!
So how are YOU feeling now, any better?
I hope they find the reason you are manufacturing clots and that it does not involve a heavy procedure, that colon cancer is not what you call light procedure...
I know what you mean about the lack of pools, it took me 6 days to get a straight answer about the fact that the pool had been closed for a long time, in my Hospital Inn.
Be well, take it easy and I hope you a good recovery.
Yes I had another small PE because my INR levels were low. Crazy huh? The doctor is checking for the lupus factor but also mentioned that sometimes colon cancer can cause Blood Clots so I need to be checked for that too now just to be safe and to see if they can figure out where the clots are coming from.
As far as the CPR, yes it was a crazy morning but I'm so sad our efforts were futile, I think I cried for an hour after the ambulance hauled the woman to the hospital.
I'm glad to hear that your are ok! And I am so sorry to hear that you had more PE's. Have you ever considered a home INR monitor to keep a closer eye on your INR? Usually insurance companies will cover the cost of the machine and strips.
Sorry to hear about your sad Walmart experience too! So sad!
((((Hugs))))
Barb
You said your coumadin was subtherapeutic? What was your INR?
It is so cool that you still have your sense of humor through all of this.
I will pray for this family and you as well, that you will find an answer to the clotting problems.
you're in my thoughts Ferr...
x x
This is the 3rd for you, right? I think you win a prize as queen PE survivor!!
Congrats on maintaining your sense of humor throughout the whole thing.
The hotel I was in December had room service and it was lovely of them to bring me breakfast in bed, but it sure was yucky food! And no pool either...Heehee.
I am impressed that you, as you were getting your prescription, tried to save another person's life. You are never off work. Even as you are being discharged from the hospital yourself!! I will say a prayer for her and her family.
I will be thinking of you and hoping that you don't have to deal with cancer.
I hope they get to the bottom of this for you.
Did you figure out your INR was low with your home monitor? Were you having trouble breathing?
Huge hugs!!
I am feeling much better today but my level yesterday was still only at a 2.3 so I have to go in today and get it checked again. MY Meter this morning says its at 2.4 so we'll see if i get any more shots.
Love you all and thank you for your prayers.
I am sorry about your ordeal. How are you feeling today?
Hope you are okay?
Pam
Glad you took the warnings in yourself as a need to get to the ER to have things checked. Sure do hope they can get your levels regulated again. Never even heard the mention of colon cancer as a possible cause for the clots but sure does help to ease the mind from thinking too much when they do rule that out. (positive thinking!)
Your Walmart heroism...I can only imagine how difficult it is to try to save a life, doing all you can. Personally, I try to never shop at Walmart and now this would be another reason not to. My prayers for that family and for YOU.
That sumo suit was on the way and STILL wouldn't have kept you outta trouble! I've never been in an ambulance before...and I'm sure I understand with your affiliation why you didn't want the lights and siren ~~ but you know what? I would have been back there saying, "Ok, turn on the lights and siren, how fast can this puppy go?" LOL Yeah, I like speed! Of course, how fast can you get up to when the hospital is only 5 miles away LOL
Hope you're doing better today.
Seriuosly my heart sank when I read about your latest hotel stay and the Walmart incident ...how awfull .
You have more than earned your brownie buttons now rest and be well lady !I am praying for you...I really am .
Well it sounds like you had an absolutely horrific time - and yet - you can still make us laugh !!!Thinking of you and wondering where you get all your strength from - you sure are an inspiration to me - love Sxx
Is your home INR checker working properly? If not, I wonder if your INR was really lower than 2.2.
Are they sure that the clots are new?
Sorry for asking so many questions you've probably already asked. I'm just curious and concerned.
As far as colon cancer, my hematologist says that some GI cancers, like colon and pancreatic cancer, can cause blood clots. I'm always worried about that because I've had to DVTs and a PE, all unprovoked, no genetic clotting issues etc. I do have ulcertative colitis which makes me a higher risk for colon cancer and my aunt died of pancreatic cancer. At the end, she was developing DVTs. Just makes me think sometimes that something sinister is going on in me.
But I suspect, and hope that I am right, that you'd be symptomatic of cancer before the clotting would start. Are you having GI issues right now? It's good that they're checking you under the hood.
And it is a weird world indeed.
rmb, My home meter was right on because my blood tested the exact same in the ER as what my home monitor did. I guess for some unexplained reason my therapeutic level needs to be higher than 2.5 or those magically appearing clots show up.
Seriously friends I wasn't aiming for the most PE's and maybe what Monterey says I've met my 3rd quota so I can stop now.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, You are who gives me the strength I need to keep going.
GOD Bless each and every one of you.