Actually I agree with your doctor's decision. First, it's true that the treatment would have been the same. I've also done research on this, and it's also true that by far the most common DVTs which come postpartum are in the pelvis, which makes complete sense, of course, with everything that just happened down there. To confirm it, they'd have probably had to give you another CT scan in that area, so he probably figured it wasn't worth the unnecessary scan for something which wouldn't change your treatment.

I would actually even further bet the clots were in your pelvis based on the fact your right leg is the one which was evidently hurting you at the time, because clots associated with pregnancy and postpartum tend strongly toward the left leg rather than the right, but a pelvic clot can give you pain in either or both legs, without actually having a clot in the leg itself. Also pelvic clots are one of the most likely to embolise, so your situation fits all those things.

Have you talked to your doctor recently about the symptoms you have in your legs? Also, is what you're feeling still the same as when you were on coumadin or has it gotten worse since coming off? If it has gotten worse, I'd definitely think seeing your doctor is in order. If it's pretty much the same, there are some things you could do which might help. Walking helps me a lot with leg pain. I know you were saying it's been difficult to have a program of exercise, but that was one of the few things which I did set time aside for myself once my husband got home. Not a giant exercise routine, but just a little time walking outside. Sometimes I couldn't walk very far, I certainly didn't move quickly, although that got better as time went by, and it would hurt while I did it, but I noticed that the overall health of my leg which had the DVT improved. You could possibly try wearing compression stockings on your legs to see if that helps with the sensations of numbness and pain which you have. Some days my leg felt so heavy I felt like I couldn't lift it, but the stockings did help me. And overall, give yourself just more time to heal. Clots in the pelvis can get pretty large, so that might make sense that they would take awhile to resolve. My leg took well over a year to actually feel well again, so lots of patience is necessary. But I'd make myself focus on the improvement I had, which I think if I hadn't forced myself to do, I'd have felt a lot more frustrated because healing from DVT just goes way slower than we want it to.

There are other people I've seen here who got PE without having found a DVT, but even most of them it's assumed they had a DVT somewhere, they just couldn't figure out from where the clot came.

I am 7 weeks post PE and got a scan done on my legs yesterday - completely clear. I also had zero DVT symptoms.

I agree with ShilosMommy on all accounts.

I know it seems like doctors aren't investigating every angle, but when the end result doesn't change there's really no medical necessity to turn that stone over again and again. If you are experiencing this kind of leg pain and heaviness, it's worth mentioning to your doc just to get his opinion on what would be causing that.

Sometimes, finding acceptance with the fact that you don't know where the clot started is all you can do. There are many of us who don't even know what caused our clots to begin with and may never know, but at some point finding some peace with the unknown is critical to moving on.

I've clotted three times. I had DVTs in 2005 and 2009. In 2010, when I got my PEs, they didn't do an ultrasound to see if I had also developed a new DVT. I mean, I KNOW it wouldn't change my treatment and I also KNEW at the time that I was a lifer. Really, having that knowledge wouldn't change anything.

BUT ... I still wonder about it. I wonder if one my existing DVTs (both still in my leg) was somehow connected to the PEs, if I had developed a new one, if I was clotting somewhere else entirely. I mean, there is no practical reason to have done the ultrasound, but for me, I do feel that a small piece is missing out my own history. Just curious about how it all happened more than anything else.

So, I guess I'm saying I can see both sides. I know why they didn't scan but I also know why you'd think about it. It's possible it wouldn't have shed any light on your situation, but there's something about having that box with the question mark in it that can nag at you if you let it. At some point, you have to just figure out a way to make peace with not knowing...

I presented at the ER with the full blown PEs. I had had SOB for 5 weeks, and though they did a full US check - legs, arms, etc, never found one. Doc said given the time involved, not that strange. But got PEs again and never found one then either.

A few weeks before the first round, I did have a hamstring pull, so it might have had something to do with it

I had multiple, bilateral PE's and there was absolutely no sign of a DVT and 0 risk factor, other than my dad, who was a very sick man, passing away from a PE.

From what the doctors told me at the hospital, it is not common to have a PE without a DVT and little to no risk factor, but it does happen.

In my case, they ARE investigating, as it could very well be a genetic clotting disorder: they want to make sure I do not have another PE in the near or far future.

I agree with ShilosMommy: the focus should be on healing, rather than on worrying about why and how. I know: easier said than done. I find that I worry about every little thing since the PE and that's unusual behavior for the optimist that I am.

I was diagnosed with two PE's in my right lung about a month ago. No evidence of DVT's here either. Although, they only did ultrasound on my legs. Blood tests are still pending as to whether there is a genetic factor involved. Thinking back, I had two horrible bruises on my right leg a couple/few weeks prior to my PE.. Added to that was a 5 hour trip to and from our vacation rental, which is where the bruises happened. So, I guess those things combined could indeed be a risk factor. I kind of hope this was all a fluke and the bruises are what caused the PE, rather than the genetic factor(obviously). From what I understand, it is possible that I did have DVT(s) but they left no trace after traveling to my lungs.