Yeah, saw that on one of the JFK programs last week. He also had lung cancer and was appealing his death sentence so clearly odds of living a long life weren't in his favor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Deaths_from_pulmonary_embolism
http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-who-died-of-pulmonary-embolism/reference

Am I the only one who dislikes reading about others who've died from this? All it seems to do is set my anxiety off. Even coming across the title - so it's hard to avoid. Granted I'm currently in a very anxious place.

It doesn't give me anxiety; it's just somewhat morbid to me. I do find it interesting to read about famous SURVIVORS of PEs and how they bring about awareness as well as how they manage post diagnosis especially if they are an athlete or singer.

Survivorship bias. A topic in Carolyn Thomas' The Ethical Nag blog.
http://ethicalnag.org/

"You must remind yourself that when you start to pick apart winners and losers, successes and failures, the living and dead, that by paying attention to one side of that equation, you are always neglecting the other.

I know that rmb and many others don't turn away from us mere survivors---- that's evident by all the help they've given members here.

But by only reading the 'good' stuff you neglect the 'real' stuff and the 'real' people.

I'm sorry for the member who doesn't like to read about death. I don't either----- but I'd never avoid it.

I had to giggle over this slightly hyperbolic paragraph in the same blog entry:

"[...] who successfully complete their first marathon shortly after leaping off the O.R. gurney following lifesaving quadruple bypass surgery, which they of course sail through with nary a complication. These are the people whose terrifying cardiac events motivate them to quit smoking, drop 30 pounds, take up competitive swimming, become vegans and write a book about their heroic exploits with the evangelical zeal of a born-again health nut."

Gawd, those people really get up my nose! That's My survivorship bias. LOL

I'm not implying to avoid reality or to not to read about people who drop dead from PEs. I don't avoid it either. Information is information whether it's pleasant or not. If it's upsetting simply don't read it. Personally, I don't know what it does for a person to search out famous people who died from PEs but if it's a point of interest for someone or just a matter of providing trivia, have at it. If I had cancer I can't imagine searching for famous people who died from the same cancer but that's me.

When I say "survivor" I don't mean it in a grandiose way; I mean it literally to be the opposite of dying from a PE.

We had PEs. We know that they're deadly. We know people die from them. We know we're lucky to not be one of them. I don't need a dead famous person point of reference in order to comprehend that.

rmb---- did we just agree? I think so. (grin)

We DID! Ha ha!

I personally derive no benefit from reading the negative side of PEs (the fatalities). I don't feel it is my duty to read both sides as if I need to read them to have some sort of fair and balanced opinion. For me, in my life, avoiding them is a benefit to my health because I will mentally obsess and become paranoid and anxious with every breath that I take. My original comment was to ask if there were others like me. We know they're deadly. Many folks feel lucky to be alive, here. Many still wonder if they're at risk or why they're at risk or if they'll get them again and die.

I will fully admit that right now (as I stated before) I'm struggling with major anxiety related to just that. I've been having shortness of breath that feels exactly like it did when I was dx in August. It's very unlikely that it's anything, but my own brain won't stop saying - you're going to die. You're going to die. You're going to leave behind your four children. Then I pop on here to read and get support or offer support and instead I see, "hey here's people who died from this thing we've all struggled or are currently struggling with." It's honestly enough that I don't want to come back.

I think it's a personal preference what we choose to read or not read, here or anywhere else. And it's a personal thing what we chose to post here or not post here. I don't get much from reading about the fatalities and I don't see a point because I already know that PEs are deadly but it may be helpful to others in some way, and it could be something people need to tell others about here because it gives them an outlet for their own fear and anxiety. I don't know.

I do know if something is irrelevant to me here, I take very little stock in it and move on. I know in my first few months post PE when my anxiety was through the roof, I was selective about I read at times because it did crank up the anxiety. But that's where I have control, in what I choose to read or not read. You can still come here for the support you need by avoiding the support you don't need. Support comes in different forms and people need support in different ways. There's something for everyone here. I'm sorry you're struggling with anxiety. It can be so overwhelming I know. So you do what you can to keep it in check until it starts to not be so prevalent. That may mean for now not opening a discussion thread that has the word "fatality" in it or something similar or off putting. That way people can read what they find interesting and you can take control so you are able to get what you need here too.

One thing I'm reminded of as I was writing: A couple of years ago, a man would post here for support because his wife died from a PE while they were on vacation. It was so hard to read, and even more, so hard to bear witness to his loss. He was so open and honest in expressing his grief and love for his wife. It ripped your heart out. But he found support here in some way. Some want to report data, some want to offer emotional support, some want to receive data and some want to receive emotional support. It's all ok,

MrsS:
I didn't answer your question "Am I the only one who dislikes reading about others who've died from this?"
You may be, since you're the only one who has so far, in this thread. There may be others who just avoided reading about it because the word ' fatality' was in the subject.

My answer is, no---- I don't dislike it. I don't like it either. It just is.

You also said:
" I don't feel it is my duty to read both sides as if I need to read them to have some sort of fair and balanced opinion."

It isn't.

I'm so sorry that you get anxious.

Yeah, my comment about it not being my duty was in response to the suggestion that you should read both sides - death and survival.

Guess I'm just too sensitive and prefer not to think about what could have happened or what could still happen in my life right now.

"You may be, since you're the only one who has so far, in this thread. There may be others who just avoided reading about it because the word ' fatality' was in the subject. "

Well excuse me for asking since it was entirely possible I was NOT the only who is jarred by posts that discuss fatalities in a general way (rather than specific to someone's individual struggle). Could you be any more sarcastic?. I'll see myself out. So much for compassion. So far all of your responses are dripping with snark.

To; Mrs Schicopea

I empathize with your anxiety, many of us here have the same issue. I've been to the er with sob 5 times in the last 2 years . Something to to with the brain, an undisussed result of the PE .
This has been brought up over the last 2 years in connection with bringing awareness to the Embolism . Many of us here have been undiagnosed after going to a doctor or the ER until the symptoms are so severe as to almost kill us.
We are trying to bring awareness to the disorder so doctors test us sooner. Having news of famous people with PE I think can help.
I have written Stanford of this hoping it will get PE thought of earlier in diagnosis.