Hi and welcome! First and foremost, you should Google "athletes and blood clots" and read some of the great articles that pop up there. You're certainly not alone in being in good shape and getting felled by a blood clot. (Serena Williams had PEs, for example, and she bounced back to win an Olympic gold and number of other titles.)

Also, I would say you should read around on this site. Many of the questions you have and the things you're experiencing are pretty common and that should help you feel less alone.

As for getting back into training, just start slow and see what you can handle. If you go work out and spend the next three days exhausted and with increased shortness of breath (SOB), you probably went too hard. Dial it back and try again. Your body WILL let you know if it is too much and you'll have to go through some trial and error to figure out what you can handle right now. You might also check with your doctor. If you had clots in your legs or arms, that could affect what might be comfortable and/or do-able for you right now.

I think dietary concerns generally come based on what medication people are taking. If you're on warfarin/coumadin ("older" anticoagulants), then diet can be a major factor. Newer anticoagulants don't have that restriction. Without knowing your specific concerns, I can't say what advice or help a dietician might be. I do know that it is critical to stay good and hydrated ... less water leads to "thicker" blood.

Honestly, for me, I found the emotional recovery from PEs to be much harder than the physical recovery. I was a ball of anxiety and fear for months, even though I had had previous clots (always in my legs, not my lungs). I fought it for a while, but finally broke down and started on antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds after a few months. I also saw a therapist who dealt with people who had been through traumatic events. I did the meds for about two years and the therapist only for a couple months. Both were very helpful... the meds especially since I realized how much energy I'd been putting into fear/anxiety. It was nice to be able to redirect that energy toward healing.

That said, though, if meds and therapy aren't your thing, find something that will work for you ... journaling, meditation, online support groups, walking, etc. I would just say that you're not helpless in the face of anxiety/depression, and it's better to take that bull by the horns if you can. It'll run you right into the ground if you let it. Plus, tackling anxiety/depression will help you feel like you're in charge of your life again.

I had my PEs in 2010--almost seven years ago now!--at the age of 35. They were multiple and in both lungs. I'd say I really was in acute "recovery" mode for about 11 months. I had bouts of increased exhaustion, SOB, and etc. when I pushed myself too hard but they got less frequent and less severe over time. Things like changes in temperature or humidity can affect your lungs--as can cleaning fumes.

At this point, I don't really have any lingering anything (health issues or otherwise) that I'd attribute to the PEs. The only real issue is that I got in the habit of NOT exercising during recovery, just because it was challenging, and I'm still working my way out of that now. It doesn't sound like that'll be a problem for you, though. :-)

As for getting pregnant, it can be done for sure. You'd be on shots for the whole pregnancy, and it would be induced, but otherwise it will run normally. We've had folks on these boards who have had babies after clots ... always a happy thing!

Hang in there! It does get better ... just never as fast as we want it to.

Hi Louise! Sorry to have you join this club but it's good you're being proactive.

How do people get back into training? I started with some physiotherapy and then did a 2 month pulmonary rehab program 3x a week at the hospital. It started with some light stretching and chair squats and upper body weights then two different cardio exercises starting at 6 minutes each working up to 12-15 minutes each at 85% of Max heart rate followed by some more stretching and resistance band exercises for the legs (about am hour all together). On the off days I did about a dozen chair squats, one legged squats and steps. Your body will tell you if you're pushing too hard ('bone tired' took on a whole new level of meaning...).

Nutrition? Has anyone sought the advice of a dietician - what was the general recovery diet advice? The advice is identical to general nutrition advice but if you are having a lot of shortness of breathafter meals try more smaller meals instead of fewer bigger ones. Also exercise before you eat not after, digestion sucks up a lot of oxygen.

Depression and anxiety? How do people cope with the feeling on being alone in dealing with things? Time with friends and maintaining social connection us key. Friends who happened to be off on mat leave were a wonderful source of daytime interactions.

How has having a severe PE affected your life - getting pregnant after PEs / fitness and general health levels etc anything!!? I am still struggling mightily with daily life two years on but my experience is not at all typical, I had multiple pes before diagnosis and a concurrent autoimmune pulmonary issue that they still haven't really figured out. That said the best research I found showed that two thirds of patients feel back to normal after two years and it sounds like you will be one of them.