Yesterday I had a surprise visit from my childhood friend Anna. Two years have passed since the day Anna had a close brush with death. Her story, in her own words goes like this.

‘’I woke up with a start around 3 am, with heaviness in my chest.I sat up and noticed my heart was racing, I could hear it thumping, and it was becoming harder for me to breathe. I stood up and started to walk, but after a few steps I was dizzy, and was back on my bed. Now my heart was racing even faster. I lied down wondering what was happening to me, I picked up my mobile, and thought of calling emergency. My husband was out for an offsite and my two children were asleep, I hesitated, decided to wait and went back to sleep. I woke up again hours later with breathlessness and chest pain. Then I called my primary doctor’s office and spoke to her nurse. Her triage questions saved my life, she said,” you might have a blood clot in your lungs”. Suddenly I remembered that I had undergone a knee surgery for fracture three weeks back. She asked me to rush to ER.  At ER a nurse took my pulse and hooked me up to IV line and cardiac monitor. I felt so relieved when I received oxygen. My doctor came in ordered a CT scan of chest, and the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was confirmed. I was shifted to intensive care unit, further tests confirmed a blood clot in my legs. My husband rushed back and he was informed that I needed surgery to have an IVC filter to prevent more clots in my legs from moving in my heart. I was given clot dissolving medications. I came back home 6 days later”.

I am now on blood thinners, may be for life. I have to wear my compression stocking all the time. I got my IVC filter removed after 6 months.

DVT and PE was a huge emotional setback for me, it took me many months to come out of it.

MEASURES TO PREVENT DVT/PE are:

• Quit smoking
• Exercise regularly
• Using compression stockings
• Lose weight
• Avoid long periods of physical inactivty
• During long flights, walk up the aisle every hour, drink plenty of fluids.