Been feeling better than anyone could have imagined, with having pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. My lung sounds and functions were clear, my ‘spells’ less so- I felt fantastic… until this morning when I woke abruptly this morning.
I woke up at 6 am, sweating and not able to catch breath. It’s 2 weeks since I was diagnosed with bilateral PEs and I haven’t had a ‘spell’ like this in over a week. I’d been feeling better.
I feel like it burns all the way into the middle of both lungs, hard to catch an inhalation, feel like I have to cough phlegm, but nothing.
My bp is lower than normal 102/80. I woke with tachycardia (fast heart rate) over 120, that went down to the 90s.
I’ve not had spells this bad since the hospital. My pulse ox reads anywhere from 93-98, depending.
I still can’t take a deep breath right now… it’s getting better, but it’s scary nonetheless.
I don’t drink, don’t smoke. I just started getting my steps back up from nil to 7k the last three days. I’m on the ketogenic diet.
When they said recovery is a process with pulmonary embolisms, they were not kidding. I can have relatively normal, excellent days- then BAM! Scary, back to square one.
Some folks in my support group say it takes months to years to recover.
My stubborn self was hoping for WEEKS. I push myself too hard. I am depressed, as much as I can be. Mostly because I don’t like to be idle.
Saw my gynecological oncologist this week and everything in that area is looking great since the hysterectomy. This surgery caused my PEs, btw.
I am too ornery and cantankerous to die. Too much to do… and I have a child to care for.
I refuse to succumb, but if anything happens to me, tell my baby I loved her.
So far, I am told I am lucky to be alive as it is. For this, I am absolutely grateful.
I have so many people I love and have loved. I don’t want to go anywhere.
I want to celebrate being alive. 2018 was rough. I am not the only person in my family to nearly lose their life in a sudden accident this year. We are blessed to be here right now.
