BLOOD CLOTS

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Well, I have blood clots in both lungs. I have had shortness of breath for weeks. The first time was when I had the chickenpox in May. I thought it was from being sick. Later, I planted the garden and did notice my legs kind of weak compared to before chickenpox, but I went on and worked and thought I needed to get in shape. Then, I started having pain in shoulder blades and thought I had muscle pain, but also was getting short of breath again, to the point Saturday I thought this is crazy and not just out of shape, so I went to the walk in clinic and they thought anxiety, but would do tests just to make sure. ECG was abnormal compared to one done 6 years earlier, but could be a lot of reasons and took blood and told me they would call with results, so later in the evening, said go to ER now. I went and they did all kinds of tests. Chest x-ray earlier at walk in was normal, but it does not show clots, so a CT scan found the clots in both lungs. I was admitted and had more tests. Ultrasounds on legs showed no clots. Another ECG, telemetry monitoring and echocardiogram all done. The clots in lung are close to my heart and not at the edges, so the reason the ECG was abnormal. They wanted to make sure there was no heart damage and nothing wrong with my heart. They put me on a blood thinner in the hospital, Lovenox and now Eliquis at home for 3 months. The pain in my back was referred pain they said and that seems to be gone right now. I got up this morning and feel pretty good. Actually, I feel very different. I am not sure when it had started, but I have been aching all over for weeks and I do not remember when it started and I would kind of limp in the morning on my left leg when getting out of bed. Today, no aching all over. What I would like to know is has anybody been on blood thinners or on now and do you feel different? I feel not normal either. Not lightheaded, but just kind of not myself where I want to be careful, but not sure if this is from lack of sleep at the hospital and all the tests and things they did to me, IV contrast dye, etc. They told me to continue on. Work in my garden and do what I was doing, just nothing where I would get hurt and bleed and not to take up some new sport or something, rest if I have shortness of breath. I think I sit too much with my job being a medical transcriptionist from home, so I am going to break up my time of how long I type at one time and lose weight. LOTS OF WEIGHT. I have lost 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks trying to get in better shape since having shortness of breath, so I am going to continue that and gradually I am taking up walking or joining a gym so that I will not be totally inactive this winter. Any advice about blood thinners or comments on how you felt? I just kind of want to know what to expect for 3 months.

 

[majorcatfish]

no help here will keep you in my thoughts...

 

[so lucky]

My DH started on blood thinner after his TIA in December. No side effects except that he bruises easily and any little cuts bleed more.
So sorry and surprised that you are having this problem, but at least you are taking care of it, and it sounds like a good prognosis. You may actually end up feeling a lot better than you have felt in years.
Sometimes the medical profession gets things right!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I am not going to be as careless about not going to get things checked out. I am one of those people who think they are healthy and look at others thinking how I will not get what they have, but a lot of those people felt just like I do. DH, he had no idea he was as bad off as he was. He thought all his symptoms would pass and so did my dad. I was going around huffing and puffing covering my garden with DS when we had that freeze warning and just kept going like an idiot thinking I was out of shape. My DB and DD told me I needed to start lifting weights again since my back seemed to have something wrong with it, so I was lifting light weights with blood clots in my lungs. lol I had no breathing pain at all, none, or I would have gone sooner. Just weird. I feel better, but walking around picking peas and some raspberries, just feel a little odd, maybe weak, but trying to figure out if this is going to be how I feel for 3 months.

 

[baymule]

Look up the side effects for the medication you are taking. My husband had a triple bypass last August and is on blood thinners and blood pressure medication. He works outside, but if he overdoes it, he will get dizzy, feel lightheaded and he tires easily. Drink water. Dehydration will make you feel bad too. Drink plenty of water.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I did and only thing was at first to find out if allergic to it and then mostly is just looking for any bleeding. I went out and picked some squash and a couple peppers and DS and I dug a few potatoes and I was doing a lot of bending over and just at the end I got short of breath, but started walking to the house and recovered fast, then washed a few dishes. I feel better than I have in a long time. Just a little different too, but I will watch it. The thing is when I come off this thinner to be aware. My friend says she drinks 2 cups of wine a day because it takes pain out of her bad knee and works the same as aspirin. I don't want to have to do that.

 

[ninnymary]

Check with your doctor to see how you should be feeling. Pharmacists are also good for information. Don't stop asking questions.

Glad you found it in time.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

please be careful for the next few days till this stuff has worked its way through your system. when my dh had his stroke in 2013 diagnosed the day we went to the ER & they gave him a clot buster/thinner & i didn't really read up on all the info they gave after we went home. they said he wasn't bad off enough to be admitted to the hospital that day. they never said he shouldn't go upstairs to bed or be careful walking around. the next morning he walked downstairs fine telling me he was a little lightheaded but when he came back upstairs is when he nearly got to the top & fell backwards. he spent the next 2 weeks in rehab as a fall risk.

if at all possible set yourself up somewhere in the house so you don't have to climb up stairs or have someone with you to watch for any issues.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

please be careful for the next few days till this stuff has worked its way through your system. when my dh had his stroke in 2013 diagnosed the day we went to the ER & they gave him a clot buster/thinner & i didn't really read up on all the info they gave after we went home. they said he wasn't bad off enough to be admitted to the hospital that day. they never said he shouldn't go upstairs to bed or be careful walking around. the next morning he walked downstairs fine telling me he was a little lightheaded but when he came back upstairs is when he nearly got to the top & fell backwards. he spent the next 2 weeks in rehab as a fall risk.

if at all possible set yourself up somewhere in the house so you don't have to climb up stairs or have someone with you to watch for any issues.

So sorry your DH fell and BACKWARDS. I don't have stairs, so that is 1 good thing. Another is that I do not have atrial fibrillation, so I can come off this medicine. I have read every piece of paper given, the medication pamphlet and looked on line. I know I have to be careful not to get hurt. I am going to take it easy especially the first 7 days. I take 2 pills twice a day and then after that I will take 1 pill twice a day for 3 months. This extra amount for a week is twice as strong.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Check with your doctor to see how you should be feeling. Pharmacists are also good for information. Don't stop asking questions.

Glad you found it in time.

Mary

Me too! Wake up call for sure and maybe better understanding now of a lot things I never noticed before with my health.