Well, that was scary

I guess I should say it still is scary as the situation has yet to resolve itself. You may remember my recent thread about having hernia surgery. Well the healing of that is progressing nice and well, if a bit more slowly than I'd hoped.

Unfortunately I just spent the past three days in the hospital because, at the ripe old age of 25, I apparently developed blood clots in my lungs (pulmonary embolisms for you fancy types). I was having back pain/breathing issues for a couple of days and thought nothing of it. Then I started coughing blood. Went to the ER and after four hours was ready to just bail but luckily the wife raged at me and made me stay, guess I owe her for that one.

Still waiting on results from the blood work they took but I'm really hoping this was just a fluke.

So for the moment I get daily self administered blood thinner shots and long term looks like I'll be on pills as long as the medical types deem necessary.

On the plus side, I just found my motivation to quit smoking.

Yeah. I'd say thats scary. Get well soon!

Whenever blood exits from anything other than a wound or the snot-locker, there is rightfully some reason for concern...

Hope you are feeling better !

glad you are OK.

That sounds unpleasant. That sort of thing can be lethal. Glad to hear you are OK.

Holy E36 M3, glad you're okay! I had the same incentive to quit smoking... those blood thinners are unpleasant but they work. Wishing you a quick recovery.

Glad to hear you're OK. If ever blood comes out of where it normally may appear, get to a hospital. Even pooling blood from a bruise is cause to go. Better to be safe than 6 ft under.

Same goes if you hit your head, don't be a hero, get to the hospital. I slipped and fell Christmas eve while on thinners, they insisted I come in for a catscan in case of cranial bleeding. Good news was, no waiting, everybody had better things to do i guess.

Wow, take it easy mate, you don't need any more scares this week

Speaking of cat scans, that was an interesting sensation. Never went from normal temperature to super hot feeling in .5 seconds before.

Funniest thing about all of it is, by the time I actually made it to the hospital I was feeling much better, not that I actually was. I was just glad to be taken off the IV and all the cords after the first day, that stuff makes life miserable.

thanks for the kinds words all!

4 hours? You should have coughed up blood on their carpet. They hate that. And it gets you attended to quicker.

Chebbie_SB wrote: Whenever blood exits from anything other than a wound or the snot-locker, there is rightfully some reason for concern... Hope you are feeling better !

Wait, so blood exiting from a wound isn't reason for concern? I guess i'm ok then!

Catscans are ... interesting. I honestly thought I'd peed my pants, that warm feeling is downright weird.

Rufledt wrote:

Chebbie_SB wrote: Whenever blood exits from anything other than a wound or the snot-locker, there is rightfully some reason for concern... Hope you are feeling better !

Wait, so blood exiting from a wound isn't reason for concern? I guess i'm ok then!

What I meant was blood coming from an un-expected place, I would expect blood from a wound, the snot-locker, or if you happen to be "vagilating"

Lesley wrote: Catscans are ... interesting. I honestly thought I'd peed my pants, that warm feeling is downright weird.

I never felt warm but I had the weirdest smell in my nose - which is really weird because I only have about 10% of a "normal" sense of smell due to sinus issues (thus the CT scans). Maybe because they were head CTs?

My brother died from pulmonary embolism around 10 years ago after feeling bad for only a couple of days.. Altho he went to ER & was admitted to the hospital he wasn't correctly diagnosed & was discharged after a couple of days. He was 50 years old & otherwise in good health. Glad for you that you had more competent folks to deal with.

I think the "warmth" is due to whatever's in the I.V. bag.

Either the IV or the "milkshake" they make you drink.

I didn't have any "milkshake" stuff, just the IV, they called it Contrast Fluid.

Still waiting on blood work results. Blood test yesterday showed I'm at least thinned out enough so no more shots.

That's good. They'll give you a list of foods to avoid too for the duration - there are quite a few things that can affect your INR. It's a trip getting blood taken while on them - it doesn't hurt any more than usual, but the technicolor bruises are interesting.

PubBurgers wrote: Speaking of cat scans, that was an interesting sensation. Never went from normal temperature to super hot feeling in .5 seconds before.

Good to hear that you are feeling better.

Have to ask, when you got the injection, did you feel as though you had wet yourself on top of the hot flash?

It's strangely common.

congrats on still being alive! As somebody who very miraculously escaped an embolism myself, I must say Im glad youre still on the warm side of the dirt! And congrats on quitting smoking too. Youll be amazed by the cash youll save, how much better youll feel, and how much better food will begin to taste!!! Ive read that if you quit by or before age 35, your body can heal a lot of the damage smoking caused and there will be waaaay fewer long term effects compared to people who smoke into their forties.

25 and a PE is pretty unusual. I would ask the whole litany of boring questions but I imagine you've done that already. Ask about hypercoaguable states- ie- disorders of the clotting system. Glad they got the diagnosis- chest pain and hemoptysis in a 25 yo is really unusual- unless you have TB that is.

"Damn body yuzz scary". How is the wife and coping with this?

This song is for you:

"Living With a Hernia" written by 'Weird Al' Yankovic

Help me out! Dig! All I do is grunt and groan Hurts me to walk anywhere Went to see my physician, Dr. Jones He took my trousers off, told me to cough Doctor says there ain't nothin' to discuss He tells me any day I might have to wear a truss

Living with a hernia All the time, such aggravation Living with a hernia Gonna be my ruination Living with a hernia Got to have an operation Feel so old

Too much back pain Good gawd, drives me insane Can't run, barely crawl Got a bulge in my intestinal wall Walk real funny, bless my soul Can't play tennis and it's hard to bowl You can't even do the splits now... Say it! Better call it quits now Now I'm sick of all this dancin' anyhow

Living with a hernia Hurts me bad in a tender location Living with a hernia Had enough humiliation Living with a hernia Got to have an operation

I live with a hernia Can't get up, can't bend over Now I live with a hernia Wait a minute... You may not be familiar with the common types Of hernias that you could get So just settle down, let me clue you in There's incomplete Epigastric Bladder Strangulated Lumbar hernia Richter's hernia Obstructed Inguinal and Direct

Living with a hernia...Rupture! I said it's causin' me such irritation Living with a hernia Have to have my medication Living with a hernia I feel bad!