I'm fine....It's just an anxiety attack.....

WRONG!!!!! No, I was not suffering from sudden onset panic attacks, like I originally thought. It turns out I was really really sick. It started earlier this week. I had a cramp in my left leg. No redness, no swelling, no heat, and I was able to walk on it, all signs that it was just a cramp, literally. Not a clot as I thought. Then Tuesday afternoon, I was feeling a little strange, I felt tachycardic (fast heart rate) and like I couldn't expand my lungs fully. Not short of breath so much, just like I couldn't get a full breath. But, those symptoms went away and I was feeling better. So, I figured I'm beginning to suffer from anxiety attacks. The stress was getting to me.

Saturday night I headed off to work and while I was walking to my car all of about 25 feet, I felt winded. At work, just sitting my heart rate was 120, and really pounding away!!! Finally I had an ecg done and it was normal, just fast. But the Doctor said she didn't like the way I looked and wanted to run some tests...you see, it turned out my heart rate was fast, my respiratory rate was fast and my oxygen saturation was low, and I was pale. After a bit of arguing any stubborness on both sides, the doctor won. I checked myself in. AFter some blood work was run, a chest xray and finally a CT scan of my lungs. It was found that I had multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli....in laymans terms, and the doctors words "lots of blood clots on both sides of my lungs!!!" I was immediately started an heparin, a blood thinner. Then the pulmonologist came in and told me that with my age and the location of the clots, I needed to be more aggressive. They started me on a drug called TPA, it's a clot buster. It breaks the clots up, and can produce bleeding. So, I ended up in the ICU for a night on major blood thinners and major watch. At first they wouldn't let me out of bed at all, then around midnight, they told me I could get up to pee....thank god!!!! Now I'm in a regular room, still on the heparin. I will have IV heparin until at least Wednesday. Thursday is the soonest they'll let me go home. I'll be on coumadin for at least 6 months, then more tests will be run.

So, it's been a whirlwind weekend for me. Hopefully all will be better by next week. I have to talk to the doc, they informed me I have to lower my stress levels. My 12 hour work shifts might be over. I'll probably have to enter the land of normal people and actually work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. That'll most likely work better with school anyways. The school was cool with me so far with all that's involved. So that's a good thing.

Everybody thanks for you prayers, I'm just hanging out at St. Alexius. At least they all know me here, so that makes it easier to deal with some of the stuff. They're extra nice to me. And contrary to popular belief, thus far I have been a wonderful patient. I haven't gotten snotty or mean with anyone...but it's still early! :)