Saddle Pulmonary Embolism. Ever heard of it? Neither had I until mid-June when it could have killed me. Why it did not involved a 911 call and emergency surgery that same night at the hospital, which I arrived at in an ambulance (a first for me among many others).
I do not know when, or if, I will write more than this blog regarding what happened. This has never been a journal type blog, always about ideas. Plus, I do not like thinking about what happened and writing requires thinking.
Because some of you might need to know, but be as ignorant as I was as to what blood clots can do, I feel compelled to share more of my story involving them, than I’d usually do. My Saddle Pulmonary Embolism would have killed me without intervention, first with Farm Boss calling 911 and then with the arriving EMT’s convincing me I needed hospitalization for better testing. This, despite my having no clue I could have been at risk of developing any clots. Heck, I took aspirin regularly for discomfort. I had had no pain. Yes, I was less strong than when younger, more often short of breath, but wasn’t that just old age?
I did know that as a writer, I was too sedentary, also a key risk for truck drivers or those on long distance air flights. I wasn’t exercising or walking as I’d done even up into my 70s, but again, old age. Did I drink a little too much wine? Maybe but never to drunkenness. It does not require that to be at risk of clots.
One more thing that I learned, might be something for some of you to think about. Pulmonary embolisms can be hereditary. Mine might be one of them on my dad’s side. Many died of heart attacks or strokes. Or did they? Without autopsies, which often don’t happen when the death seems obvious, might they have had a sudden death with no warning, the silent killer?
One of my younger cousins, much younger, died at 60 and was found as though she had fallen asleep on her sofa. She lived alone and had no warning of heart disease that I’d heard of.
When I stopped breathing that early morning in June, Ranch Boss saw and called 911. He later told me he had shook me and said a few things before I took a breath on my own after less than a minute. Some say it was a miracle. I have no idea, but no resuscitation needed.
The EMTs insisted I needed to go to the hospital for better tests. They thought I’d had a major heart attack. I had no idea but eventually did agree. First ambulance ride of my life followed. Tests and cardiologists at the hospital proved it was not that, but something just as deadly. EMT was right. I’d have died without what followed as in surgery to remove that big clot.
So what can you do to avoid what had happened? I’d suggest research and be more aware of your own possible symptoms.
