Detour in the Healing Process

So here is the latest news of my foot surgery. I went to the doctor for my post-op appointment on Wednesday, May 13th. The Dr. changed the bandage and said that everything was looking good. That night I woke up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, dizzy and sweaty. I stayed up for hours not knowing what it was but too worked up to go back to bed. The next morning I didn’t think too much about it until I had another episode. I happened to have the next one when Aline, my mother-in-law, was in the room with me. I told her that she needed to stop moving around while she was talking to me, because it was making me sick. She said that she wasn’t moving and the next thing she knew I got really pale and started having a hard time breathing. After this episode cleared up I told her that I had the same thing happen the night before. We were starting to think that maybe I was having an allergic reaction to all the pills that I was on. We talked about it and we decided that if I had one more episode that I would need to call the doctor. Well, that day about 4:30 I all of a sudden got the feeling that I needed to call the doctor. The doctor’s office told me to call the pharmacy to see if there was any drug interactions, if there wasn’t I might have a little bit of pneumonia setting in. They suggested that I call my primary care doctor the next morning and get in an appointment so that they could take care of it. Again, I don’t know why, but when Jared got home from work that night I had a strong feeling that I needed to go to Urgent Care. I didn’t want to have another night like the previous one (it’s hard to get a good sleep when you aren’t feeling very well). All I had to do was go downstairs so that we could go. I had scooted down about ½ of the stairs when another attack began.
We got to the urgent care and the doctor didn’t even take 5 minutes to say that I didn’t have pneumonia, but that he thought that I may have a blood clot that might be up the lungs. So Jared and I headed across the street to the emergency room. They verified through a CT scan (CAT) that I did have a blood clot in my lungs. Hours later that got me admitted into the hospital. I then was given an ultrasound on my legs to make sure that no other blood clots were lurking around . I was also given an Echo cardiogram for my heart. They wanted to make sure that the little stress that my lungs had gone through hadn’t affected my heart as well. Thank goodness there were no more clots in the legs and my heart seemed to be in good condition.
The only thing to do now was to get me on some blood thinning medicine so that I can start to take care of my not so small problem. I take a Coumadin pill once a day and take a shot called Lovenox 2 times a day. I guess that I am ultra-sensitive to the Coumadin because my blood levels started increasing way too fast. They have been readjusting my dosages and trying to get my blood count level so that it will be safe when I get home.
I guess in my naietitviy I thought that once I started on the blood thinners that the blood clot would go away. Well, one thing that I found out last night was that a blood clot can stay in the system for up to 6 months. Because of this, the same symptoms that I had before I went to the hospital can come and go. Basically it is just the little blood clot saying, “hello, I am still here”. I didn’t know this before, but I got woken up in the middle of the night last night with those same feelings and started to panic a little bit. I am so glad that this happened while I was in the hospital so that I knew what it was. Had it happened at home, I would have asked to be taken right back to the emergency room.
Yes, this hasn’t been the easiest foot surgery recovery, but I am so grateful that I had such competent doctors both at the urgent care and at the emergency room that treated my symptoms seriously and found out what the problem was. I have had A LOT of time to sit and reflect on things and I feel like I have been given a new lease on life. I can’t wait to get home so that I can be a better person, mother wife, and daughter. You never know what life is going to throw at you. I know that I definitely wasn’t prepared for this to happen to me, especially the idea that my mortality really isn’t up to me. Hug your spouse and kids and tell your friends how much you care for them, because if I have learned one thing over this last week, it is that we just don’t realize how fragile life is.
Thank you (you know who you are) to everyone that has been helping my family and taken the boys for a couple hours so that my mother-in-law could get a little break.
I am hoping for a good report tomorrow so that I can go home! Keep your fingers crossed!

Jared & JoAnn Kelm at Banner Gateway Hospital

Jocelyn, Jessica dnd JoAnn at hospital.

Jacob & Jayden reading books to mom at the hospital.

Jayden is investigating all wires and tubes that I have sticking out of me.

Oh boy! Did I say that the 2 year olds driver me crazy? Now

I know where the boys get it from!

Looks like Jacob found my ice pack.

Both of the boys loved looking out the window at all the lights and the cars. My room is on the 5th floor, so you can see a lot of cars and lights!