My Little Secret - part 2

It was only a matter of days before I received my first call and my first round of tests. The plan was to continue with the blood thinners prescribed by the ER doc for three months. That three months was supposed to be long enough for the clots to dissolve. Scary words like CTEPH were whispered and more tests ordered.

The doc wanted to rule out genetic disorders and autoimmune issues. They took SO much blood! It took 3 nurses and 5 pokes to even draw that much blood. The blood thinners helped me bruise black and blue and still we had no real answers.

The tests results ruled out the genetic and autoimmune, so things were looking more and more like CTEPH. Our trip to Scottsdale resulted in yet another trip to the ER when my heartrate dropped down into the 30s. Could heart disease also be part of all this? They said that my heart was enlarged because of the hypertension.

Last week, the 3 months were up and the real tests started. Some of them could be done at the South Jordan University of Utah medical center, but others had to be done on the main campus downtown. More blood draws and more bruises...

Finally, we met with the doc on Friday. 

Great news! The blood thinners had kept new clots from forming, giving my body a chance to absorb the existing ones. So the clots are gone, but the reason my body started forming them after the first PE is still a mystery. My sweetie did ask the doc if COVID played a role in any of this and she said "No." My lungs are just prone to clotting and after the first one, it made the second one twice as likely and then the third one twice as likely as the 2nd and so on.

For now, we are incredibly grateful for modern medicine and the blood thinners that will keep me from forming any more clots. We are also grateful for amazing doctors and nurses. But mostly we are grateful for a merciful God who made all this possible for us.