When I got to the ER, I learned that I had showers of clots in my lungs and was very lucky to be alive. It was the start of a long healing journey.
It was a true invisible illness in that I looked fit and healthy on the outside, but on the inside I was struggling with the most fundamental element of life: breath. After my diagnosis, it was scary to ride the train on hot, crowded days when it was a struggle to breathe. I remember rushing to empty seats, sometimes beating out senior citizens, becuase I knew it would be easier to breathe when seated as opposed to standing.
I also did not have any significant predispositions to clotting, especially the markers that they test for in pregnancy, when a woman is at an increased risk of a clot. I likely got the clot from being on birth control pills, which have been associated with an increased risk of clotting1.
When I wrote an article about my pulmonary embolism on mindbodygreen, I heard from hundreds of women who had either personally experienced a clot on birth control or had a friend, sister, or cousin who had. Many times, the consequences were tragic.
I’m not against pharmaceuticals, but we do need to have more conversations about the risks involved. Nowadays, I am much more responsible about researching anything I put into my body.
Colleen Wachob
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