I was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis in my left groin/pelvis a little over three weeks ago. I have blood clots in two of the veins in my leg.Veins carry blood to your lungs and heart. I wanted to write down my experience and thoughts mostly because I am going on week 4 of bedrest and I feel like I am going crazy.
I had been having back pain for a few weeks already and was going to the chiropractor every couple weeks, which seemed to help keep that under control. My glucose test was on Friday, March 18th and I was really nervous about it. I don't do good with blood draws. I have had more than one experience of almost passing out after my blood had been drawn so thinking of not being able to eat good and having a large amount of sugar in my blood made me really nervous. Not too mention, when my mom took her glucose test when she was pregnant with one of us she passed out while she was driving home. So... yeah I was expecting it to not go well but I did try to stay positive because I knew that would play a huge part in how it would go. I scheduled my test for 830 am. I thought this was smart because I wouldn't have to be fasting all day or anything like that. It was not smart. It meant I had to wake up at 630 and eat eggs while half asleep (disgusting) and drink water. I fell back asleep. Then I had to wake up at 730 and drink the sugar drink within 5 minutes. I was doing pretty good! I got nauseous but I survived the test and made it back home. I did get sick once I got home, I threw up and then slept for 3-4 hours. I woke up and my back hurt a lot, the pain was kind of going down my leg and I could feel pain in my groin/pelvis area. I went to the chiropractor and he adjusted me, he suggested I get a prenatal massage. The next day I literally could not walk. The pain in my back and pelvis was so bad I was hunched over in tears trying to walk anywhere. I tried so many things to try and relieve the pain. Having played sports my whole life and going to school for exercise science I pretty much knew that something was not right but I have never been pregnant before so I thought maybe this was normal and I just didn't know. Lots of people would tell me things like "oh it gets much worse, your just starting your 3rd trimester" or "welcome to pregnancy". By the way , how does that help anyone? Even if it was just pregnancy pain why aren't people more sympathetic when others are in pain? It sucks whether it's normal or not. I took lots of Tylenol the next few days and went to the dr on Monday because of the pain. He worked out the spot in my groin a little bit (which looking back was probably BAD if a blood clot was already starting) and he gave me some exercises to try to relieve pain. I did the exercises everyday and they helped with my back, the back pain almost went completely away. I'm thinking the baby was on my sciatic nerve and my vein so the exercises helped relieve the sciatic nerve pain but the blood clot had probably already started. I got a prenatal massage on Wednesday or Thursday, I can't remember. It felt good and she worked out the spot in my groin too (bad bad bad). Thursday night I went to bed and my leg was a little off colored and swollen, looking back now I should have gone to the ER then. I woke up on Friday and my leg was really swollen and purple, I couldn't see my ankle bones and it freaked me out. I looked up things on the Internet and came across info on DVTs but it seemed too serious and scary to be what I had. I came across a website that had a chart that said something like swollen legs? Is it in one leg? Call doctor immediately. So I called and asked what they thought I should do. I didn't know if I should stay in bed or go to work or what would be the best thing to do. The nurse said that I better come in so they can look. I went to work and sat in my desk (bad bad bad) all day with my stiff, purple, swollen leg. One leg was distinctly bigger. Tyler picked me up from work and we went to the dr. He took one look at my leg and said yes you need an ultrasound immediately to see if there is a blood clot. I was still walking at this point. He sent us to radiology at the hospital and the lady immediately found blood clots right in my pelvis. She said she couldn't release me because of the clots, if my doctor didn't answer she would send me to the ER. It was after hours on a Friday night but she got a hold of my dr and he said that he was admitting me to the hospital for at least one night. This was scary. Something was really wrong. They put an IV in my arm that they didn't use the whole time I was there (having it in my arm was really emotional for me. I wish they would have used it so there would have been some reason but I understand why they have to). Soon after I was admitted and in the bed a nurse came and gave me my first shot of the blood thinner, Lovenox and told me I was on strict bedrest. I don't remember if they told me much that night but I started (and haven't really stopped since) looking up information on blood clots and trying to get some kind of comfort. There was none.Blood clots are not uncommon but they are not common. Some people survive them and some people's blood clots dislodge and are fatal. And sometimes the people that do survive have pain and discomfort for the rest of their lives. Not to mention the anxiety that you always have thinking that now that you've had one you have a higher chance of getting a blood clot or while you have a blood clot the anxiety of it maybe dislodging at any moment. I didn't want to move, I was scared anything I did would dislodge the clot and it was terrifying (still is). Maybe I'm being dramatic but try to find anything on DVTs that is comforting. I asked for something to help me sleep because I knew I wouldn't be able to without something. The nurse came in in the morning for my next shot and told me that I had to do it. I looked over to Tyler sleeping on the couch and just thought to myself "how am I going to do this?" I was a wreck inside but somehow I did it. And I cried when she left the room. A few hours later the dr came and talked to me and told me the plan for the rest of my pregnancy, the
possibilities of what could go wrong and that I would be on bedrest for awhile. Tyler was gone at this point taking a test or going to get stuff at home or something. The dr left and I started crying again. I was so scared. I didn't want a filter put in my vein that would catch a clot if it were to dislodge to make sure I survived (although the comfort that would give would be nice), that could lead to permanent damage in my vein. I used most of the tissues on my little hospital table and the nurse came in and asked what was wrong. I didn't know how she couldn't just guess since she was in there when the dr was telling me all of this. Blood clots are scary because not a lot of people have experience with them. No one could tell me I was going to be fine or what to expect or when I would be better. No one could tell me what was going to happen. I had one nurse who had had a blood clot and she helped me a lot. They kept me for another night and they kept having me do the shots and I still cried every time the nurse left the room. They did a few blood draws that day. They were nice about it because they knew it was hard for me. One time the nurse had it in my wrist and she got it in fine and about 20 seconds later she said it stopped giving so she would have to poke me somewhere else. That spot bruised pretty good on my wrist. They did non stress tests for the baby twice a day and baby girl was absolutely great. The nurse told me she sounded better than a couple other babies that were a few weeks further than her, their mamas were also in the hospital.
We were able to go home the night of Easter Sunday. I slowly,very very slowly, walked up to our apartment on the 3rd floor. I did not want to do anything to dislodge the clot. It was nice to be home but I was scared. What if something happened and we couldn't get to the hospital in time? It was nice having nurses check on me to make sure everything was okay. I kept taking my pulse (still do this) to make sure it doesn't speed up or anything. I wish I had an oxygen monitor to check how much oxygen is in my blood (if its low that could mean there is a clot in my lungs), but I don't so I just have to do what the dr says and pray that my body can fix itself.
My sister came a couple days later and helped so much. Tyler could go to school and work and not worry about having to leave crackers on the table for me so I could eat or worry about dinner or cleaning. Cami did everything and she helped me stay out of my own head. The rest of my family came too and that three week bedrest period went by really fast.
The day the last of them left I had a follow up appt to check on the clot in my leg. I laid on my back on the table and the ultrasound guy tipped the whole table so all my weight was on my legs/feet. I could feel all the blood rushing down and my left leg felt tingly. It for sure was purple and I hoped he knew what he was doing. This can not be good for my veins, I thought. He put the goo on and started looking at my veins. They have to push hard on your leg and it made me nauseous. He found the clot in my vein. It was still there. I was discouraged. He couldn't tell me if it had gotten better because he didn't see the first ultrasound. I didn't like watching his facial expressions. They weren't bad but you could tell that he knew how serious blood clots were. I got even more nauseous. I started to get really really hot. I felt like I was going to pass out or throw up, or both. I told him that I was really hot and that I was sweating a lot. He immediately lowered me flat and told me to turn on my side (it didn't help I was laying flat on my back-with a big belly its hard to breathe flat on your back). I turned on my side and he finished scanning my leg. I was trying to hug the metal railing of the table because it was cool and I was still really hot and nauseous. He finished and I asked for some water and a wheelchair. I thought I would pass out if I tried to walk. I was really sad. Its still just as bad, I felt. I probably went into that appt with way too high expectations. Blood clots take a long time to heal. I just wanted it to be gone, or almost gone, so I didn't have to worry about having a PE (pulmonary embolism-when the clot dislodges and goes to your lungs/heart) anymore.
The rest of that day was hard and I was disappointed. More tears and now there are no sisters or mama at my house to help me. The next day I had an OB appt and we got to see baby. She is doing awesome. Growing just fine and looks great. The dr looked at the new report of my leg and told me it is getting better but its still there so we are going to keep doing what we are doing. Two more weeks of bedrest and medicine dosage the same (one shot in the am and one in the pm).
So I am still on bedrest and this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The anxiety that comes with having to monitor any symptoms that might be a PE is terrifying. One of the main symptoms to watch for is shortness of breath. What 33 week pregnant lady doesn't get shortness of breath? What person that has been lying down for 3 weeks doesn't get shortness of breath? I am constantly moving and adjusting myself to make sure it isn't a pain I need to go to the ER for. On one article I read that a clot is most likely to break off in the first few days to about 4 weeks after. I am on day 23, maybe at four weeks Ill feel a little better. this is definitely a time in my life I feel that I need more faith. I have never felt this before. I can find very little comfort anywhere so I have to find it in the gospel. I just have to have faith that there is a reason for all of this and that Heavenly Father is aware of me. I have to have faith that if this spirit is really supposed to come to us then both the baby and I will be okay.
I am sorry if this is dramatic. This is just where I am at right now, but like I keep saying, everyday I am safer. Everyday I wake up and feel okay I am grateful for. I am grateful for today!
Love,
Kelli
