Hello.
My PE was diagnosed a year ago in 2022. For several weeks I had a pain in my upper back and eventually saw a GP who thought it was a strained muscle but ordered a chest X-ray and some blood tests.
I had the chest X-ray the next day but had to wait another two weeks for the blood tests. The X-ray was clear. The blood tests included a d-dimer test, and I was called back immediately the result came through and sent straight to the Emergency care department at the hospital. More blood tests were taken, and I was given an appointment for a CT scan 3 days later.
The CT scan showed multiple bi-lateral blood clots and I was put on Apixaban that day. How long I had been walking around with these blood clots I had no idea, and nobody has been able to explain how this has happened. With hindsight I now recall that I had been slightly breathless when walking uphill for a few weeks.
I am not overweight. I eat a healthy diet. I don’t smoke and my blood pressure is low. I walk a few miles every day. There is no explanation.
The aftercare has been poor. As the PE was unprovoked it seems I am on Apixaban for life, but I have not been offered an appointment to see a haematologist. This seems rather unsatisfactory but it appears from the experience of others in the Facebook group to be fairly standard.
I worried a great deal about the situation at first but now I try not to think about it although every little pain does cause me to be anxious.
I don’t know whether this is of any help to anyone, but I am happy to share the experience and hope it does.