[CindyLou]

Hi folks, I'm not quite sure where to begin, but I suppose at the beginning is usually a good start. I was just discharged from a hospital up north, with double pneumonia, and a large pulmonary embolism in my right lung. The symptoms of the p.e. came on very fast, for everyone's information. I am kissing the earth, thanking my God, to be here this minute. I was up at my cabin, with dear friends on their way, to celebrate one of their birthdays. My husband was also on his way. As I was running some errands before everyone's arrival, I quite suddenly began to feel a sharp pain under my left breast. I was in a Walmart, and an employee kindly found a chair for me to sit down. Still baffled and hurting, I drove the hour back to the cabin. When I told my husband, we were just plain stupid, to tell the truth. We honestly were not thinking anything serious, maybe because I had already been thru so much. I do remember making a call to the back doctor's office earlier, complaining of alot of pain in the back of my right leg. PA got back to me and said likely nerve pain, from them having to dig around there aggressively, to get the bone cement out. So, we actually went to bed that night, w/o taking any action. At 4 a.m., I awoke in excruciating pain under left breast, and we called 911 for an ambulance. And tests discovered all of the above. I'm now thinking the pain in my leg was the blood clot, as there is no pain there anymore. The pneumonia really threw me off. I had no cough, no fever, no cold, had not been sick in any form or fashion, and films were suddenly showing significant pneumonia in both of my lungs. I should still be in hospital as pneumonia is still in left lung, but my husband talked the doctor into discharging me with the strict requirement that I get into my primary today (just made the appt.) for follow-up and to get on therapeutic coumadin schedule. We wanted to get me closer to family in twin cities too, for support. Looks like I'm on coumadin for life. Small price to pay. Anyway, I'm being ordered to get back in bed, so in conclusion, I just want to say, I'm not looking for any kind of sympathy, altho I do appreciate all of the support from the community, and my best advice is, just listen to your body. I should have listened better to mine when the pain came on. Glad to be here you guys!