My Pulmonary Embolism Story

CARLI COPPOLA·THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

On March 14th 2018, my spring break trip to Italy ended me in the intensive care unit. One year ago today I just got back from my trip (which was the most amazing experience ever) and the week back to classes started like any other students: dreadful, exhausting, and basically still in “spring break mode”. My first day back to class wasn’t as bad as the ten-minute walk there and back from my dorm. This ten-minute walk to class is usually nice and quick. However, this time I fell extremely short of breath, twice. During my walk I had to stop and catch my breath almost three times (which was obviously not normal for me or anyone). I figured that I was just tired or jet lagged from my trip and that I needed to get some rest.

The next day I had field hockey practice where we would usually run an easy 4 laps to start off, which I never had trouble with. This time, I fell to the ground and nearly fainted half way through the first lap. I told my teammates that I was fine and just not getting enough sleep from the time change. I left practice early and went home to get some more rest. When I got back to my dorm I called my mom and told her what happened. And of course as any mother would do…..she freaked out (lol love you ma). She wanted me to go to the ER but as stubborn as I am I just went to bed that night and scheduled an appointment with my school’s health center for the next day.

That next morning I took it upon myself to go to class first then the health center after. This was not my smartest idea. I was unable to even make it to class because when I attempted to go down the stairs of my building I felt like I had just run a marathon. I started getting a little scared because this was totally not normal for me and at this point I already had 2 full nights of sleep. So this time instead of calling my mom (who was “google search” diagnosing me with blood clots, which I totally blew off because that’s insane), I decided to call my mom mom. When I called my mom mom she seemed relatively relaxed and told me I should go to the health center just to be safe. What she didn’t tell me was that she was counting my breaths while on Face Time with me and counted over 50 breaths per minute while at rest. (On average, at rest a human breaths 25 breaths per minute).

With that said, I drove to the health center where I was diagnosed with anxiety, by the way I have never had anxiety in my life, and returned later on in the day because my shortness of breath was getting worse. I started having a dry cough, slight chest pain and an increased heart rate, and again, I was sent on my way because my oxygen saturation level was pristine and my heart rate was blamed on medications I take. Apparently, my shortness of breath and cough was because “I was tired”. The next day I returned to the health center, again, and they said nothing was wrong so I drove my self to the emergency room to appease my family, whom I mention are all back in New Jersey. Me being a stubborn 19-year-old was pouting the entire 20-minute drive to the ER. I was not happy. I told my mom I was fine and that I had exams to study for and that this was not necessary.

Once I got to the ER I looked at the nurse, rolled my eyes and told her my symptoms: shortness of breath, dry cough, palpitations, chest pain. 20 minutes later I was pulled into triage with a nurse and one of the ER doctors. The doctor asked me all the typical questions like what medications I take and if I have been out of the country and what my past medical history is. After answering all his questions, the nurse looked at me and said “well it looks like you have the perfect storm” whatever that meant and the doctor said “looks like a no brainer to me send her for a CT scan”. So I was wheeled back to CT and questioned a billion more times and then went to sit in the waiting room one more time until a situation I never thought I’d be in happened.

I swear to you, what happened next was like a scene out of Grey’s Anatomy episode (or whatever doctor drama show you prefer). The ER doctor, along with 3 other nurses, came flying through the double doors from the ER rooms, pointed at me, pulled me into a room, laid me down on a hospital bed and told me that whatever I do I cannot move. So ya….at this point….I was scared. Another nurse came in and repeated these words “did you tell her yet?”. So in my head, as a 19-year-old girl who is all alone in the ER room is screaming on the inside. I looked over at the doctor and he said “you have massive bilateral PE’s”. I bet you know what was going through my head next……my mother…..was right. I remember biting my tongue and sitting in complete shock. I sat there completely silent on the verge of crying as the ER doctor was doing an ultrasound on my heart and telling me that the right side was extremely over sized at because it was compensating for the loss of blood flow. I looked like I just saw a ghost and the only thing that came out of my mouth was “can I call my mom”. They told me that they needed to administer TPA ASAP (which is a clot busting drug used in very severe cases) then I could call her. I was then wheeled into the largest room they had in the ER and grabbed my phone, called my parents and told them “ma, you were right.” Immediately my mom started bawling her eyes out as my dad was speechless.

Keeping my parents on the phone, about 12 people rushed into the room behind Dr. Meena (who I hope to call my medical school mentor one day) was the pulmonologist in the hospital that day, whom I cannot say enough amazing things about but....he was so scary lol. He came barging into that room and right up to me yelling at me asking why the heck I waited so long to come in to the hospital. He further “explained” that the clots in my lungs are so massive that there is non to a little amount of blood actually getting through my body and that it is a miracle that I am still alive. After 15 minutes of yelling and getting all my medical history he took my phone from my hands and told my parents “there is an angel looking over your daughter’s shoulder right now because it is amazing she is alive”. (I still get chills every time I think of this moment). And of course within the next 5 hours my aunts drove across the state to come see me and both my mom and mommom flew down that night.

I spent that night and the next 5 days in the ICU/Stroke Ward and another 4 days in a regular hospital room. This experience has changed my outlook on life drastically and writing this story for all of you to read was a lot harder emotionally than I expected! But I hope by sharing my story that no one is as much of an (idiot lol) that I was by waiting so long. You are the only person that knows your body. What happened was truly a miracle and I am so grateful to still be here today. I know some of you will only read a little of my story or skip through this and others will really take it to heart. Either way I hope that my post reached your feed today and I hope that in some way I impacted your life and gave you a reason to help me spread blood clot awareness! There is much more to this story like my journey recovering from the clots! If you would like to hear more or have questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me! My goal here is to spread the awareness of pulmonary embolisms and blood clots and to inspire others! Thank You! #StopTheClot