Pulmonary embolism

[kebkal]

I am 5 years post transplant. Recently I've been short of breath and had swollen ankles. A CT scan has shown blood clots in my lungs. Has anyone had this condition?

[OperationKidney]

Hi there,

I have not, but I am an EMT so it's not completely unfamiliar territory. Usually pulmonary embolisms are fairly easy to treat with anticoagulants (blood thinners/medications that break up clots and help prevent new ones from forming). Theyre pretty common and treatable especially when they are caught early, which it sounds like yours have been. Wishing you the best of luck!

[kebkal in reply to OperationKidney]

Thank you. I'm now in hospital on anticoagulants and feeling much better. Your reply really put my mind at ease. Thanks again.

[OperationKidney in reply to kebkal]

Oh good, glad youre being seen and cared for! Hope you get to go home soon. Sending lots of healing thoughts in the mean time.

[Balap]

A blood clot in thigh can break and move to lungs. need to take anticoagulants at the earliest

[kebkal in reply to Balap]

Thank you.

[DexterLab]

I had a bad pulmonary embolism four years before transplant. Got the ambulance ride to the ER, and a nifty 'catheter directed pulmonary embolectomy' that sprayed TPA on the clots in my lungs to make things way better. You don't want to let it get that bad.

Get to the ER and get evaluated. They will also test to see if there is something that makes you more prone to blood clots. Don't wait! Good luck.

[kebkal in reply to DexterLab]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm actually in hospital now getting treatment.

[DexterLab in reply to kebkal]

Good. Hope you are feeling better and back to normal soon.

[Coffee0982]

I am glad they caught this early, my friend. FSGS is what killed my kidney's. After my kidney transplant, I did plasma frecius (spelling?) for a few months in order to ensure that the FSGS would not kill my new kidney. The side effect of this was extremely high white cell count.

My transplant was in November, right before Thanksgiving. In February, I was all done with my plasma treatments and was hiking in the Smokey Mountains. On the day I was packing up to leave, I collapsed in the hotel lobby after feeling short of breath. Next thing I know, I was waking up about 11 days later after being in a medically induced, hypothermic coma. I had a saddle, pulmonary embolism which triggered multiple cardiac arrests, I was dead for a few minutes, and upon waking I suffered from a seizure in which they put me back under to get control.

That was several years ago and my new kidney and me are doing phenomenal. So, I'm very glad they caught this early and got you on some proper medication to remove this threat.

I'm off of blood thinners now as well.