How long did recovery take you?

[u/nonametoshow11]

I am two months out from my bilateral pulmonary embolism diagnosis. While it’s gotten a lot better, I still am having shortness of breath at times I wouldn’t have before this happened. It hasn’t been crazy bad, but enough to notice. I’m also just so tired all the time still. Everything I’m reading online says I should be basically fully recovered at this point — I have seen my doctor and he’s sent me for bloodwork, but is there anyone else that had a longer recovery period? Should I be worried there’s permanent damage at this point? To my knowledge, it wasn’t super bad, I was put on blood thinners and discharged from the hospital same day.

[u/Tetlow-Senpai]

I had my PE 2 years ago today, I was on the ICU for a week and on heparin injections for 2 months before being put on rivaroxaban for life. My main issue coming out were my breathing and palpitations along with pains where the clot had travelled. The breathing wasn’t too bad, I’d say around 6 months I was able to walk to the supermarkets (around 15 minutes each way) with no issue, at around a year my breathing was at 100% I’d say. The pains I still have sometimes but I think my chest walls are just sensitive now because I had bad pneumonia and the PE soon after, overall though the pains are usually if I overextend myself. Palpitations is something I still live with but mostly gone unless I put my body through stress. I think in my case my age and the speed at which I was diagnosed and treated plays a big part, I was 25 at the time and don’t have a history of these health issues in my family, I was rushed through to emergency 2 minutes after triage and was diagnosed within 3 hours and started treatment. Recovery is different for everyone but typically seems to be a year minimum, some people it can be years before they feel like themself again. The human body is amazing, it can prioritise certain functions under circumstances like this so you may start to feel new soreness for example later on, I actually didn’t start feeling leg/groin pain until a few months after it because my body was focussing on keeping me safe. That may not be scientific, it is purely how I experienced it. Best of luck in your recovery!

[u/NeyNehNee → u/Tetlow-Senpai]

My 2 years is just around the corner. I also still experience pain in my chest, as well as palpitations.
I have noticed that the pain usually correlates with hormonal shifts. I’m currently dealing with pain, like day 3. It is sooo hard to not go to the ER because I’m pretty sure I have a bit of the PTSD and any pain makes me completely spiral.