@ethanmcconkey thank you for the names. I'll message them and hopefully they can provide some insight. I haven't been able to connect with anyone who has had an experience like mine. I've met people with a PE, but not with a saddle or with multiple PEs and heart embolism. I don't know if my recovery is normal or not. I know everyone is different.

After my hospital treatments, it took me a while to get my strength back. I was able to get more airflow, but I still have that awful sounding cough. Even yesterday my pulmonologist heard it but doesn't quite know what's causing it. He said three things that usually cause a cough--reflux, post nasal drip, and and a cold. I have neither. I've been tested for reflux but I don't have it. He also thinks that maybe I had a viral infection back in October, but there were no indications at the time. I didn't have any symptoms of being sick. I felt normal, but I just couldn't get air to move. I didn't have fever and my blood counts were all normal. I've had some days since then that I get a bit raspy/hoarse and difficult getting air to move, but it goes away as it always had. October episode was the longest I had it like that. My cardiac therapist believes it may be nerve related, as I had a 3 level fusion of C4-7, and still had two other that needed repair. I don't know if this is all par for the course after the blood clots or if there is something going on. My fear is that as I age, I will only become worse.