CRPS and DVT/ PULMONARY EMBOLISMS

I want to update everyone on an issue I experienced this past weekend. It began developing on September 17 or earlier. My CRPS had gone into remission in December, and I was thrilled. I had been careful about my diet, especially avoiding sugar. Unfortunately, an incident in July caused me significant stress, and the CRPS returned immediately.

Here is the part of my story I want to emphasize: blood clots had apparently been forming in my lower left leg. We were driving back from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and got stuck in hours of asphalt work in West Virginia. The odor made me extremely ill, but I kept driving instead of taking breaks.

Please remember to get up and move every two hours when traveling by car or plane. Walk around at a rest area to get the blood moving in your legs. At the airport, walk before boarding your flight. If you’ll be on a plane for more than two hours, make sure you have exercises you can do while seated.

I had numerous old DVTs in my left leg, where my CRPS is. About nine days ago, my left ankle buckled, and I fell onto my right knee. When that happened, another blood clot entered my system. It attached to the existing clots in my leg and formed a cluster that traveled to my lungs.

To be frank, I almost died. As many of you know, CRPS already causes pain throughout the body. I couldn’t distinguish the pain from the DVT from the CRPS. At two urgent care facilities along with my family doctor had decided I had asthma, even though I wasn’t wheezing. I had reached the point where I was struggling to breathe, and my oxygen level dropped to 84. Fortunately, I listened to my instincts and called the paramedics.

When they arrived, they tried to convince me I was having a panic attack, but I knew I wasn’t. I was desperately trying to get air into my lungs. They also suggested, indirectly, that I didn’t need to go to the hospital. Fortunately, I insisted. Once I reached the emergency room, they immediately recognized that I had a pulmonary embolism.

My caution to everyone is this: pay attention to your body.