chl_hobbs
09-02-12, 22:23
Hi all,
ive just been released from 3 days in hospital. It has been awful.
As some of you know, ive had chest pain (stabbing pain inbetween breasts) for 2 weeks. Ive been back and forth to the gp (who gave me naproxen despite me having inflammation on the stomach). Then during the weekend my right leg started aching and was so painful. It wasnt swollen or red but it hurt a lot at the same time as the chest pain.
So on Monday i was REALLY anxious, and was at the height of a panic attack... so yet again, left on my own (my bf was at work and my baby at her nana's) i rang urgent care and they said 'go to a+e' because i had chest pains. It's weird because i sort of knew theyd say that, it was like i was ringing so theyd give me 'permission' to go.
However, when i got there the dr took me very seriously (good) and said he'd repeat the d-dimer blood test (which id had last week and was negative at 294-just)which can indicate a clot if it's above 300mg (in my local hospital, although ive since read some hospitals use above 500mg as the range). He took blood, which took him several attempts and pain, and i waited for the results thinking if its negative i'll be happy and will go home.
Then a nurse came and weighed me. When i asked her why she said 'we need to see how much of the anti clotting drug to give you because youve tested positive in the d-dimer test'. At that moment i almost collapsed. I was sobbing uncontrollably, telling them i couldnt cope with yet another thing wrong, that i was going to die etc etc.
They wouldnt usually admit people with suspected DVT/PE but my mum rang them and said i mentally wouldnt cope if i was sent home, so they agreed i should stay in overnight and have my scans on my leg and lungs in the morning.
To cut a long story short, my lung VQ scan was negative and so was the leg doppler scan. I was so pleased... until...
I cant stop wondering WHY the d-dimer test has risen and indicated i had clots. It's driving me mad. The dr said that if i had a level of say 900+ he'd be worried, but mine was 358 (58 above norm) and apparently the d-dimer is sometimes non specific as it can be elevated if you have an infection, inflammation or clots.
I stupidly have been googling and found people whove had negative scans and then since died of clots because the scans missed it..and as i have no answers about why i have the chest pain and why my d-dimer was up i still am worrying that i have a clot.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Does anyone know anything of the d-dimer test? I do have a rather large (normal looking) bruise on my thigh that i got at the weekend, could THAT raise the d-dimer..? I just wish i knew, it's like im just waiting to die from it, like i think i'll be back in hospital with it and theyre wrong!! Please please help
Charlotte x
ive just been released from 3 days in hospital. It has been awful.
As some of you know, ive had chest pain (stabbing pain inbetween breasts) for 2 weeks. Ive been back and forth to the gp (who gave me naproxen despite me having inflammation on the stomach). Then during the weekend my right leg started aching and was so painful. It wasnt swollen or red but it hurt a lot at the same time as the chest pain.
So on Monday i was REALLY anxious, and was at the height of a panic attack... so yet again, left on my own (my bf was at work and my baby at her nana's) i rang urgent care and they said 'go to a+e' because i had chest pains. It's weird because i sort of knew theyd say that, it was like i was ringing so theyd give me 'permission' to go.
However, when i got there the dr took me very seriously (good) and said he'd repeat the d-dimer blood test (which id had last week and was negative at 294-just)which can indicate a clot if it's above 300mg (in my local hospital, although ive since read some hospitals use above 500mg as the range). He took blood, which took him several attempts and pain, and i waited for the results thinking if its negative i'll be happy and will go home.
Then a nurse came and weighed me. When i asked her why she said 'we need to see how much of the anti clotting drug to give you because youve tested positive in the d-dimer test'. At that moment i almost collapsed. I was sobbing uncontrollably, telling them i couldnt cope with yet another thing wrong, that i was going to die etc etc.
They wouldnt usually admit people with suspected DVT/PE but my mum rang them and said i mentally wouldnt cope if i was sent home, so they agreed i should stay in overnight and have my scans on my leg and lungs in the morning.
To cut a long story short, my lung VQ scan was negative and so was the leg doppler scan. I was so pleased... until...
I cant stop wondering WHY the d-dimer test has risen and indicated i had clots. It's driving me mad. The dr said that if i had a level of say 900+ he'd be worried, but mine was 358 (58 above norm) and apparently the d-dimer is sometimes non specific as it can be elevated if you have an infection, inflammation or clots.
I stupidly have been googling and found people whove had negative scans and then since died of clots because the scans missed it..and as i have no answers about why i have the chest pain and why my d-dimer was up i still am worrying that i have a clot.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Does anyone know anything of the d-dimer test? I do have a rather large (normal looking) bruise on my thigh that i got at the weekend, could THAT raise the d-dimer..? I just wish i knew, it's like im just waiting to die from it, like i think i'll be back in hospital with it and theyre wrong!! Please please help
Charlotte x