One Year Anniversary

I'm sorry this post is a long one - it's my one and only medical emergency that has ever happened to me (and I pray my only one)

What a difference a year makes! I'm always amazed at how fast time flies, but at the same time, how much happens in a year. This week Matt is in Aspen which marks the 1 year anniversary of The Clot. My pregnancy (and now my future pregnancies) was (and will be) SO not how I expected it to go! (But, whose is? And, I don't want to know if yours was all that you expected and more! :) ) It happened on a Monday - I went to school, feeling a little off all day - my leg "felt" swollen and I had some minor pains, but I figured this was what happened in the last trimester. Matt had gone to Aspen and he insisted that my mom stay with me while he was gone. We had both told him that I would be fine and didn't need anyone, but he really wanted someone there. That night I noticed that my left leg was completely swollen - from foot to thigh. My mom was on her way over and said that I should call the doctor. They wanted me to come in to the emergency room; I was thinking that the baby was probably on a nerve or something. The attending doctor that night said it looked odd and wanted to run some tests. After an all night ordeal, they finally found a blood clot in my pelvis (called Deep Vein Thrombosis) The uterus (sorry for the detail) was actually holding it in place, but the threat is that it could have dislodged and gone into my lungs causing a Pulmonary Embolism once I delivered and the uterus shrank. Matt and my dad were both in Aspen, so you can imagine how they felt! I think they were just at a loss because they weren't there and felt helpless. They got the first plane out, and got to the hospital the next afternoon. After talking to a cardiologist we decided to put a temporary filter in my vena cavity vein for the purpose being to block the clot should it dislodge, and then to remove it once I had the baby. There is so much more to this story, but here's how it changed my life in ways that are just annoyances, but also in much sweeter ways. (with of course the sweeter ways first)
1. Matt told me that he cried in Aspen for the first time in 20 years when he and my dad found out what was going on (he probably would not appreciate me including this, but it was the sweetest thing he could have said to me!) :)
2. It brought my whole family closer - realizing that in a day everything can change, but by trusting in God and showing faith, He can get you through...and He is the one calling the shots.
3. I had to start giving myself blood thinner shots - and I HATE shots- because the blood thinner pills go into the blood streams which is dangerous if you're pregnant. Now for future pregnancies, I'll have to inject myself EVERYDAY for 9 months - no, make that 10 months!!!! Not looking forward to that.
4. I can never take birth control, hormone replacements - anything with extra estrogen because those can be clot causers.

It's so weird thinking that this happened to me! But, one year later, and I feel like my old self, and everything feels like a distant memory.

Where I am today - Still taking blood thinners (luckily just a pill) and not sure how long I'll have to be on those (hopefully not much longer). They removed the filter 6 weeks after delivery - but the first time they tried they couldn't get it so I had to go back in which sucked, but at least it's out.