Don’t ignore what your body is trying to tell you

Ed. note: The following story relates to personal health, how quickly it can turn near fatal. It was written by a local buddy of mine, Rod Santa Ana.

He sent out a text alerting friends that if they felt bad, and it lasted for a while, get it checked out sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, Rod got to the doc on time and lived to tell the tale.

Let it stand as a warning to us all:

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The Lord has blessed me with seven decades of a physically healthy life. I’ve never been the sickly type, and I thank Him for that.

But my many years of good health blinded me to symptoms that were warning me about a deadly condition.

Some two months ago, suddenly and for no apparent reason, I couldn’t take five steps without getting completely winded. I’d only taken out the trash, a short walk from our garage to the alley.

But before I could return to the garage, I had to stop and rest to catch my breath. I felt as if I had just run five miles at full speed.

Once back inside, I had to sit and rest again. Wracking my brain to figure out what was happening to me, I asked my wife to check my blood pressure and pulse.

Normal. It wasn’t high blood pressure.

She suggested I go see a doctor.

But heck, I’m Superman! I’ve rarely been sick in my life.

“I don’t need to go see a doctor,” I told her. “I’ll be fine.”

Or as we machos say, “Al rato se me pasa.”

That arrogance nearly killed me.

I checked my little seven-day daily pill box and realized I’d improperly packed it. I’d added too much of one medication and not enough of another.

That’s it!

I re-packed my pill box and miraculously, my windedness disappeared. After three days of normal breathing, I was more than certain I’d found the culprit.

Fourth Day — Ka-boom

But on the fourth day, my poor breathing came back with a vengeance. Again, my wife urged me to see a doctor, so I did. The minute he saw me, he shocked me with his words.

“Go immediately to the emergency room at the nearest hospital, DHR, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance,” he told me. “Don’t stop for gas, don’t stop for lunch, go right now. Now, now, now!”

Long story short, I spent five days at DHR. On the third day, a radiologist slid a suction tube through a vein in my leg all the way up to my lungs and removed a large blood clot. Apparently, a clot had formed in my leg and a chunk of it had traveled up to my lungs.

These traveling blood clots can be fatal. Lodging in the lungs or near the heart, they can quickly cause a stroke or heart attack.

I’ve since found that there are many possible causes for blood clots, including medical (cancer, heart issues or inheritance), lifestyle (obesity, smoking, sitting for long periods), and external (surgery, injuries). Even simple old age.

The original clot in my leg will eventually dissolve thanks to blood thinner medication that I’ll be taking for at least six months.

But taking thinners can be tricky too due to possibly bleeding out from an injury. So it’s important not to engage in any activity that could result in serious injury and bleeding.

So, for now, Superman is grounded.

I can’t stress enough the excellent, professional and courteous care I received from so many doctors, nurses and staff at DHR. Thank you, all! You and my doctor saved my life.

Don’t take my word for the medical information I’ve provided here. Research blood clots. You’ll find there are other symptoms including swelling and/or leg pain, chest pain, coughing up blood and others.

But whatever you do, do not ever (at any age) ignore sudden breathing problems or chest pain. Seek immediate medical help ASAP.

I didn’t, and it almost killed me.