This story is a bit of a long one and I apologise in advance. I have left some details out to make it shorter.
I honestly was going to hold off getting the jab. The only reason I got it, was so I could go home to visit my family for Christmas.
I am a fit and healthy 24 year old, who exercises daily and eats well. I’m always happy and am studying to be a personal trainer.
I had my first jab on 26th October at 1pm. Approximately five hours later I had significant pain in my chest which felt like a stabbing sensation. I also had a burning sensation across my whole chest and back. My heart rate was at 150bpm. I rang my doctor and she told me it was, ‘too soon for it to be related to the jab’.
For two weeks I struggled with severe chest pain and a resting heart rate of a minimum 120bpm. I was unable to complete simple tasks and felt completely not myself. I finally went back to the doctor and complained about my symptoms again. They ran some blood tests and an ECG but found nothing. This was right before my second jab.
I then had my second jab on 16th November. The next day I had the same sharp chest pains and difficultly breathing. I was physically unable to catch a proper breath. I went to hospital and was told they had found slight abnormalities on my chest X-ray. I was sent home with Panadol, rest and no exercise. This was almost impossible with my studies.
Following this, I went and saw my regular doctor about what had happened at the hospital. She ran some more blood tests and referred me for an echocardiogram. During this period of time I’d become very tired. I was unable to walk up the stairs of my house or hang my clothes up without fatiguing. I was having severe dizzy spells and was unable to work.
The blood tests came back normal.
Fast forward a week to this Monday. I ended up in emergency with a high fever, high heart rate, chest pains, disorientated, tingling like pins and needles in my legs and difficulty breathing.
They ran more tests and the CRP levels were elevated at 100. My D-dimer test also came back positive, which indicates clotting. I was admitted to hospital and treated for clots while waiting for further testing in the morning. I had an AMAZING doctor who was a fantastic help and wanted to get to the bottom of this.
The following day I had scans to check for a pulmonary embolism. The scans came back clear and I was discharged 10 minutes later by a different doctor. I was told to take Panadol and rest, despite my D-dimer levels being positive and my CRP levels at 100!!
Might I add, that when I was discharged, I had blue lips, blue hands, no colour in my skin and I was extremely disorientated. I was discharged and told that because I appeared ‘clinically well’ that they didn’t need to treat me further, despite my elevated levels.
I was scared, 24 years old and all alone. I had no family and no one listening to me or taking me seriously. One minute I’m being treated for clots, the next I’m pushed out the door and told to take Panadol with no treatment for the clots.
I went and saw another doctor and told him what had happened. I said to disregard the heart stuff as I had a doctor already looking into this and just to focus on the clots. He informed me my levels wouldn’t have come back positive if there wasn’t a clot. He explained that it was good that pulmonary embolisms were ruled out, but believed there was clotting somewhere else in my body, due to my CRP levels being so high.
I am now on blood thinners and am having a Holter monitor put in place on Monday to further investigate my heart. I do feel I am finally getting somewhere, despite my quality of life being currently taken away. I am unable to do the things I enjoy and I’m bed ridden most days, after completing half a task. I hope I am now on the right track to recovery.