Update: went for a 40 min. walk yesterday. I've been going outside for a little while before, but this was a first longer walk. Hmm... not so good. Although I was able to walk at a brisk pace (still slower than my normal walking pace, I'm sure), I was feeling intermittent chest pains, a little breathlessness and a lot of anxiety.
Anxiety is really driving me crazy and I'm just now realizing that it is a nasty post-PE effect. It is also extremely common. Because I still get chest pain sometimes, I can't help but worry that I'm developing new clots, although it is highly unlikely because I'm protected by warfarin now. The pain is more likely from the scarring in the lungs and lungs repairing themselves and healing. And it increases with activity. This is a logical explanation, but of course there is no way to prove there are no more clots short of doing another CT-scan. The doctor told me they are going to do another one in a few months, not now. So I guess I just have to live with it and try to calm down. But I have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday, so I will ask the doctor again.
Today I had to go to the hospital for my INR check. It was in the range and I can keep taking the same dose of warfarin. But the whole trip to the hospital on public transit and then waiting there in line for an hour, didn't help one bit. Oh well, it's going to be a long road, but it will end sometime. | 