I'm new to this site, but glad I found it. I have to have a V/Q scan done Wed. to find out if I have a PE in my lungs or heart. The chest pains are unbelievable. It feels like someone is pushing their elbow into my chest constantly. I get really bad headaches and it hurts to take deep breaths. Has anyone had this test done? I've read about it, but that's all I know. I was diagnosed with my 3rd DVT on 10/06/2004 and this pain started a few days after I got home from the hospital stay. Any advice on how to deal with a PE would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I dont know if what i have to offer will help or ease your mind at all but i have had three PE's in the last 2 years. i had my daughter in 2003 and when she was two weeks old my whole right side was hurting. i let it go for a few days but then i was getting short of breath and when i was laying down it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. i had a c-section so i thought maybe it was from that. i called my doctor and he told me to go straight to the hospital. he feared that i may have a staff infection. i went in and they did a ct scan of my chest and found that i had a pulmonary embolism in the lower lobe of my right lung. they immediatley started heprin (blood thinner) through an iv and put me on bed rest. after five days i was put on an oral blood thinner called coumadin. i was released and told i had to dtay on the medicine for at least six months. i was told that since i caught it in time and was on the medicine that i was safe and that i would be fine. two weeks later at home i woke up in the middle of the noght with the worst chest pain. i went straight to the emergency room and found that i had a second pe even though i was on the medicine. i stayed in the hospital another 5 days and was sent home with the same advice. i was on the medicine for a year. i was taken off and was doing fine. i had numerous blood tests done time to tome and everything was fine. just this past january it happened again. i am now on coumadin for the rest of my life. i have my blood tested once a week to make sure it is at a healthy level. im not trying to scare you but it is very serioius. just be glad you are being tested so that if thats what it is they can catch it early enough that that it can be treated. i am curious as to what happens with you please let me know.