"DVT complications"

My story started over 4 months ago. With a golden staph infection from a minor procedure in a doctor’s surgery procedure room. Which resulted in osteomyelitis, and a PICC line for antibiotics for 4 weeks. After I had the PICC line in for 2 and a half weeks I presented to my local ED with chest pain and was then taken by ambulance to Albany ED. I was given a scan of my chest and sent home.

10 days later I presented again to my local ED for my daily antibiotics but also with my arm swollen, blue, extreme pain and no strength. It was requested I go present to Albany ED where I was then found to have a extremely large DVT in my arm around where my PICC line was. They removed the PICC line and placed me on blood thinners. I asked multiple times what happens now and to the clot and felt like I was dismissed each time with an ‘it will be ok’ attitude. A few days later I received a phone call saying I also had blood clot in my lungs and was once again told it will be fine.

4 weeks later while away on holidays and my arm becoming weak and sore again, my GP arranged a video call to me from a Cardio Vascular surgeon in Perth who tells me that looking at my history the clot should have been removed straight away. But now there isn't much they could do. Fast forward and I have since had to quit my job, move house (because the house was included in my job), I can no longer use my arm at the same capacity. As it is my dominant arm, day to day task have become extremely difficult.

Recently, I presented to Albany ED because my arm got to the point of looking and feeling worse than it ever has. To be given an ultrasound and told that they can't see any new clots so there's nothing they can do. I felt extremely unheard and dismissed. Even told along the lines of that it might all be in my head. It was arranged that a physio will call me and meet with me later that week. I left and bawled my eyes out all the way back feeling like I just have to put up with this for the rest of my life. And I can't help but think that a lot of this could have been prevented.

For whatever reason, I felt like I was rushed through the system with the ‘they will be right’ attitude which I believe may or may not have affected my outcome. I now have a life long issue that is going to prevent me from my passions along with a lot of other things in my life.