pulmonary embolism? prognosis?

Question

My 84 year old grandmother went into the hospital yesterday with a pulmonary/massive pulmonary embolism, blood clottage in the lungs. Cardiac arrest can also accompany it of course. I think the docs said something about slight internal bleeding. Pe can be fatal and the people who have it usually dies within the hour. She is in okay health I guess but not great. The docs feared that she would not survive the night. Actually she went into cardiac arrest five times. She is still alive but in critical condition. The doctors have no idea how she is still alive. I do not know maybe her organs are weak and her body is just giving up on her so she may die. We are not sure she will pull through. Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this? I am surprised that her heart stopped five times and she is alive. Do you think there might be some underlying meaning behind that? (The worse to happen will be a coma).

Answer 1

About 10% of patients with pulmonary embolism die suddenly within the first hour of onset of the condition. The outcome for all other patients is generally good; only 3% of patients who are properly diagnosed and treated die.

That being said, the fact that she was in cardiac arrest 5 times doesn't look very good for her, but you never know.

Go be with her.

Answer 2

The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries (other than umbilical arteries in the fetus) that carry deoxygenated blood.

In the human heart, the pulmonary trunk (pulmonary artery or main pulmonary artery) begins at the base of the right ventricle. It is short and wide - approximately 5 cm (2 inches) in length and 3 cm (1.2 inches) in diameter. It then branches into two pulmonary arteries (left and right), which deliver deoxygenated blood to the corresponding lung.
An embolism is a bulge in the artery. If it bursts a person has about three minutes. Nothing can be done if this occurs.
I'm sure the doctors are doing everything they can. My advise to you is to pray.
A little from me. My wife of 32 years had a heart attack. She died and was resuscitated three times. A quadruple bypass was completed and she appeared fine, however she had had cancer at a younger age and it came back, I believe, due to her having died those three times. She died seven months later after having suffered a slow death of cancer eating her body.
All you can do is pray and let your grandmother be in God's hands. I realize today, we can cause dire effects with our interfering with life.
My heart goes out to you and your family. Let God work. If it is her time, He will take her home with him. Be assured.
Hisemiester