The morning I started experiencing mild chest pain, I thought it was just aches and pains from my workout the previous day. I knew that chest pain could be serious but this didn't feel too bad. My employer makes software products called Couplers and provides access to them as a health benefit, so I thought I would take a few minutes to use the Chest Pain Diagnosis Coupler just for reassurance. I punched in my symptoms and read through the guidance, paying special attention to additional symptoms which might indicate potentially serious conditions.

By afternoon the pain was still mild but I noticed a little shortness of breath. Prompted by what I had read in the Coupler earlier, I spit into a napkin when I coughed, and noticed some blood. I knew then that I might have a serious problem and I went to the local emergency room even though I was still feeling fairly well.

I continued to feel worse over the course of the evening as they ran tests to determine what was wrong. It was 2AM before tests confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism and blood thinners were administered. Nevertheless, my clinical situation deteriorated in the next few hours and there were some scary moments before I began to improve.

I am grateful to have made a full recovery, and so are my wife and our three young children. One of the doctors told me that if I had waited until the next morning to seek treatment, there was a good chance that I would have died. I credit Couplers with helping to save my life.

—Bill D.
   Manager