Dear Dr. SerVaas: I was hospitalized for several days this year with pulmonary embolism. Since my "warning signs" have not been quite the same as the ones I have read about, I thought your readers might like to know just what mine were.I turned 80 in December 2003 and have been fairly active most of my life. I had been taking a two-mile walk every morning, with a coffee break in the middle of the walk, for several months.

This particular morning, on my way back to my house, I realized I was unable to take a deep breath. I could breathe, just couldn't take a deep breath.

During the day this continued, but I did not feel concerned, as otherwise I felt OK. When I went to bed in the evening, I was so uncomfortable that I decided something was wrong. I got up, put on a robe and slippers, and drove to the nearest hospital, about three miles, and checked into the emergency room.

They did several tests, and finally, when they ordered a CAT scan, they discovered that I had blood clots in my lungs.

I had not been bedridden, nor do I smoke, nor had I taken any recent plane rides, nor was I more than just a few pounds overweight. I am regaining my strength, although slowly. I am not back to my two-mile morning walk, just satisfy myself with a half-mile walk around my neighborhood once or twice a day.

Thought your readers might like to know you do not have to have the classic symptoms to be "in trouble."

Icyle S. Hunt
Boise, Idaho

Dear Reader: Thank you for sharing your experience. Signs of pulmonary embolism vary with the size, number, and location of clots and the amount of lung tissue affected by lack of blood flow. As is true of a heart attack, prompt treatment is key to saving lives.

In addition to unexplained shortness of breath, characteristic symptoms include chest pain that gets worse with a deep breath and coughing up blood.

In many cases, the blood clot(s) traveled to the lung from the leg. Some risk factors for the condition--other than those mentioned above--are being over age 60, taking hormone replacement pills, and having varicose veins.

Pulmonary embolism occurs equally in men and women.