'Listen to your gut': Woman turned away by two doctors now 'bed bound' in hospital

Katherine Farley was brushed off by two doctors before being admitted to the emergency department. Source: Katherine Farley. Photos / Facebook

An Australian woman who instinctively felt something wasn't right with her body has shared a message to others to not give up seeking answers if they suffer from mysterious medical symptoms.

Katherine Farley, 29, from Perth, was turned away by two doctors after she became concerned about suspected clots on her foot.

But her determination to find answers proved her gut feeling was correct when Farley's local GP sent her to hospital after telling her she did the right thing by persevering.

The patient was sent straight to the emergency department where scans revealed she had four clots on her legs and a pulmonary embolism on both lungs.

"I'm pretty much bed bound because my heart is straining due to the embolisms. I have no idea how long I have to be admitted to hospital for or how long I have to be on medication," she wrote in a post to Facebook.

"I'm so lucky that someone took what I was going through seriously, considering the high mortality rates of pulmonary embolism. It's pretty scary to think where I'd be a week from now had I not listened to my gut and been my own advocate."

The mother-of-one, who studies and works in retail, told Yahoo News Australia that she first became concerned when she had difficulty breathing paired with her suspicions there was something else connected with her superficial clots.

"When I had the first clots I found some information on them online and thought 'that can't be me, the doctors pretty much brushed it off'," she said.

But as her breathing became more strained and her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest, she knew in her gut that she was not well.

Farley revealed she was "pretty annoyed" that doctors hadn't diagnosed her earlier.

Katherine Farley was "pretty annoyed" neither of the first two doctors she saw took her condition seriously. Photos / Facebook

"Had they also done a full blood check it would've come up. It's just reckless for doctors to dismiss someone quickly without making sure or putting a patient's unease at rest.

"Had I not asked the sonographer to take a look at the large inflammation on my foot, nothing would've happened, and I would've gone to work and continued normal activities not knowing how serious my condition actually is."

Farley shared in a message to others that they should always listen to their body and their gut if they suspect something is wrong with their health.

"If you feel something isn't right, don't take no for an answer. It honestly can be the difference between life and death."

Farley doesn't know how long she will be bound to her bed at Armadale Hospital.

Doctors were not sure what caused her clots, but believed it could have been a negative reaction to the contraceptive pill.

Depending on the results of blood tests, she may have to take medication anywhere from the next three months to the rest of her life and has been warned not to play contact sports and do rigorous exercise.

Farley said her condition meant she would need to seek advice from her doctor before travelling for extended periods, and would be restricted from eating food high in vitamin K.