Runner back on feet after hospital scare

Kimberley Smith tore her Achilles tendon in January, which may have led to dangerous blood clots.

Twelve days ago Kimberley Smith lay in a hospital bed, her lungs screaming out for air.

The tiny long-distance runner was rushed to hospital last week with potentially fatal blood clots on her lungs.

"It was really scary," she said from her parents' home in Papakura where she is recovering.

"It was quite a shock. It has been a terrible, terrible start to the year."

It is believed the clots developed from the Achilles tendon tear she suffered in the New Zealand athletic championships in January, which forced her to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, where she was a realistic medal chance in the 5000m and 10,000m.

Smith, 24, said she was hit by a bad stomach bug immediately after the nationals and was also taking a third-generation contraceptive pill, which could also have contributed.

"The stomach bug went away, then three days later I started to have trouble breathing," she said.

"I went to the doctor, then had blood tests and chest X-rays and an ECG (electrocardiogram). But they couldn't find anything, and then on the last blood test they found something which indicated a clot. I then had a CT scan, which showed a significant amount of clots."

Smith was taken to hospital, where she spent the next four days having injections twice daily into her stomach and was prescribed a course of blood thinning drugs.

"I feel a lot better now. My breathing is getting back to normal although my lungs still hurt a bit."

She will have an echocardiogram on Friday, which will determine if there is any long-term damage to her heart.

"Hopefully I will be fine," she said. "I have started walking. I am finding it really hard to sit and do nothing."

Smith was meant to have flown back to her base in the US on Wednesday but that will be delayed until early next month provided she makes a full recovery. A relatively quiet athletic year, Smith's next major event is the world championships next August.

"There is not really a major championship for athletics this year, well apart from the Commonwealth Games, although that is not seen as a major championship in athletics anyway ... This is the year they have off, it is just the European championships."