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Here's a fact: Kat Robb loves Facebook.
She may even be an addict. She says she uses it "sometimes five or six hours a night."
Her own kids have teased her about the amount of time she spends online. But not anymore.
"Facebook saved my life. I don't know how else to look at it," she said.
A week after having major abdominal surgery, Robb thanked her friend, Rose Cowan, for being
supportive, then mentioned the dull pain she was having in one of her calf muscles. All
of this mentioned in a Facebook post on Cowan's wall.
"(I said,) 'Probably just strained a muscle, and I'm not too worried about it,'" she said.
It was a small mention for Robb. But to the receiver, it was a huge red flag.
"If she had not written that and we had not brought her in, there is a very real possibility
that something could have gone drastically wrong," said Cowan, who is not only Robb's
friend on Facebook, but also a certified medical assistant at Dr. Gavin Dry's plastic surgery
clinic in Kirkland.
"I happened to have time that morning to check my Facebook," said Cowan, who shared her concern
with the head nurse, who, in turn, immediately hauled in the patient.
"Only 30 percent of the people have any kind of a symptom," said nurse Kathy Ross.
By the time Robb landed in the emergency room, two blood clots had traveled to her lungs.
"I might not be here...who knows," said Robb.
Robb spent a week in the hospital where doctors monitored the blood clots. Doctors believe
they may be a result of too much downtime after that major surgery.
"It's wonderful for Kat, because it - that's how we found out what she had what the problem
was," Ross said. "Kind of scary that it went there rather than to us."
The experience left Robb wanting to thank the founder of Facebook.
"I don't even know what his name is. I know he's a millionaire," she said.