Patient Stories

My lower left calf started hurting in Florida during Christmas break. I have completed nine marathons and two Ironmans, so I chalked it up to a strain. I kept putting ointment on it and it always felt way worse in the morning. My friend Anne actually said, “Hey, be careful, you might have a blood clot.”…

I went to the hospital in June 2022 with chest and back pain. The doctor told me I strained something playing softball and needed to lose weight. I was very active in high school and played four varsity sports as a starter. In December 2022, I went back to the ER, where the same doctor…

Mine just happened last week (March 2025) so this is very new for me. I woke up one day in extreme shoulder pain. I just thought I pinched a nerve sleeping until I noticed my entire arm was swollen, red, and tingling with limited mobility. My friends and family suggested going to a chiropractor, but…

When I was 18, I was diagnosed with multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli. I was an active young adult, attending university and playing volleyball for my school. I woke up one night not being able to catch my breath and felt crazy amounts of pain in my ribs, upper right quadrant of my abdomen, and back.…

Ah summertime, my favorite time of year. Except last year. Last year, I found myself with sudden side and chest pain, difficulty breathing, inability to fully stand or sit upright, and inability to recline back seated or lay down in any position. Within 24 hours of these symptoms, I went to the doctor. He treated…

Six years ago, I woke up early to shovel the snow before work. I’m not in the best shape, but I’m never winded after shoveling. That morning, I was having trouble catching my breath, but I just thought I was coming down with something. The next day, I could hardly walk. My best friend took…

As told by her mother, Michelle Dominque, known to her friends and family as “Meeka,” loved the Maine outdoors and spent as much time as possible at camp on Moosehead Lake. Growing up, she enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, and softball. Meeka was a member of the Windsor Historical Society and volunteered at the Windsor Fair…

In 2021, I was experiencing shortness of breath, blue lips, constant fatigue, and brain fog. I could barely walk up one flight of stairs to my apartment and would collapse at the door many times. My doctor kept saying it was bronchitis and would regularly test for Covid, which always came back negative. I ultimately terminated…

I was on a business trip to Scotland when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest during pre-dinner drinks. I began to feel dizzy and had difficulty breathing. I thought it might be anxiety caused by dehydration and not having eaten that day. A taxi was arranged for me to return to my…

When I was around 23, I started to go to the doctor complaining about persistent, enduring headaches. I was told it was stress. I went to the optician, where I was immediately sent to the emergency eye hospital. I had idiopathic intercranial hypertension, which was causing vision loss due to my optic nerves being forced…