In November 2023, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl via C-section. It was our first child and we were so excited!
A few weeks after giving birth, I had extreme pain in my stomach. I called my OB/GYN and they told me to take an anti-gas medication and see what happened. The pain intensified and got worse every hour. By the next day, I could barely stand up straight and had to go to the ER.
They scanned my entire body and discovered that my appendix was about to rupture. Then the doctor told me that they couldn’t treat my appendix through surgery yet because I had blood clots in my pelvis.
I was rushed to get an IVC filter put in through my neck and then I had the surgery to remove my appendix.
A few weeks later, I had to go back to the hospital to have the blood clots and IVC filter removed. I was on enoxaparin sodium injections for months after.
The whole experience was terrifying and eye-opening to the world of blood clots. It has changed my life. I had no idea that blood clots were such a risk to pregnant women. As of right now, there is no indication that I have a clotting disorder, but I’m still undergoing testing.
I also now wear compression socks, try to move my legs on long trips, and have constant anxiety over leg cramping and pain. I am also terrified to get pregnant again.
It helped to be part of a support group with people who have been through a similar experience. It was so traumatizing having a newborn at home and thinking I was going to die without ever knowing her.
