At the end of summer in 2018, I was days away from the beginning of my college soccer career at Furman University. Every day that summer, I was preparing my body physically for the demands of being a college athlete.
During my last workout before I left for preseason, I began experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, and full body muscle fatigue. It was so sudden that immediately I knew something was wrong.
I was sent to a cardiologist by my pediatrician at the time. They did an EKG and echocardiogram, which both came back clear. The cardiologist told me all of my symptoms would lead him to believe I have precordial catch syndrome, which is unexplained chest pain. I left three days later to start my freshman year of college with no answers.
Not even a week from my first day of symptoms, I had to run for my college fitness test. I was unable to run more than one lap around the track before I had to stop because I genuinely couldn’t breathe and felt like I was going to pass out.
After a month of seeing several different physicians who couldn’t give me any answers, I finally saw a pulmonologist who listened to me. After running up and down a few flights of stairs, my oxygen levels dropped to 75%. I was in the radiology waiting room a few hours later when I got the news that I had pulmonary emboli on both sides of my lungs.
Even after this diagnosis and starting a six-month prescription for blood thinners, I was in and out of the ER with continued chest pain into my back that was so bad, it felt like I was being stabbed through the chest with a sword. To this day I still have no answers for what this was.
Almost a year of follow-up testing revealed the sole reason for this occurrence was due to estrogen-based birth control, and I was finally cleared to play soccer again.
I owe everything to my family, friends and athletic trainers who were there with me in the hardest moments of my life. The mental, physical, and emotional toll that my PEs took on me are truly indescribable and I’m so grateful that I am here today to share my story. I went on to have a very successful soccer career at Furman University and The University of Iowa.
I’ve learned to not be afraid to speak up for myself in medical settings. NBCA’s Instagram page, even seven years later, has helped me realize I am not alone.
