When I gave birth to my son, I was so excited to be a parent. But I began having headaches that were not normal.
In the hospital, I was given medication to clot my blood because of slightly more than average blood loss. I was also given extra blood pressure checks because my blood pressure was high, and I began having vision issues.
When I called the nurse triage for my OB, they said if my headache went away with 800 mg of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, it should be okay. But no one put together my symptoms until I was two months postpartum, and I ended up having a seizure one night.
When I went to the ER, I was diagnosed with a dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST). My blood was tested for genetic factors and I was positive for heterozygous factor V Leiden. I was not offered any testing for this earlier, but I wish I were so this could have been prevented. I also tested positive for protein S deficiency from giving birth.
Unfortunately, because my clot had taken so long to be found, it has been deemed as chronic. I will be on anticoagulants and anticonvulsants for life.
Blood clots are not uncommon during pregnancy, postpartum, or even from birth control. We need more voices, but ultimately, too many of us are not lucky enough to share our stories.
Resources
Factor V Leiden
Genetic Testing for Clotting Disorders
Women and Blood Clots
