Patient Stories
My Advice is to Know Your Body: Shelitha’s Story
In 2016 I had surgery after tearing my Achilles during a work softball game. My doctor told me I could return to work after two weeks, so I did. The first week went as smoothly as could be and used a knee roller. By the following week, I was having a hard time catching my…
A PE Can Be Life-Changing: Aden’s Story
I woke at about 3 a.m. with the most intense stabbing pain in the right-hand side of my chest, towards the back. I assumed that I had slept funny and that I had simply trapped a nerve or something. The pain was unbelievable, though. I took acetaminophen but it did nothing. At 8 a.m., the…
Don’t Give Up, Keep Going: Alejandra’s Story
In March 2019, I woke up with my left leg all red and swollen. Thanks to God and the speed with which I received medical attention, the doctors saved my life and also my leg. I was in hospital for four days and I had two surgeries. They put a filter in my vena cava…
Don’t Ignore Your Body’s Cry For Help: Connie-Vee’s Story
I’m an artist, and I was editing and spending long hours working with few breaks. In addition, I didn’t get up on my last flight from Washington, DC to Los Angeles. Prior to traveling, I noticed swelling in one leg, but I ignored it. Upon my return, I took a one-mile walk that normally takes…
Trust Your Gut Feelings: Joni’s Story
I broke my left leg in eight places and had three surgeries within a three-week period. I was in a wheelchair and could not walk at all. Whenever I tried to stand and get upright, I’d feel an excruciating pain behind my left knee. It hurt as much as the 48 staples and cuts on…
I Had Zero Risk Factors: Thomas’ Story
I woke up in the middle of the night and could barely breathe, so I booked an appointment with my local urgent care for the next morning. They took an X-ray of my lungs for pneumonia, but it was clear, so I was sent home. A couple weeks later, I got a sharp pain in…
Take Advantage of the Support Available: Tammillia’s Story
In 2021, I had a routine laparoscopy procedure and came out of the general anesthetic coughing up blood. I was pale, sweaty, low on oxygen, and experiencing a fast heart rate and chest pains. After being told by the surgeon, “We were rough with the tube we put down your throat,” I was discharged like…
Each Moment, I Feel Like I Just Ran a Marathon: Brett’s Story
I am lucky to be alive. On a recent Wednesday morning, I went to the emergency room with chest pains and shortness of breath. After many tests and a CT scan, they said I had a blood clot in my lungs, another pulmonary embolism. This was my third time. The doctor said that one out…
In the Blink of an Eye, Your Life Can Change: Morgan’s Story
Waking up and not being able to catch your breath at 20 years old is the scariest thing. On November 14, 2022, I woke up at 4 a.m. gasping for air with intense pain in my lower back and sharp pain in my chest. My immediate reaction to the pain was to try and stand…
I Had Risk Factors I Didn’t Even Realize: Carley’s Story
During my senior year at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, I started getting sick. For about two months, my heart rate would randomly start going really high for no reason. I would wake up in the middle of the night and it would be at 160 beats per minute. I went to the doctor, and they…
