Patient Stories
Not Just Calf Pain: Kayla’s Story
During the summer of 2012, I was going into my senior year of college and was training for Kent State’s Annual Black Squirrel 5k Race. I grew up playing soccer and I figured running a 5k would be a breeze. Little did I know, it was going to change my life forever. I was up…
It Could Have Been Prevented: Andrea’s Story
On November 7, 2020, I received a phone call from my stepson Conner. I could tell by the fear in his voice that something was terribly wrong. I remember his exact words, “Dad is conscious, but you need to meet us at the hospital now! Dad is in an ambulance they’re taking him to the…
Young People Get Blood Clots Too: Michelle’s Story
When I had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my left leg, I was a 19-year-old college freshman who had never heard of blood clots before. I assumed I’d broken my leg and hobbled to two classes before going to the hospital. The hospital was a rural one with only four beds in the ER,…
I Had a Blood Clot in my Brain: Jacarra’s Story
In April 2019, I began to experience symptoms similar to a sinus infection, including frontal head and eye pressure. Over the next few weeks my symptoms worsened, and they developed into nausea, weakness on one side of my body, confusion, loss of appetite, and the most prominent indication —the worst headache of my life! A…
My PE Stemmed From an Accident: Terry’s Story
My story begins in May 2019 when I was paying for gas inside a kiosk and a car crashed through the window, barreling into me and nearly running me over. Months later in December, I had a surgery to repair a torn labrum in the hip. Ten days later, on January 5, 2020, I nearly…
A Nagging Cough and Shoulder Pain Were My First Symptoms: Mike’s Story
I had a nagging cough for a few days, which later became shoulder pain on Friday, March 18, 2022. I went to a local urgent care center to get checked, and the X-ray showed that I possibly had pneumonia. Despite antibiotics, my condition worsened over the weekend. By Tuesday, March 22, I had shortness of…
I Was Dismissed Twice at the ER: Erin’s Story
On November 4, 2021, at the age of 27, I started experiencing pain in my neck that shot up through my head. I figured it was just pulled a muscle, but for the next three days the pain got worse. On November 8, four days after the pain started, I decided to go to urgent…
This Experience Changed My Entire Life: Kim’s Story
In September 2015, I was sitting in the ICU wondering how I had gotten there. Flash back to six months prior, I had severe depression and I weighed close to 300 pounds. I was also training for a 160-mile bike ride from Miami to Key West. During my training for this ride, I started experiencing…
Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute: Marianne’s Story
In December of 2020 I started having some breathing issues. It was a struggle to make it up stairs and I seemed more exhausted than usual. I thought I was just tired and needed to rest. I told myself I would rest over the holidays and that I would eventually be fine. January rolled around…
This Needed More than a Tylenol Prescription: Ashley’s Story
At 31 weeks pregnant, I was getting ready for the arrival of my baby when I started experiencing extreme pain in my left leg. I remember going to my baby shower and barely being able to walk. This was very concerning, so after the baby shower, I called my OB/GYN and explained the symptoms I…
