Patient Stories

A year ago today, I had no idea the curve balls 2009 would throw at me, and I would have never guessed they would involve a life-changing experience involving my health. You see, I’m the “healthiest person” all of my family, friends and colleagues know.  I’m studying for my Master’s in nutrition, eat more than…

My orthopedic surgeon dubbed me his “airplane” girl, because of an ironic twist of fate (and twist of my knee!).  Believe it or not, I tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my right knee as I was getting onto an airplane in October 2006.  One would think I might be injured throwing a football…

While I was on a 5 hour plane ride from Los Angeles to Manhattan, I felt a lingering ache in the back of my left knee that was uncomfortable, but nothing that caused me to feel immediate alarm. I am only 21 and have been an athlete my entire life, so I chalked it up…

I took what I thought was a routine flight to visit my family in Florida in October 2009.  My leg had been bothering me a little before the flight, due to chronic Achilles tendonitis.  When I got off the plane in Florida, my leg seemed stiffer than usual.  The flight was uneventful, and since it…

My name is Caitlin Augustine; I’m 22 years old and lucky to be alive.  I have already suffered through three DVTs, a life threatening condition.  Today, I made it my mission to raise awareness of this deadly health risk – one that causes over 100,000 deaths a year. The first time I ever heard of…

I noticed that I had severe cramping in my right calf in 2003, and ended up in the hospital for a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  The birth control pills I was taking then were the likely culprit, and I know now at age 51 to avoid hormone based birth control or replacement therapy in the…

I was 30 years old and 6 months pregnant with my first child when I developed an acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  I had no prior knowledge of clotting disorders and had been on birth control for 10 years before I conceived.   It was a Thursday night when I first felt a tingling and slight…

George’s persistence helped save his life after his first pulmonary embolism was misdiagnosed and his initial DVT was not treated. I reported for one of my 24 hour shifts as a Firefighter/Paramedic in November 2007.  There was a carbon monoxide call that required me to be on a ladder for an extended time that meant…

I am a married 39 year old mother of two.  A year ago my busy life was put on hold when I developed a blood clot in the renal vein of my left kidney.  I started feeling dull pain in my lower back at work, and I felt winded and tired.   I work full time…

My family and I had just returned from a ski trip to New Mexico in January 2009, and it was one of those marathon trips where we drove straight through for 11 hours. My legs felt heavy during the trip, and even though we did not make a lot of stops, I kept moving them…