In December 2022, I experienced a miscarriage and developed constant pain in my right calf. Because my mom and an extended family member have a history of blood clots, I called my doctor right away to get it looked at.
The doctor ran a D-dimer blood test and it came back high, so an ultrasound was done on my leg, but no clot was found.
Over the next two days, I started feeling weird. I was fatigued, dizzy, and winded after walking across my living room. Because of my family’s history of blood clots, I knew I needed to call my doctor again.
At this appointment, I was told that the D-dimer was probably only high because of pregnancy and that I probably didn’t have clots in my lungs because there wasn’t a clot found in my leg.
However, pregnancy is a risk factor for blood clots, and I pushed for a CT scan. Sure enough, there were clots in my right lung. My doctor was shocked.
I believe there was a clot in my leg that was missed, and it then broke off and traveled to my lungs. If the clot in my leg had been detected during the ultrasound, then we could have caught it before it got to my lungs.
I was started on blood thinners right away and spent the next few months healing and doing labs. No clotting disorders were found. I am now on blood thinners for life due to my history and family history.
I truly credit my knowledge of blood clot symptoms in being able to find and treat it so early. Without my family history, I wouldn’t have known to push for testing with my doctor. I hate that my mom experienced this too (no one should ever have to experience it), but I believe that her going through it first saved my life.
Something I continue to experience is healthcare providers being confused that I’m on blood thinners as if they don’t know that clots can happen to young people, too.
My experience has made me realize that you can’t take life for granted and that health is so important. I truly cherish every moment with my daughter because she could have lived a life where she didn’t have me. Now, I will do everything in my power to be here for her.
I’ve learned a lot about advocating for my health with providers and about risk factors in general. Reading other people’s stories makes me feel less alone, because the anxiety that comes along with this experience can be crippling. I hope that someone else feels less alone after reading my story.
Resources
Pregnancy
Family Testing for Clotting Disorders
Know Your Risk
