In April 2020, at the peak of COVID, I started experiencing pain in my lower back. During a walk with friends, a sharp pain would shoot down my right leg with every step.
I tried to ignore the pain and continued the walk. Later that evening, my leg started to swell, and the pain got worse. I went to an urgent care and explained what was happening and that I had recently started taking birth control pills. My symptoms were dismissed. I was diagnosed with sciatica and sent home with muscle relaxers.
When I woke up the next morning, my right leg was four times the size of my left leg and extremely discolored and numb. My friends brought me to the emergency room and doctors confirmed I had a very extensive DVT in my leg. It was so scary being alone in the emergency room unsure of what was going on and how this happened.
The next day, a vascular surgeon and an amazing team performed a thrombectomy to remove the clot. Recovery from DVT included enoxaparin injections in my belly twice a day and oral blood thinners for four months. I also couldn’t completely straighten my leg. I had to go to physical therapy and was on crutches for a couple of weeks.
Months later, I visited my gynecologist to discuss new options for birth control and she ran some blood work, which revealed I had factor V Leiden heterozygous. My sister has also tested positive. I get annual ultrasounds to check both of my legs for clotting.
Since being diagnosed with a DVT and factor V, I have talked to so many people who share the same experiences, and I have learned how to make healthy lifestyle changes. This experience has also taught me to always advocate for myself as a patient! You know your body best.
