APS

My first DVT was in July 1995, two weeks after the birth of my first (and only) child. I had a shooting pain in my left buttocks and rode an ambulance to the hospital with my newborn and husband. The ER docs did not seem to consider the possibility of a DVT and were looking…

I was being evaluated for chest pain by a pulmonologist who was treating me with opioids. The night before my diagnosis, I was participating in a group yoga class where I won a T-shirt for sweating the most. I had pools of sweat under me like it was a Bikram class, but the A/C was…

In 1994, I had my son prematurely at 24 weeks. They did a bunch of testing and found out that I had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). I had another preterm baby at 25 weeks three years later. I was followed by a high-risk OB/GYN at the time but no other preventative measures were done while pregnant.…

I was diagnosed with a DVT and bilateral pulmonary embolism on April 10, 2024. I underwent a biopsy for a uterine cyst in November 2023 and subsequently had my menstrual period for almost 30 days. My gynecologist prescribed me birth control to stop my period. From mid-January until April, I was taking four birth control…

In April 2023, I had a spontaneous seizure at work. I was taken to the hospital and stayed for 10 days. On day 8, I had a lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap) to try and find the cause of the seizure. The following day, I woke up with an intense, sharp, left-sided…

It was June of 2023. I was five days postpartum when I started to get really erratic blood pressure readings. It would go from 177/206 to 123/79 within minutes, up and down like a roller coaster. I was also having palpitations and I remember telling the doctor later that I had a twinge of pain…

Less than two days after giving birth to her first baby, my aunt died of blood clots in her lungs and heart. I was 13 at the time and the news shocked the whole family. Two weeks after her funeral, I had some strange leg pain. I thought I had pulled a muscle or injured…

In April 2022, I was a normal 18-year-old preparing for graduation and college. My world would soon flip when I was diagnosed with a DVT that went from my hip to ankle. I was an active high schooler. I was a part of the varsity cheer team and marching band. When the pain in my…

My family has an extensive history of DVTs and PEs leading up to my teen’s blood clotting episode. I have three grandparents with confirmed clots, one of whom had a filter placed. One of my parents and their sibling both had multiple clots. My teen had spinal fusion with rods for scoliosis, and because of…

In July 2018, I developed a nagging dry cough and chest discomfort. I have a history of pneumonia, so I went to urgent care for a chest x-ray. It was clear and I was told I likely have a viral chest cold. The cough continued to linger on, not responding to over-the-counter cough medicine. As…