APS
My Teen Suffered a PE After Surgery: An Anonymous Parent
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…
I No Longer Live in Fear of Another Re-Clot: Staci’s Story
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…
Don’t Ignore Symptoms of a Blood Clot: Marvin’s Story
In 2017, I was having redness, warmth, pain, and heaviness in my right leg. I was 17 at the time and I had just begun my senior year in high school a few weeks before. I was in school when I first saw that my leg was red, and I made a mistake by not…
Life is a Gift and it’s Fragile: Cara’s Story
I was in my early 30s and enjoying life as a new mom, but I had been having a rough time for nine weeks, experiencing severe headaches and aphasia. I was worked up by a neurologist thoroughly and had all kinds of tests and scans — an MRI, MRA, an EEG — and everything was…
I Thought I Had a Blood Clot, But No One Listened: Cherree’s Story
Three months after a surgical procedure, I went to urgent care as my leg was turning colors and I couldn’t walk. I was told that I had plantar fasciitis on the top of my foot. That was so off track, so I went to a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed me with tendonitis just by…
I’ve Spent the Last Decade Fighting to be Heard by Medical Professionals: Kate’s Story
In July 2023, I went to the emergency room with immobilizing pain and swelling in my left leg. I was quickly diagnosed with two DVTs and was put on apixaban despite being a healthy 37-year-old with no risk factors. About six weeks later, I was still experiencing pain and swelling. I requested another ultrasound despite…
I’m a Nurse, But Being on This Side is Different: Jennifer’s Story
In 2020, I awoke after a cardiac catheterization procedure to find my right leg swollen and discolored. I asked the nurse to contact my physician, but was informed the symptoms I was experiencing were normal. After four hours of lying flat, I continued to bleed from my incision site. Despite the immense pain that radiated…
I Truly Felt This Was It: Kylie’s Story
In February 2023, I went to the ER with abdominal pain I couldn’t explain. After four days in step-down ICU, 30+ labs, two CT scans, three ultrasounds, a chest X-ray, and an echocardiogram, doctors told me I had blood clots, which compromised my blood flow and caused splenic infarcts. After a consult with my hematologist,…
I Went in Circles for Years Trying to Get Answers: Cassandra’s Story
I had my first deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism at 18 years old due to May-Thurner Syndrome. My symptoms were left lower abdomen pain and fainting. I was told multiple times it was a miracle I was alive due to the clot burden. I spent 12 days in the hospital and had a temporary…
I Mistook My Symptoms as a Panic Attack: Jillian’s Story
In December 2021, I was climbing up the subway stairs, heading to my college campus in New York City, when I started feeling off-balanced and dizzy. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, so that’s what I thought was happening. I sat down and a nice family came over to me and asked if I…
