Athlete

For my college graduation trip, I went to Hawaii with my family. After our red eye flight back to LAX, I got up out of my seat and had severe calf pain in my left leg. I attributed it to running and didn’t think much of it. The next day, it was still bothering me,…

On the way to my 37th birthday celebration, I suffered a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in my lung, but I chose to ignore the symptoms. As a dancer, marathoner, mountain biker, and hiker, it did not even cross my mind that something serious was happening to my body, so I ignored every symptom I…

I’m in my mid-twenties and very active. When I experienced calf pain for about two weeks, I attributed it to a strain from uphill running and other cardio and weightlifting workouts. Towards the end of two weeks, I couldn’t ignore the pain. I decided to pop into a nearby physical therapist’s office. I explained my…

I ran my first marathon in 2017, started graduate school for a Masters in Accounting, and accepted a job with a public accounting firm post-graduation. I have always led an active lifestyle throughout high school and into college, which is why it is still difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that…

Katie Hoff is a three-time Olympic medalist and Former World Champion Swimmer who has held several American and world records throughout her career. She was forced to retire from the sport in 2015 due to the development of blood clots in her lung, known as pulmonary embolisms, or PEs. Katie is best known for her…

In the winter of 2012, I started to feel strange tightness in my right calf and mild discomfort behind my knee. Instead of seeing my doctor, I spent a lot of time researching potential causes, including DVTs. The situation changed in April when my right ankle and calf swelled as if I had sprained it.…

“It’s nothing,” I thought when I had lower back pain at the age of 19 followed by odd cramps in my quadriceps while working out. See a doctor? “No way,” I thought. “I will fight through this, I can tolerate pain and I will be fine.” I even wrote off feeling exhausted, thinking that I…

I have always heard it said, “pain is weakness leaving the body,” and as a Marine, I’ve always been one to push my limits, but nothing could prepare me for what was to come. I found enjoyment in long distance runs long after I completed my time in the Marine Corps and trained for marathons.…

My name is Dan Jensen. I am 42 years old, and, until a rare blood clot stopped me in my tracks, I had considered myself somewhat invincible. That last statement deserves some qualification. I have always considered myself to be medically lucky. Cancer does not run in either side of my family, my grandparents lived…

This January, Paul should be celebrating his 22nd birthday and preparing to finish his senior year of college in May, at the University at Buffalo, with a degree in Civil Engineering. Instead, we are celebrating his short life and bringing awareness to others about blood clots. We wish we would have known the symptoms of…