Athlete

I was the most fit I had ever been when I had my deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli (PE) at 28 years old. I ran marathons, competed in triathlons, and had just recently completed my first 100-mile bike race. After my bike race, I was struggling to recover. My legs felt heavy. My…

On a Sunday evening in February, I got into bed and noticed I had a headache on the right side of my head. I felt pressure in my ear and thought I might have an ear infection. I couldn’t sleep much, but I got up on Monday and went into university assuming it would settle.…

When my symptoms started, I was 34 years old, a bride-to-be and an avid runner. In fact, I was going to run a half-marathon the week before my wedding. Training had been going well, but as race day approached, I noticed I was feeling unusually tired. To save energy for the wedding, I skipped the…

In February of 2017, a friend challenged me to climb Mount St. Helens in August. At the time, I figured this was an easily attainable goal and we signed up. April came and I noticed some soreness in my right calf. During my lunch breaks I would climb the stairwell at work (16 floors), and…

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.…