Birth control
I Survived Blood Clots Twice: Nicole’s Story
On July 4, 2014, I was mixing pancake batter for my kids and their friends who had spent the night at our house. I felt excruciating pain in my chest. Every breath felt like I was being stabbed. I actually laid across my kitchen counter and tried to take shallow breaths. After about 20 seconds,…
I Felt Like I was Crying Wolf: Anya’s Story
In July of 2019, I nearly fainted in my lobby on my way to work. My roommate was gone all summer, so I phoned my parents who talked me through the symptoms I had and advised me to call an ambulance. I met the emergency medical technician outside and after a quick electrocardiogram of my…
I Was Supposed to be Fit and Healthy: Jen’s Story
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.…
The Road Trips That Changed My Life: Cydnee’s Story
At just 23 years old, I have suffered with not only a DVT (deep vein thrombosis or blood clot in the leg), but also a PE (pulmonary embolism or blood clot in the lung). I was taking estrogen-based birth control pills for two years when I had a visit with my primary care physician due…
I Thought I Did Everything Right: Lauren’s Story
At 32 years old, I had my meniscus repaired and a Fulkerson osteotomy (surgical procedure to restore knee stability) was performed to prolong the integrity of my knee. It was my fourth knee surgery and I expected everything to go according to plan. However, I found myself wondering, could this surgical procedure cause me to…
Back to School and Almost Back to Normal: Abbey’s Story
I am 19 years old right now, and in my second year of university. The school I attend is about 3.5 to 4 hours from home, so I live on my own with a few friends. In the beginning of November 2019, when I was still 18 years old, I started coughing a lot and…
The Physical and Mental Health Impact of Blood Clots: Emily’s Story
When I was 19 years old, during the first week of my sophomore year of college, I awoke one morning with a strange, tight pain in my right shoulder. I assumed I had just slept on it funny, and continued about my day as usual. The pain didn’t seem to let up, even after I…
Take Note if You’re Taking the Pill: Leani’s Story
I am a 23-year-old female from South Africa who was on the hormonal birth control pill for skin purposes. As a human physiology and genetics graduate, I knew the risks of taking contraceptives and how it increases blood viscosity, or thickness, but I never thought that it was going to happen to me, even though…
An Ankle Injury Taught Me To Listen to My Body: Clare’s Story
I have always been someone who believed I could overpower being sick— at 31 years old, a hot shower, big glass of water, an over-the-counter pain medication, and a fresh face of makeup could still solve just about any ailment I experienced. But, when I broke my ankle in late November 2018 and started experiencing…
Do Not Take Your Good Health for Granted: Ardith’s Story
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…
