Birth control

My mum saved my life. I was diagnosed with upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or a blood clot in my arm, in late June 2019. I started showing signs and symptoms at the beginning of the month. I was 26 years old, had a 9 to 5 job, and loved going to the gym.…

December 19, 2019, will always be a day I remember. Three weeks prior to that day, I noticed calf pain in my left leg that would come and go. I chalked it up to a running injury. I was in the best shape of my life, running 20 miles a week and attending fitness classes…

I thought I was being responsible.  My husband and I had been married for nearly 10 years. We’d mutually agreed that we didn’t want biological children and I’d faithfully remained on the same birth control, having never experienced any adverse effects. I’m a big believer in the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix…

At 15 years old, I began taking hormonal contraceptives to relieve migraines. I received my prescription quickly after a brief medical exam where I was asked about my family history. I never imagined my journey on hormonal contraceptives would end abruptly nine years later after an emergency room diagnosis of bilateral pulmonary emboli, or bloods…

I went to the ER in April 2020 with severe pain in my right chest and back area. I couldn’t lie flat, or take any deep breaths, like coughs or sneezes. I couldn’t bend forward to pick anything up, and I was getting fatigued from the pain. It had gone on for three days before…

It was 6 p.m. on a cold Wednesday night in February 2014. My legs were dangling from the patient table as I sat anxiously at an urgent care facility waiting for the doctor to come in. My right calf had continued to swell and throb over the last several days, to the point where I…

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…

Can you be too young to experience blood clots? At 22 years old, I wasn’t, and neither are you! I have heard “you are too young” at every medical provider’s office, but blood clots do not discriminate. Trust me, because I’m a two-time survivor of pulmonary emboli, also known as PEs or blood clots in…

My name is Frank. Until recently, I had no idea what a pulmonary embolism (PE) was. I quickly found out, though, on July 1, 2020, when one tragically claimed the life of my wife Amy. Amy and I were together since 2001, and we were married in 2004. We have five beautiful children together. Most…

My name is Michele. I am a healthcare worker, mother, and recent survivor of venous thromboembolism (blood clots in the veins, which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism). I am sharing my story to raise awareness, both on a general level as well as from the perspective of a healthcare worker. In January 2020,…