Birth control

Five years ago, at the age of 23, I developed dozens of blood clots in both of my legs, my pelvis, and my stomach.  Two weeks earlier, I was experiencing daily back pain on my lower right side. My OB/GYN chalked the pain up to ovarian cysts, which had never been a problem before. I…

In April 2013, I traveled to Japan to visit my brother, and then to California to visit my grandfather. When I got home from my two-week vacation, I woke up one morning with a shooting pain in my leg. I thought perhaps I slept wrong or I wore the wrong shoes at work the previous…

In December 2015, I was a 32-year-old newlywed and my life seemed perfect. Three months earlier, Brian and I had our dream wedding in Sonoma, CA, and were planning our first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. Since we went home to the Midwest to visit our families over Thanksgiving, we decided to take a trip…

On Sunday, August 9, 2015, after two weeks of pain in my right leg that felt like a strained muscle, I finally went to an urgent care facility. The doctor looked at my calf and stated that it should not have been swollen for two weeks from a muscle strain. She was very clear that…

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 story begins with a knee injury in October 2015. I was in an immobilizer brace for about four weeks. I was also taking birth control pills. I was 39 years old and very active. On November 6, 2015, I woke up and then passed out once I stood up. About twenty minutes later, I…

I love to travel. I grew up in Boston, and after college I moved to Washington, DC. Moving away from home and my family was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but one of the most rewarding as well. By taking this leap of faith, I grew so much as a person and traveled to…

As any teenager does, I struggled with the insecurities of acne. After exhausting many acne clearing options, I decided to see my doctor about it. When I went to see my doctor, I brought up the fact that I knew other girls who were on birth control for their acne and I wanted to try the…

My name is Hub Williams and I would like to share my wonderful partner’s story. On January 6, 2016, we lost a loving, caring, and amazing woman — who was only 36 years old — to a pulmonary embolism (PE or blood clot in the lung). Her name was Summer Kylene Gibney. She was very healthy and…

My name is Hailey Rutherford and I am a 23 years old. My story is complicated. I was married last year on February 7 and experienced a lot of life changes. One of those changes was being put on birth control pills. Due to irregular menstrual bleeding, I was switched to a stronger dosage pill. On…