Birth control
My Daughter Died From The Pill at 16: Theresa’s Story, As Told By Her Mother
Note: This is Theresa’s story, as told by her mother Laura Femia Buccellato: My story……….My 16 year old daughter Theresa came to me and told me she had sexual intercourse for the first time. I was not happy about it, but I was happy she came to me about it. She asked me about going…
Don’t Stop Fighting: Tara’s Story
Tara Robison was startled at age 20 by 21 blood clots in her lungs. She was misdiagnosed at first, but her persistence in seeking further care saved her life. In June 2010, I felt a pain in the right side of my upper chest that I thought at first was just gas pain. I…
Do Not Wait to Seek Care: Melissa’s Story
I was a healthy 25-year-old who ran numerous half marathons, sprint triathlons, and I am also an active Crossfitter. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d battle life-threatening blood clots in my calf (deep vein thrombosis/DVT) and lungs (pulmonary embolism/PE). I noticed lingering calf pain in my left leg in September 2011. There…
I Was Told I Had a UTI: Jennifer’s Story
If someone would have told me a year ago that my birth control pills were killing me, I would have laughed. At 25 years old, I was on the top of my game. Professionally, I had just started my dream job six weeks prior as a meteorologist at NBC 6 in Miami. Physically, I was…
I Had My First PE at 16: Cassie’s Story
Cassie Sheffield and her birth family were affected by blood clots, and discovered that the family has a genetic blood clotting disorder, Antithrombin (AT) III deficiency, that carries a high risk for blood clots. Cassie not only developed multiple pulmonary emboli in her teenage years, she learned that her mother and two brothers had AT…
I Increased My Risk Without Realizing It: Lisa’s Story
Lisa was an active 27 year old woman when her life was interrupted by blood clots in both her left leg and her lungs that she found out were related to May Thurner’s Syndrome. My name is Lisa Jensen and I am a fortunate survivor of both a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism…
Spent the Night Googling My Symptoms: Lauren’s Story
By: Lauren Hamentz My name is Lauren Hametz and I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in May 2012 with a Masters degree in Secondary Education, although I am originally from Edinboro, PA. Recently, I stumbled upon Stop The Clot on Facebook, and immediately felt a strong connection to National Blood Clot Alliance. Why? In…
Her Death Taught Us Lessons: Deborah’s Story As Told By Her Twin Sister, Mary
Mary Bare wrote this story about the death of her twin sister Deborah from a pulmonary embolism. She is so motivated to spread awareness of signs and symptoms of DVT and PE and is using social media to do so via a Facebook page called Forever Deborah. My name is Mary Bare. My story is personal,…
I Want to Use My Experience to Help Others: Samantha’s Story
I had zero problems with my health until three years ago, when I was 19, and started on birth control pills to treat acne that did not respond to over the counter medicine. I am a non-smoker, never had any weight problems, and have not been in the hospital since I was two years old.…
Foot Surgery Resulted in a DVT: Bridget’s Story
Bridget Schaap thought she was having simple foot surgery, and was surprised to find that she developed a blood clot after it. When I look back, it’s hard to believe all that happened to me. As I prepared to quit my job and move from Chicago to Michigan to begin graduate school in December 2010, I…
