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DVT

My Husband Passed Away at 47: Katie’s Story

My name is Katie, and I am Jordan’s widow. He and I were married for 12 years. Jordan died unexpectedly of a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) on July 8, 2020.   He survived his first unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT) to PE in October 2019. He ignored symptoms of right thigh pain, swelling, redness, and warmth.…

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Knowledge is Power: Stephanie’s Story

When I was eight months pregnant, my grandmother passed away. My blood pressure began to spike, and I was diagnosed with gestational hypertension.     I ended up being induced at 37 weeks in order to keep the baby safe. The night I delivered my daughter, my dad went into cardiac arrest. He passed away a week…

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I Cut Back on My Meds to Provide For My Baby: Alan’s Story

It started in 2013 with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my right leg and a pulmonary embolism (PE). After walking around on a sore and swollen leg for a while, I experienced severe shortness of breath after climbing two flights of stairs.    My brother took me to the hospital, where I was treated and placed…

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I’m Lucky to be Alive: Amanda’s Story

My first issue with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) began in November of 2022. My family and I went on a five-hour road trip to Disneyland. A week after returning home, I began to develop a charley horse cramp in my right calf.    I assumed I had pulled a muscle somehow. I tried massage and…

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I Had Clots in Both Legs While Running Endurance Races: Ernie’s Story

In the summer of 2022, I started having shortness of breath but thought nothing of it. I had just run an 18-mile trail race the Saturday before, and it can take a few days for your body to feel normal again. A little coughing and sore throat from running in the dirt for four hours…

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What Affects Me Most is the Anxiety: Jocelyn’s Story

I started to get sick very frequently around March 2019. I was having terrible colds and coughing all of the time. A few months later, I started having difficulty climbing stairs and couldn’t even walk without developing shortness of breath and feeling like I was having a heart attack.    I went to my primary care doctor…

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I Had a Blood Clot at 14: McKenna’s Story

When I was 14, I flew to my dad’s house in California to celebrate Christmas with him and my siblings. By the middle of the week, my left thigh was swollen, red, and hot and I couldn’t walk on it. I tried many things to get myself moving, but it hurt too much.   When I…

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No One Told Me What Was Going On: Cassandra’s Story

I am a 41-year- old woman. I was diagnosed with a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) and a large deep vein thrombosis (DVT), respectively, in my lung and left calf, in March of 2014. I had no idea what was going on. I was making my kids a snack and got so dizzy that it literally…

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Nurses Say I’m a Miracle: Marcus’ Story

I am a 39-year-old Native American. I have had 23 pulmonary emboli (PE) and 31 incidents of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) starting at age 22, caused by the factor V Leiden mutation. I also have congenital protein C and S deficiencies.   Nurses say I’m a miracle and call me a medical anomaly. Doctors ask…

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Know the Risks of Estrogen-Based Birth Control: Melissa’s Story

After giving birth to my daughter by emergency c-section due to preeclampsia, I started to feel very ill. My right leg was throbbing and my chest hurt. I followed up with the doctor on this, and a quick scan showed blood clots in my leg (deep vein thrombosis) and my chest (pulmonary embolism). I was…

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