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DVT

If I Had Waited Any Longer, I Could Have Died: Allyson’s Story

I am 18 years old and during November 2020 I contracted COVID-19. A few months later, I started having pain in my leg and I found it difficult to breathe. My mom took me to the doctor and they told me it was just anxiety. But three days later, I convinced my mom that something…

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An Overdue Diagnosis: Alysa’s Story

In February 2021, at 28 years old, I was diagnosed with a 5.5- inch blood clot in my left vena cava. I was admitted to the hospital and the images revealed that the clot had been present and developing for more than a year and a half! I also underwent knee surgery one month prior…

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Know Your Family Health History: Kelly’s Story

The morning of November 14, 2019 I fell in my bathroom and hit my head on the bathtub. I was unconscious, lying in a pool of blood, until I finally gained some life and crawled to call 9-1-1. When the medics arrived, I was barely able to breathe and went into cardiac arrest three times.…

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Knowledge is Power: Sheila’s Story

On September 5, 2021 I woke up in the middle of the night with a cramping pain in my right leg, which didn’t seem like anything serious at the time. I woke up the next morning and carried out my usual routine, but the pain became unbearable so I decided to see a doctor. The…

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My Commitment to CTEPH Awareness: Harry’s Story

The Road to Diagnosis As far back as my teenage years, I had experienced chronic shortness of breath. This worsened in my twenties and thirties as new symptoms emerged, including occasional chest and arm pains and general exhaustion. Over the years I sought the opinions of countless doctors, leading to misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis, …

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Blood Clots Know No Age: Sowebah’s Story

Six months ago, at 31 years old, I suffered a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood clots know no age. On March 3, 2021 I woke up and had a pain in my left leg and knew something was wrong. I visited a doctor who sent me for an ultrasound, which revealed a massive DVT spanning…

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I Felt Like No One Was Listening to Me: Natalie’s Story

A few days after my fourth daughter was born, I went to the emergency room for terrible leg pain. They did an ultrasound and assured me I did not have any blood clots. I went back again for a second time because I was certain I had a blood clot. Again, they sent me home…

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Every Day is A Chance to Raise Awareness: Kris’ Story

After twisting my ankle a few weeks prior, I had a dull charley horse ache in my calf. Nothing worked to relieve it, but it wasn’t too bad, and it was easy to ignore most of the time. I started to notice when climbing up my stairs at home I would get a little out…

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My Right Arm Was Double the Size of My Left: Robyn’s Story

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.…

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My Youngest Son Saved my Life: Renee’s Story

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…

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