DVT
The Perfect Storm of Travel, Birth Control, and COVID: Claire’s Story
After a business trip to France followed by a week of mild COVID symptoms, I was eager to get back into my routine. That is, until I started feeling a strange pain in my leg about three weeks later. I’d recently had a dermatological procedure on that leg, so I thought my stitches might be…
I’m in Constant Fear for My Safety Due to the Blood Thinners: Julia’s Story
In December of 2022, I had surgery on my femur. Five days later, I felt an excruciating pain in my calf and knew something was wrong. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that occluded almost my whole leg. I was prescribed blood thinners and I’ve been taking them…
I Have Stronger Faith: Katie’s Story
I was diagnosed with COVID in February of 2020 and had severe symptoms, including extremely painful breathing. I developed an internal jugular vein thrombosis (IJVT) in my neck during the initial COVID-19 infection. I had symptoms from the IJVT for two years, but it wasn’t discovered until I had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which…
I Still Have a 40% Blockage in my Main Vein: Leonard’s Story
In November of 2021, I had COVID and was down and out for two weeks. As I was starting to feel better, pain began developing in my left leg. At first, I thought I was dehydrated or lacking protein. Two days went by. My left leg was twice the size of my right leg, and…
The Clot Went From My Groin to My Ankle: Janis’ Story
I have always been a relatively active person, and I participated in kickboxing and powerlifting. It was 2020 and I was one month away from my 30th birthday, doing jump squats in my living room due gyms closed by COVID. I felt a pain in my left hip and thought I pulled a muscle. …
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…