DVT
Being Faced With Your Mortality is Life-Changing: Casper’s Story
Not long after I turned 21, I started to notice the veins on the left side of my chest becoming extremely prominent. My left arm felt like it was falling asleep constantly throughout the day. It was strange, but I just assumed I had pulled a muscle or slept on it wrong. I didn’t feel…
I Wanted to Jump Back Into Life and Quickly Realized I Couldn’t: Patty’s Story
On September 22, 2013, I realized just how fragile life can be. Following a sprint to catch my evening train, I found a seat, sat down, caught my breath, and experienced a sudden shooting pain in my head. As I neared my destination, the headache dissipated, but when I stood to leave the train, I…
My Clot Started 10 Years Before It Was Found: Jana’s Story
In December 2022, I had the worst pain in my life in my left side of my buttocks after working out. Being a physical therapist and a retired high-level figure skater, I assumed I had strained a muscle until I was unable to walk or bear weight on my left leg. After three ER visits…
My Experiences with DVTs and PEs have Changed my Life: Hannah’s Story
On September 8, 2021, when I was 24, I had an emergency appendectomy. Four days later, I went into the ER for extreme calf pain and tightness in my chest, as it felt like I couldn’t get a full breath. I was diagnosed with DVTs in my left leg and bilateral lower lobe pulmonary emboli.…
My APS Diagnosis Got Lost: Dione’s Story
In 1994, I had my son prematurely at 24 weeks. They did a bunch of testing and found out that I had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). I had another preterm baby at 25 weeks three years later. I was followed by a high-risk OB/GYN at the time but no other preventative measures were done while pregnant.…
Two Major Surgeries When I Had Clots: Mary’s Story
In January 2024, I started having difficulty walking up a long hill to get to my car after work. It got to the point where it scared me how hard I was breathing by the time I got to the top. In February, I had a pre-surgical exam for a shoulder replacement scheduled in March.…
I Credit My PT and Orthopedic Clinic for Their Action: Molly’s Story
I hurt my knee, and after 10 months of physical therapy, I found myself having a meniscus repair surgery. Post-surgery, I was in physical therapy again. About six weeks after surgery, I noticed more swelling, which I attributed to being at work for some very long days and not having time to walk around as…
Surgery and Travel Resulted in Three DVTs: Chris’ Story
In 2006, I completed my fall lacrosse season in my senior year at Eastern University. I was experiencing a lot of knee pain and after an examination, I was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. I needed knee surgery to clean out the knee and fix the tear. The day after my surgery, I noticed that…
Doctors Will Gaslight You Into Believing You’re Crazy: Kourtney’s Story
I was diagnosed with a DVT and bilateral pulmonary embolism on April 10, 2024. I underwent a biopsy for a uterine cyst in November 2023 and subsequently had my menstrual period for almost 30 days. My gynecologist prescribed me birth control to stop my period. From mid-January until April, I was taking four birth control…
I Had No Idea Blood Clots Were Such a Risk to Pregnant Women: Amanda’s Story
In November 2023, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl via C-section. It was our first child and we were so excited! A few weeks after giving birth, I had extreme pain in my stomach. I called my OB/GYN and they told me to take an anti-gas medication and see what happened. The pain…
