MTS
My Doctor Told Me There Was Nothing Wrong With Me: Billie’s Story
After a long car trip, I began having pain in my right calf. I came home and told my doctor I thought I had deep vein thrombosis or DVT. He ordered an ultrasound, which took less than 10 minutes, and it came back negative for DVT. My pain continued to worsen over the next two…
I Went in Circles for Years Trying to Get Answers: Cassandra’s Story
I had my first deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism at 18 years old due to May-Thurner Syndrome. My symptoms were left lower abdomen pain and fainting. I was told multiple times it was a miracle I was alive due to the clot burden. I spent 12 days in the hospital and had a temporary…
The Hematologist Told Me to Buy a Lottery Ticket For How Lucky I’d Been: McKenna’s Story
In the summer of 2021, I started to experience extreme back pain. At times, I was unable to sit down or move at all. Being an active 20-year-old who grew up playing sports, I attributed my pain to a tweak that I just needed to stretch out. But the pain continued getting worse, and my…
We Lost Our Son at the Age of 20: Adam’s Story
As told by his mother, Jenifer. On Dec. 3, 2020, I took my 18-year-old son, Adam, to the ER. He had severe back and leg pain, and his leg was swollen and purple. I thought that it was a pinched nerve or maybe a kidney infection. Doctors discovered a massive clot in his left…
Women Need to be Extremely Careful About Birth Control: Amy’s Story
My name is Amy, and I experienced a massive deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at 17. I was at school when I experienced excruciating pain in my lower back and legs. At the hospital, I was told I had a urinary tract infection that had spread to my kidneys, and was prescribed medication. I had trouble…
I Suffer from Anxiety and PTSD Now: Louise’s Story
On January 1, 2002, I woke up feeling like I had a weight on my foot and was dragging my leg. As the morning went on, my leg felt like it was double the size of my right, and I was in pain. My husband took me to the emergency room. The doctor believed I…
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. …
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…
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…
Young People Get Blood Clots Too: Michelle’s Story
When I had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my left leg, I was a 19-year-old college freshman who had never heard of blood clots before. I assumed I’d broken my leg and hobbled to two classes before going to the hospital. The hospital was a rural one with only four beds in the ER,…
