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MTS

My Life with May-Thurner Syndrome: Kelly’s Story

I can still remember sitting alone in the emergency room sending funny selfies to my Mom. Why not? I lived in Pennsylvania and she was in North Dakota, and, of course, she was worried. I, on the other hand, was annoyed. Everything started with terrible lower left back pain that eventually moved to my left…

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The Right Treatment Changed My Life: Jan’s Story

In June 2011, 16 weeks after giving birth to my first child, I started having symptoms of back pain. As a  23-year-old new mother, I diagnosed myself with all sorts of things. I decided that the pain I was experiencing must be my kidneys reacting to alcohol after such a long time without any, and…

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Surviving Blood Clots is Life-Changing: Jackie’s Story

I was just recently diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my left leg, and acute pulmonary emboli (PE) in my lungs. It all began in early March of 2017, with an unexplained persistent cough. Shortly thereafter, I began to also have shortness of breath. I thought I was developing asthma. Although I initially ignored…

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MTS Can Cause Deadly DVTs: Lorilyn’s Story

I worried a lot about being diagnosed with illnesses that ran rampant in my family, such as breast cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. The one thing I never worried about was blood clots. In 2003, I turned 40 years old, and I had surgery to remove the right lobe of my thyroid, due to a…

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A Life-Threatening Diagnosis Changed My Life: Ashley Cassidy’s Story

I was 23 years old in 2013, and I was a healthy individual who was very physically active, running, and going to the gym preparing for boot camp. It was July and two months before I was scheduled to leave for basic training to fulfill my Navy Corpsman contract that I had signed seven months…

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Words I Will Never Forget: Caitlin’s Story

My name is Caitlin and this is my blood clot and May-Thurner Syndrome (MTS) story. At 29, I was an active person, traveling a lot, playing sports, and chasing my nieces and nephews. One day, I thought I had pulled a muscle in my left thigh but shook it off with exercise. However, when the…

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Teens Can Get Blood Clots: Ryu’s Story

Hello my name is Elizabeth. I have a 15 year-old son named Ryu. This is my son’s story. In October of 2012, I noticed my son’s leg was changing color. His leg looked purple. I wasn’t sure why. I took him into an Urgent Care Center, where I told the doctor that it looked like he had a blood…

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I Knew Something Was Wrong: Jessica’s Story

I was 25 years old in January 2011, and I knew nothing about blood clots.  Several months prior to that January I felt a mild, irritating pain in my right side.  It occurred mainly when I was laying down too long, hiccupping, or when my breathing was heavy. I went to my doctor; she ordered…

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Teenagers Can Get Blood Clots: Amy’s Story

The personal story below is intended for informational purposes only. The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) holds the rights to all content that appears on its website. The use by another organization or online group of any content on NBCA’s website, including the patient stories that appear here, does not imply that NBCA is connected…

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I Increased My Risk Without Realizing It: Lisa’s Story

Lisa was an active 27 year old woman when her life was interrupted by blood clots in both her left leg and her lungs that she found out were related to May Thurner’s Syndrome. My name is Lisa Jensen and I am a fortunate survivor of both a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism…

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