Misdiagnosed

My name is Tiffany, and I am a career ballerina dealing with the high risk of bilateral pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in my lungs. My professional dance career was side tracked as I sought treatment. It was March 15, 2017, and my senior year, when I was performing a ballet solo in George Balanchine’s…

Maddie first learned about blood clots from reading the warning label on her estrogen-based birth control prescription, but she never thought one would happen to her, especially in her brain. Read about her CVST diagnosis and recovery, and find out how she chooses to stay positive.

Kimberly experienced ongoing chest pain, a racing heart, and shortness of breath, which she thought were most certainly due to a heart attack. She sought help from the emergency room on multiple occasions and was told she was experiencing anxiety, but she knew something was wrong. It wasn’t until she went to a different hospital that doctors …

I ran my first marathon in 2017, started graduate school for a Masters in Accounting, and accepted a job with a public accounting firm post-graduation. I have always led an active lifestyle throughout high school and into college, which is why it is still difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that…

Three years ago, I was starting a new school year with dozens of other school teachers in my district. About a week after going back to work, I noticed some changes in my health. I seemed more fatigued than usual, and I noticed my ankles were swollen. While walking my son around his new school…

My name is Pat, and I am a professional fireman in Iowa. In January of 2008 – after fighting a house fire in subzero temperatures – I got off shift and later that day I was having trouble breathing. I checked my vitals and saw that my oxygen saturation was low, so I went to…

I’ve always been active and healthy, and I was always involved in a lot of sports growing up. Now, as a 28-year-old woman, I’ve maintained a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition as well as exercise. I have enjoyed running, high intensity interval training, and yoga for years now, and I am currently training for my…

My name is Cody. I am 22 years old, and I live in Seattle, Washington. I was a heavy smoker for about 10 years, which was a bad choice, I know. On February 9, 2017, I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in my right lung, factor V Leiden heterozygous, and pulmonary infarction. It all…

I am writing to share my story with the hope that it can help other people who may find themselves in a similar situation. I was misdiagnosed three times in November 2012, when I sought help for what I would describe as classic signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots in…

I am 53 years old, a busy business owner, wife, and mother. Being diagnosed with PE has rocked my world. I ran a marathon in May 2016. A month later, during my annual exam, my gynecologist suggested I take birth control to “get through menopause without having to deal with the nuisances.” A voice inside…