Misdiagnosed
I Was Told I Was Too Young for Blood Clots: Audrey’s Story
At 20 years old, I was healthy, fit, active, and recovering from an ACL tear from a year and a half prior. When I finally went in for reconstructive surgery on June 19, 2020, it was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, already a very stressful time. I was aware that I had a…
My Neighbor Found Me and Performed CPR: Jessica’s Story
My husband and I are both ultra runners. On June 27 of this year, we were both going for an early morning training run with him starting about five minutes behind me. I had been experiencing shortness of breath for a few weeks before this run. Little things, such as bringing groceries in from the…
I Live With the Pain of Taking Deep Breaths: Celeste’s Story
In April 2020, I had been feeling sick and brushed it off as allergies. Due to COVID, I had a telehealth visit and was diagnosed with bronchitis. After four months of a lingering cough, I started to have a hard time breathing while doing the most menial things. Standing became so trying. I finally went…
Always Speak Up For Yourself: Lucia’s Story
I was nine weeks pregnant when I woke up on Dec. 24, 2022 with a pain in my back that radiated to my right side, under my ribs. The pain intensified in the evening and I had shortness of breath. At the ER, I was dismissed as having back pain and given pain medications. Six…
Be Cautious and Know It Can Happen to Anyone: Erin’s Story
I have been an athlete my whole life. I am a Division 1 swimmer and work out every day. One day, I started feeling a sharp pain in my lower back after lifting weights and thought I overdid it or used incorrect form. It began to progress and I started getting extreme pain that radiated…
I Was Told it Was Just Inflammation: Alphonso’s Story
I am a 48-year-old male and in March 2023, I was diagnosed with a blood clot spanning from my lower right calf up to the pelvic area. This was the result of a meniscus procedure I had done on my right knee approximately four weeks earlier. The first symptoms I experienced were tightness, swelling,…
‘It’s a Minor Pain and This Girl is Making a Fuss About it:’ Pradnya’s Story
I was 21 years old when I began experiencing cramps, pain, and a burning sensation in my left calf. I visited multiple providers, who told me my symptoms might be due to a deficiency. But I woke up one morning and couldn’t stand up. I had a shooting pain from my left groin to my…
I Saw Five Doctors Before I was Diagnosed: Sherrye’s Story
My story is not that I had an extensive deep vein thrombosis (DVT), since this happens to so many of us. My story is that it took me five weeks and five doctors, plus one physical therapist to have my symptoms truly heard and diagnosed. I had even asked all the right questions and pursued…
The Hospital Was Baffled By My Symptoms: Tyler’s Story
In 2018, when I was 21 years old and just over three months postpartum, I was diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli (PE). I started having trouble breathing in the early evening which I assumed was just my asthma acting up. This continued all through the night and into the morning. I was using my asthma…
The Last Thing I Remember Was Trying to Say, ‘Help me:’ Heather’s Story
My blood clot story started at a time that should’ve been the happiest of our lives — we had just become a family of four! A few days after giving birth to our second child, I developed a severe headache. Unfortunately, at the ER, I was misdiagnosed and treated for post-partum pre-eclampsia. After a few…
