PE

I had my first child in 1989 by C-section. Four weeks later, my left leg was hurting so badly that I could hardly walk. I went to the hospital and was told I had a blood clot in my left leg (DVT) and had to stay in the hospital for one month. This was hard…

I ran my first marathon in April 2024 and eagerly began training for my second one. I quickly noticed that training was a lot more challenging than usual. I chalked discomfort in my shoulder up to lifting heavy weights in the gym and chest pain up to my sports bras being too tight. My heart…

In late September 2023, my left calf started aching mysteriously. The pain was radiating up and down my leg so I thought maybe it was a pinched nerve. It was getting hard to walk, so I did an online urgent care visit. I was diagnosed with muscle strain and told to wrap it, take ibuprofen…

In the fall of 2023, I was a healthy 21-year-old college senior busy with graduate school applications and interviews. I was working out multiple days a week and going to class, trying to enjoy my last year of college. One night, I went bowling for the first time in a while and woke up the…

As told by his daughter, Shannon In April 2024, my father, a retired police lieutenant, was diagnosed with duodenal cancer. He was unable to have the tumor removed and was undergoing chemotherapy. In late August 2024, he started complaining about being dizzy and lightheaded. He went to his primary care provider who told him that…

On Christmas Eve 2023, I slipped on ice and broke my kneecap. I spent eight weeks in a splint and kept my leg elevated. Two weeks later, I experienced shortness of breath and chest pain suddenly. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a submassive bilateral PE with right heart strain. I spent…

In September 2024, I went on FMLA and short-term disability due to severe pain in my leg that was assumed to be a hamstring and calf cramp issue. Less than two months later, on Nov. 14, 2024, I had the biggest scare of my life. I woke up that morning and went to let my…

When I went in for hip surgery to repair my labrum — a ring of cartilage in the hip that stabilizes and cushions the hip joint — I was excited. After two years of limited mobility, I couldn’t wait to get back to the active lifestyle I loved. I’d likely injured myself training for triathlons,…

I am a healthy 23-year-old woman and had never experienced any real health concerns. I walk the same route every morning to work, but on this particular morning, I was out of breath almost instantly. When I sat at my desk, I was still unable to catch my breath. It felt like the air was…

After leaving the gym in 2017, I experienced the worst pain imaginable in my right leg without having an injury. I thought maybe the pain would leave after icing and elevating it. But, as the day went on, the pain and swelling worsened to the point I couldn’t stand or walk on it. I went…