PE

My pulmonary embolism story began when I had surgery in May of 2018. I went in for a laparoscopic hysterectomy and I was released from the hospital that same day. I didn’t realize that I was at risk for a blood clot due to the type of surgery I was having, as well as being age 49…

For my college graduation trip, I went to Hawaii with my family. After our red eye flight back to LAX, I got up out of my seat and had severe calf pain in my left leg. I attributed it to running and didn’t think much of it. The next day, it was still bothering me,…

I was 29 years old when I was first diagnosed with blood clots. I dropped a bench on my right foot and about a week later, I started to feel pain in my right ankle and knee. I went to see my doctor about two weeks after the pain started, because it wasn’t going away,…

I have never been “normal” when it comes to my health as a young adult. For 10 years, I struggled with severe stomach and esophagus problems. I developed an allergy to the medication that treats the conditions in my esophagus. So, this year, my health finally ran out of options. It wasn’t until April 2018…

In 2018, I welcomed my beautiful son into the world via Caesarean section. Everything was going well, except that I had ankle pain that radiated up my inner leg. I was told my ankle pain was due to the strain of pregnancy, and to continue to wear compression stockings. I did as I was instructed.…

On the way to my 37th birthday celebration, I suffered a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in my lung, but I chose to ignore the symptoms. As a dancer, marathoner, mountain biker, and hiker, it did not even cross my mind that something serious was happening to my body, so I ignored every symptom I…

My husband, Steve Brenner, died of a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) or blood clot in his lung, at the age of 53, on August 15, 2016, just days before he was scheduled for hip replacement surgery. This was preventable. If Steve’s doctor or one of his colleagues at their orthopedic practice had replaced Steve’s hip…

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…

On the morning of October 23, 2015, I collapsed at home after suffering from massive bi-lateral pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots in my lungs. I had knee replacement surgery five weeks earlier. I was not prescribed blood thinners after my surgery, but my doctor instructed me to take aspirin, which I did. It was a…

My name is Ashley, and I was diagnosed with factor V Leiden, protein S deficiency, and protein C deficiency in March 2017. I was a waitress at the time, and I had just torn my shoulder due to a weight lifting accident. So, I started running outside a lot to stay active before I had…