PE
I Had No Idea That the Pain in my Knee Was a Warning Sign: Mark’s Story
About a week after having an arthroscopy on my left knee, I was icing the top of the knee and commented to my wife that I really should be icing the back of my knee. What I did not know at the time was that the back of the knee hurt because I was passing…
Go to the Hospital Instantly If You Have DVT or PE Symptoms: Bogdan’s Story
I played soccer for 20 years until January 2023, when I had a muscle rupture in my thigh, which kept me away from training and matches. At the end of April, I had a throat infection. Within a few days, I was experiencing shortness of breath and felt tired after taking a few steps, but…
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…
It Took Me Weeks to Come to Terms With My Diagnosis: Sharon’s Story
I started to feel pain under my left shoulder blade and thought I had pulled a muscle. I iced it and it started to feel better. But the next day, I woke up feeling worse. The pain had expanded around my rib cage on both sides, making it challenging to breathe. I went to work…
I Live Every Day Freely, With Love and Intent: Egypt’s Story
After walking up five flights of stairs to a friend’s Manhattan apartment, I rested at the top of the staircase. It took me almost 15 minutes to gain control of my breathing. I chalked it up to the extra pounds I had gained. A few days later, my bottom lower right extremity began to swell…
My Only Risk Factor was an Estrogen-Based Birth Control Patch: Stacy’s Story
On May 22, 2022, I woke up and had breakfast with my family. As I was getting ready for my day, I felt dizzy and weak, then I fainted. When I woke up, I projectile vomited. I eventually made it to the shower. When I got out, I was still feeling weak and dizzy. The…
I Heard the Doctor Say my Outlook Wasn’t Great: Morgan’s Story
In March 2019, I was recovering from a broken ankle when I began experiencing odd, unfamiliar symptoms, like shortness of breath and back pain. I thought it was anxiety. My husband picked me up from work one day, and the second I got in his car, I couldn’t breathe, then I passed out. When he…
Please Don’t Take ‘You’re Fine’ as an Answer: Shola’s Story
During my first pregnancy, I had been feeling faint. Soon after, I started getting headaches with flashing black dots in my eyes. My midwife had told me that my blood pressure was higher than it should be, and that if I got any painful headaches and started seeing black dots, I should go straight to…
My Only Risk Factor Was Estrogen: Ann’s Story
I started having intermittent chest pain in March 2021. I thought it was a sports injury and went to see my primary care provider (PCP). By May of that year, the pain was constant, so my PCP scheduled a CT scan. I arrived at the imaging center and they had not received my order.…
We Lost Our Son at the Age of 20: Adam’s Story
As told by his mother, Jenifer. On Dec. 3, 2020, I took my 18-year-old son, Adam, to the ER. He had severe back and leg pain, and his leg was swollen and purple. I thought that it was a pinched nerve or maybe a kidney infection. Doctors discovered a massive clot in his left…
