PE

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 was just recently diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my left leg, and acute pulmonary emboli (PE) in my lungs. It all began in early March of 2017, with an unexplained persistent cough. Shortly thereafter, I began to also have shortness of breath. I thought I was developing asthma. Although I initially ignored…

During the third trimester of my fourth pregnancy, I began to have a burning sensation in my left leg when I stood on it. I felt silly for being worried about something that seemed so insignificant, but I eventually called the on-call obstetrician. He told me to take an over-the-counter pain medication, and to stay…

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…

A pulmonary embolism – PE or blood clot in my lung – nearly took me away from my family last August. Not to mention, the weeks of misery and surgery that followed due to fluid build-up from pneumonia and scar tissue combined to entrap the same lung. I was 31 years old, a vegetarian, non-smoker,…

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…

Katie Hoff is a three-time Olympic medalist and Former World Champion Swimmer who has held several American and world records throughout her career. She was forced to retire from the sport in 2015 due to the development of blood clots in her lung, known as pulmonary embolisms, or PEs. Katie is best known for her…

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…

It started as an ordinary Monday morning in June 2015. I arrived at work and swiped my badge to access the elevator corridor when I noticed a sign taped to the steel doors that read, “OUT OF SERVICE.” I knew the sign meant that I would be huffing up the stairs, even though I was…