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I’m Thankful for my General Practitioner: Jonathan’s Story

In January 2025, I collapsed at A&E (the emergency department in the UK) with chest pain and a racing heart (tachycardia.) I have a history of arrhythmias and spent three days in the hospital for tests, and was put on medication for arrhythmia before being discharged. I was due to have a follow-up and was…

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I Don’t Believe They Ever Knew in the ER That He Had a Blood Clot: Mike’s Story

As told by his wife Mendy My husband Mike was a healthy, active 50-year-old who suddenly passed on December 19, 2024, due to an unprovoked pulmonary embolism. His autopsy listed a saddle and bilateral main and right and left pulmonary thromboembolism, with complete 100% occlusions within the main right and left pulmonary arteries.  The night…

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I Made a Goodbye Video For My Daughter: Ashley’s Story

On October 6, 2024, at 36 weeks pregnant, I found myself in the emergency department of the hospital where I began and ended my bedside nursing career. My shortness of breath and elevated heart rate, which could have easily been attributed to pregnancy itself, were soon discovered to be due to a submassive saddle pulmonary…

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Everyone Heals Differently: BreAnna’s Story

On a Saturday night, five days post-hysterectomy, I felt mild rib pain on my right side and became easily out of breath, even just rolling over in bed. Thinking it was my asthma, I used my inhaler and messaged my OB since breathing issues were on my watch list. My OB responded Monday morning, asking…

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I Have Medical PTSD From This Experience: Ariel’s Story

I had been struggling to breathe for a long time, but always thought it was anxiety or asthma. I had told my doctor for months I couldn’t breathe and she always treated me as if I was crazy. In August 2024, I started feeling really sick and had chest pain, I was tired and coughing…

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We Have to Keep on Living: Ayesha’s Story

Two weeks after giving birth to our second son, I got out of bed and noticed my leg was hurting, and I was barely able to put weight on it. I went about my day as normal, but I started to feel heavy and tired. When I sat down and put my feet up, I…

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Don’t Hesitate to Get Checked Out if You Have Problems Breathing: Ginger’s Story

In late July 2024, I started having a series of high fevers that would come and go for several weeks. One Monday morning, I felt out of breath and couldn’t finish my many conference calls. I wasn’t having any pain or fever, just out of breath and tired. By that night, I could only lay…

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It Was the Worst Pain I’d Ever Experienced: Anya’s Story

In March 2024, I ran a parent race at my kids’ sporting event. Two days later, I started to experience symptoms similar to costochondritis, an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone, including a sharp pain in my ribs. It became worse, and I could not lay flat to sleep and…

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Stay Positive and Keep Pushing Through This: Elizabeth’s Story

I fully tore my ACL and partially tore my MCL and meniscus in March of 2024 playing volleyball. I first started developing blood clots in mid-April 2024 before my knee surgery. I started feeling nauseas, but ignored it, thinking it was from my menstrual cycle. The signs started coming one after the other: purple discoloration…

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I’m Concerned That So Many People Experience This Diagnosis: Karen’s Story

In October 2022, I was having issues with a low heart rate. I started having severe, right-sided back pain and dizziness so much that I was crawling to avoid falling. I had no shortness of breath or swelling in my leg. A few days later, I coughed up blood and contacted my physician, who sent…

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