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The Day that Changed My Life: Philip’s Story
My name is Philip Begley, I am 56 years old, and I live in England. My story began on November 22, 1999. My truck was in for MOT annual service, so my boss said to start work late the next day. The next day came, Tuesday, and I was sitting down, putting my boots on…
Forever Loved and Never Forgotten: Rickey’s Story as told by his Mother, Dawn Ortiz Colomy
My son, Richard Scott Colomy Jr. 3rd, who we call Rickey, was born with vascular malformation and after searching for many medical opinions to help him, we settled with the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), who provided us with immediate information about his condition. Along with a team of doctors, his plastic surgery specialist …
Trust Your Gut: Kaitlyn’s Story
In April 2013, I traveled to Japan to visit my brother, and then to California to visit my grandfather. When I got home from my two-week vacation, I woke up one morning with a shooting pain in my leg. I thought perhaps I slept wrong or I wore the wrong shoes at work the previous…
Surviving a Silent Killer: Lisa’s Story
I always thought of myself as person who wears many cape: a mom, a wife, and a friend. I was always on the go, shuffling my oldest child to high school and a job, taking both younger kids everywhere with me, while doing errands for myself, the house, the school, our brewery and at the…
A Second Chance at Life: Danet’s Story
On January 4, 2010, I had just given birth to my first child at the age of 20. It was an emergency C-section that I was not planning on. The next day, I was having a hard time breathing, and I informed the nurses about this. They told me it was normal pain from birth…
Surviving Made Me Stronger: DesiRae’s Story
In December 2015, I was a 32-year-old newlywed and my life seemed perfect. Three months earlier, Brian and I had our dream wedding in Sonoma, CA, and were planning our first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. Since we went home to the Midwest to visit our families over Thanksgiving, we decided to take a trip…
The Day that Haunts Me Still: Dawn Leslie’s Blood Clot Story
On Sunday, August 9, 2015, after two weeks of pain in my right leg that felt like a strained muscle, I finally went to an urgent care facility. The doctor looked at my calf and stated that it should not have been swollen for two weeks from a muscle strain. She was very clear that…
10 Centimeters from Death: Rebeca Bushell’s Blood Clot Story
I am only 18 years old, and it has been a month since I was diagnosed with an extensive blood clot (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) in my left leg. It first started when I felt some soreness in my leg one day. Not having any education about blood clots, I just thought I had…
Gaining the Confidence to Pursue a Diagnosis: Helen’s Story
I am an avid recreational bicyclist. At the age of 51, I attempted my first multi-day bicycle tour. A couple of days after the six-day tour, I noticed a sharp pain in my left calf. It didn’t feel like a muscle pull. Honestly, it felt like a blood clot, but there was no redness and no…
I Am a Survivor: Sarah’s Story
I have always heard it said, “pain is weakness leaving the body,” and as a Marine, I’ve always been one to push my limits, but nothing could prepare me for what was to come. I found enjoyment in long distance runs long after I completed my time in the Marine Corps and trained for marathons.…