PE
I Was Told I Had a UTI: Jennifer’s Story
If someone would have told me a year ago that my birth control pills were killing me, I would have laughed. At 25 years old, I was on the top of my game. Professionally, I had just started my dream job six weeks prior as a meteorologist at NBC 6 in Miami. Physically, I was…
Misdiagnosed Repeatedly: Cheryl’s Story
I noticed I had a cough that would not go away in November 2007. I knew it wasn’t a cold, because I didn’t have any other symptoms of a cold. I went to my doctor the next month, and she couldn’t identify a cause. She suggested that I try allergy medication for a week, but…
I Had My First PE at 16: Cassie’s Story
Cassie Sheffield and her birth family were affected by blood clots, and discovered that the family has a genetic blood clotting disorder, Antithrombin (AT) III deficiency, that carries a high risk for blood clots. Cassie not only developed multiple pulmonary emboli in her teenage years, she learned that her mother and two brothers had AT…
Afraid to Breathe: Samara’s Story
Samara McAuliffe gave birth to a daughter by what she thought was an uncomplicated C-section until she developed a pulmonary embolism eleven days later. I gave birth by emergency C-section in 2006 to a son, and the surgery was life-saving for both of us. My daughter was born by a routine C-section on Christmas Eve,…
I Increased My Risk Without Realizing It: Lisa’s Story
Lisa was an active 27 year old woman when her life was interrupted by blood clots in both her left leg and her lungs that she found out were related to May Thurner’s Syndrome. My name is Lisa Jensen and I am a fortunate survivor of both a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism…
My Survival Was a Miracle: Jessica’s Story
Jessica Phillips survived a life-threatening PE right after giving birth to her fourth child. Her DVT symptoms were overlooked and a massive PE ensued, so her OB doctor introduced many changes in her practice to prevent DVT and PE after Jessica’s near death. On October 29 2010, I gave birth by C-section to my fourth…
Spent the Night Googling My Symptoms: Lauren’s Story
By: Lauren Hamentz My name is Lauren Hametz and I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in May 2012 with a Masters degree in Secondary Education, although I am originally from Edinboro, PA. Recently, I stumbled upon Stop The Clot on Facebook, and immediately felt a strong connection to National Blood Clot Alliance. Why? In…
I Ran More Than 9,400 Miles In My Dad’s Memory: Jay’s Story
Jay Danek was bereft after his father died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, so he wanted to share how important his father was to him. A few months after his father’s death, he decided to start a running and lost over a hundred pounds. Jay has also used his running to raise money for National…
Her Death Taught Us Lessons: Deborah’s Story As Told By Her Twin Sister, Mary
Mary Bare wrote this story about the death of her twin sister Deborah from a pulmonary embolism. She is so motivated to spread awareness of signs and symptoms of DVT and PE and is using social media to do so via a Facebook page called Forever Deborah. My name is Mary Bare. My story is personal,…
I Ignored My Symptoms: Geraldine’s Story
A few years ago, I felt unusually weak, faint, and short of breath while walking with my husband and three children. I needed to take breaks to rest and catch my breath. Given that I work full time as a Registered Nurse and am 37 years old, I thought I was just tired from a long and…
