Pregnancy
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…
My Doctor Dismissed My Leg Pain as Sciatica: Ashley’s Story
At 31 weeks pregnant, I was getting ready for the arrival of my baby when I started experiencing extreme pain in my left leg. I remember going to my baby shower and barely being able to walk. This was very concerning, so the next day, I called my OB/GYN and explained my symptoms. Unfortunately, she…
We Need More Voices, But Too Many of Us Aren’t Lucky Enough to Share Our Stories: Kyra’s Story
When I gave birth to my son, I was so excited to be a parent. But I began having headaches that were not normal. In the hospital, I was given medication to clot my blood because of slightly more than average blood loss. I was also given extra blood pressure checks because my blood pressure…
My Leg Pain Was Shrugged Off as a Labor Injury: Courtney’s Story
At five days postnatal, I started having pain in my right calf. I rang maternity at the hospital, who ran through the clot checklist: “Is it hot to touch? No. Is it red? No. Is it swollen? No.” Apart from the pain, there were no other symptoms. I was told to ring back if the…
I Experienced DVTs on Three Occasions: Joanna’s Story
My first DVT was in July 1995, two weeks after the birth of my first (and only) child. I had a shooting pain in my left buttocks and rode an ambulance to the hospital with my newborn and husband. The ER docs did not seem to consider the possibility of a DVT and were looking…
My Family History With Clots Saved My Life: Sadie’s Story
In December 2022, I experienced a miscarriage and developed constant pain in my right calf. Because my mom and an extended family member have a history of blood clots, I called my doctor right away to get it looked at. The doctor ran a D-dimer blood test and it came back high, so an ultrasound…
I Lost a Year of My Life: Tatum’s Story
In January 2024, I had an uncomplicated, five-hour labor on my due date. Immediately after handing my baby off, a nurse applied a standard procedure intervention known as controlled cord traction. I instantly felt sick and demanded she stop, but it was too late. My baby’s placenta was shredded and forcibly ripped out of my…
All I Wanted to Do Was Delivery My Baby Safely: Faye’s Story
I was 31 weeks pregnant and was feeling very breathless. I had a routine appointment at the hospital and I was going to cancel as I felt so unwell. They immediately looked at me and things started to happen very quickly. I had a massive PE with right heart strain. They said if I hadn’t…
My APS Diagnosis Got Lost: Dione’s Story
In 1994, I had my son prematurely at 24 weeks. They did a bunch of testing and found out that I had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). I had another preterm baby at 25 weeks three years later. I was followed by a high-risk OB/GYN at the time but no other preventative measures were done while pregnant.…
I Couldn’t Walk Without Extreme Pain: Kris’ Story
In July 2022, I gave birth to my second child via C-section. In October, I was doing physical therapy for my back. I woke up one morning and my left leg felt off, like a bad muscle cramp. Within a few days, it progressed to the point where I could not walk without extreme pain…
