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Protein S deficiency

She Had So Much Life Ahead of Her: Sydney’s Story

As told by her mother Charita My daughter Sydney’s blood clots began in 2020 after driving six hours to Mississippi and back to visit her cousins for a week. The very next morning after returning home, she told me she was out of breath and her leg was hurting badly and had a cramping feeling.…

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My Current Diagnosis is Chronic Thromboembolic Disease: Ann’s Story

On Day 10 of a mild case of Covid and after running five miles that morning, I developed pain under my collarbone right before bedtime. I thought it might be a coronary vasospasm, which I get, so I took nitroglycerin. It didn’t help, so I decided to measure my oxygen, which was in the mid-80s.…

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Adjusting to the New Normal Was the Most Difficult Part: Kate’s Story

I experienced my pulmonary embolism in September 2023. Our youngest son and I had taken our older children to school, and the day went on normally. I noticed that I was becoming easily winded while doing really simple activities. My heart rate was also high. After school, our middle child had soccer practice and sat…

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This Was a Terrifying, Life-Altering, and Isolating Experience: Logan’s Story

I was home from college on winter break when I started feeling a cramp in my leg after working out at the gym. I thought I may have pulled a muscle. I kept stretching and it felt like it was never going away. The pain ended up moving all the way up to my lower…

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Educate Yourself on the Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots: Peggy’s Story

As told by her daughter Pellayia My mother passed away June 22, 1998 of a pulmonary embolism. It was sudden. I left for university that morning and got a call in between classes that I needed to come home right away. I told my cousin that I had a quiz and couldn’t. He kept insisting.…

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I’ll Never Ignore My Body Again: Chrissy’s Story

At 35 weeks pregnant, I had a feeling that something was severely wrong. While cooking Father’s Day breakfast for my husband, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I called my OB and was told to come into triage for monitoring. I was admitted, but my oxygen levels were perfect, and my EKG was pristine. I…

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Every Day Since My Diagnosis Has Been Challenging: Mymoena’s Story

I was working in the chemistry lab when suddenly I experienced a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower back that caused me to fall to the ground. I was rushed to the nearest hospital and, after some tests, I was sent home with the diagnosis of muscle spasms. From that day onwards, the pain in…

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The Doctor Told Her Not to Worry: Marsha’s Story

My younger sister Marsha had many blood clots over the years. She found out that she had protein S deficiency shortly after our father died in 1998. She had veins that were painful and found a doctor who was willing to strip them (phlebectomy). Marsha asked him about her history with clots. The doctor told…

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If I Had Waited One More Day, I Wouldn’t Be Here: Heather’s Story

Last March, I had turned 35 exactly a week before my traumatic discovery. I had a terrible, terrible, headache. I knew that after a few days of having this head pain, something wasn’t right. I was flown out of my local emergency room to a stroke center, where I was told I had two brain…

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I Was Filled With Clots: Savannah’s Story

I had my son via C-section in April 2023. During my pregnancy, doctors said my leg pain was sciatica. After having my son, I was having severe headaches, and the pain medicine I was given didn’t help. A week later, I had three seizures. After the first seizure, we went to a local hospital. They…

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