Woman

In April 2020, at the peak of COVID, I started experiencing pain in my lower back. During a walk with friends, a sharp pain would shoot down my right leg with every step. I tried to ignore the pain and continued the walk. Later that evening, my leg started to swell, and the pain got…

On March 31, 2023, while playing high school softball, an opposing player slid into me, breaking my tibia and fibula. I was taken to a nearby hospital via ambulance where I underwent surgery the next morning. My leg had some swelling over the next couple of months, but it was never bothersome until June 8.…

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…

At the age of 20, two weeks after giving birth to my beautiful baby girl, I had extreme pain in my lower calf and could barely move. It was swollen, red, and hot to the touch, and heavy. I was frightened! I went to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with a DVT and hospitalized…

In April 2024, while training for a half marathon, I experienced an unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my right arm. I had been consistently running since the start of the year in preparation for a May race and decided to cross-train with light weights for one week. After lifting on Tuesday and Wednesday, I…

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…

I was three weeks away from turning 18 and I was working in checkout in a supermarket when I got what felt like a cramp in my left calf. My family told me to try drinking salt water, but after three days, I woke up with my left leg doubled in size, looking purple, and…

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…

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…

In August 1993, I was 25 years old and three months from my wedding day. I realized that I would probably be menstruating on my wedding day and honeymoon. As I suffered from terrible cramps, I was upset. My aunt, a nurse, suggested I see a gynecologist, mentioning that if I start the birth control…