Woman
The Pressure and Pain Were Unbearable: Autumn’s Story
No one will ever forget when the world shut down because of COVID in 2020. A few days later, I started to lose feeling in my left leg. Whenever I stood up, my leg turned purple. While everyone else was taking walks to pass the time during lockdown, I was finding it harder and harder…
It All Happened So Quickly: Charlotte’s Story
In September 2023, I was feeling poorly with what turned out to be a kidney infection. I couldn’t move as the pain was unbearable and was bed-bound for a few weeks. By the end of September, I was unable to walk. It all happened so quickly. My calf swelled up at least three times the…
There is Hope: Kacie’s Story
I developed my first deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) around 10 weeks pregnant with my second child. From then on, I was on enoxaparin sodium injections and everything was going great until 37 weeks, when the same feeling in my leg came back. We returned to the hospital where an ultrasound once…
I Thought I Had a Blood Clot, But No One Listened: Cherree’s Story
Three months after a surgical procedure, I went to urgent care as my leg was turning colors and I couldn’t walk. I was told that I had plantar fasciitis on the top of my foot. That was so off track, so I went to a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed me with tendonitis just by…
I Can Dance Despite Having a Chronic DVT: Debashmita’s Story
In March 2020, I couldn’t move my right leg after waking up, and soon my entire leg and thigh became rock-hard and swollen. I was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in my right leg, running from my right foot to my right pelvis. The doctors said that if had…
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…
Don’t Ignore the Ache: Demi’s Story
In September 2022, I gave birth to my second child, a little boy weighing 9 lbs. and 11 oz. Sadly, he passed away at 12 days old due to issues during my labor, which caused brain damage, specifically hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). At my six-week checkup with my general practitioner, I mentioned pain in my stomach…
This Experience Has Scared Me: Sally’s Story
At 45, I was a healthy, active mom and just thought I was having ongoing respiratory issues from a previous cold and cough. I suddenly had pain in my chest, shortness of breath, and a rapid heart rate, which got worse if I walked around. I went to a walk-in clinic the next day, where…
Many Doctors Aren’t Familiar with CVST: Abigail’s Story
I woke up one morning with the worst headache of my life. I immediately thought it was a migraine because my mom suffers from them. I had also been sick for weeks before, so I thought it could have been from that. So I popped a couple of ibuprofen and went to work. It never…
Keep Finding Joy in Little Things: Arielle’s Story
I am a two time blood clot survivor. My first pulmonary embolism was at 21 after endometriosis surgery and while on birth control, and my symptoms included shortness of breath and back pain making it impossible to sit back or lie back. My second clot happened when I was 25 after a cross-country flight. I…