Woman
Blood Clots in the Arm are Rare, But I Had One: Kiersten’s Story
About 15 years ago, my dad had a blood clot in his leg (deep vein thrombosis) and testing showed he had factor V Leiden. Since it’s a genetic disorder, my two sisters and I got tested. I tested positive for factor V Leiden as well as one of my sisters and one did not. So,…
Water Aerobics Keeps the Swelling Down: Gus’ Story
I woke up one morning in 1978 to find that my right leg was swollen to twice its size. I called my doctor, who told me to come in immediately. He pressed his thumb into my ankle and created a ½-inch dent to show me how swollen I was and sent me to the hospital.…
Always Speak Up For Yourself: Lucia’s Story
I was nine weeks pregnant when I woke up on Dec. 24, 2022 with a pain in my back that radiated to my right side, under my ribs. The pain intensified in the evening and I had shortness of breath. At the ER, I was dismissed as having back pain and given pain medications. Six…
It Took Me Weeks to Come to Terms With My Diagnosis: Sharon’s Story
I started to feel pain under my left shoulder blade and thought I had pulled a muscle. I iced it and it started to feel better. But the next day, I woke up feeling worse. The pain had expanded around my rib cage on both sides, making it challenging to breathe. I went to work…
I Live Every Day Freely, With Love and Intent: Egypt’s Story
After walking up five flights of stairs to a friend’s Manhattan apartment, I rested at the top of the staircase. It took me almost 15 minutes to gain control of my breathing. I chalked it up to the extra pounds I had gained. A few days later, my bottom lower right extremity began to swell…
My Only Risk Factor was an Estrogen-Based Birth Control Patch: Stacy’s Story
On May 22, 2022, I woke up and had breakfast with my family. As I was getting ready for my day, I felt dizzy and weak, then I fainted. When I woke up, I projectile vomited. I eventually made it to the shower. When I got out, I was still feeling weak and dizzy. The…
I Heard the Doctor Say my Outlook Wasn’t Great: Morgan’s Story
In March 2019, I was recovering from a broken ankle when I began experiencing odd, unfamiliar symptoms, like shortness of breath and back pain. I thought it was anxiety. My husband picked me up from work one day, and the second I got in his car, I couldn’t breathe, then I passed out. When he…
Please Don’t Take ‘You’re Fine’ as an Answer: Shola’s Story
During my first pregnancy, I had been feeling faint. Soon after, I started getting headaches with flashing black dots in my eyes. My midwife had told me that my blood pressure was higher than it should be, and that if I got any painful headaches and started seeing black dots, I should go straight to…
The Hematologist Told Me to Buy a Lottery Ticket For How Lucky I’d Been: McKenna’s Story
In the summer of 2021, I started to experience extreme back pain. At times, I was unable to sit down or move at all. Being an active 20-year-old who grew up playing sports, I attributed my pain to a tweak that I just needed to stretch out. But the pain continued getting worse, and my…
My Only Risk Factor Was Estrogen: Ann’s Story
I started having intermittent chest pain in March 2021. I thought it was a sports injury and went to see my primary care provider (PCP). By May of that year, the pain was constant, so my PCP scheduled a CT scan. I arrived at the imaging center and they had not received my order.…
