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Keep Your Cell Phone Nearby: Bonnie’s Story

I got up on a Saturday in January 2023 and suddenly became nauseated and faint. I laid down on the floor and texted my husband since I was unable to call out to him. He helped me to the living room sofa and called 9-1-1.   All of my vitals were fine, but the medics…

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I’m Very Grateful for my Blood Clots: Erica’s Story

I woke up one morning with a slight twinge in my left side. I didn’t think much of it, though. I took some Advil and continued on with my day.   Despite my discomfort, I went on a hike with my boyfriend. After we got back, my side was bothering me a bit more. I figured…

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Not Knowing What Caused my PEs is Frightening and Frustrating: Kaprena’s Story

I’m 47 years old and grateful to be alive. This is because I experienced pulmonary emboli (PE) on three separate occasions.  About six weeks after giving birth to my second son, I began to feel tired and thought I was coming down with a cold. My mother suggested that I go to the emergency room…

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Everyone Told Me to ‘Eat a Banana and Shake it Off’: Vanessa’s Story

I was standing at the car wash waiting for my car when I experienced an extreme charley horse in my left calf. The pain was so intense that it knocked the wind right out of me. For five days, I pushed through the pain, continuing to go to work, massaging my leg, and putting cold…

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I Mistook My Symptoms as a Panic Attack: Jillian’s Story

In December 2021, I was climbing up the subway stairs, heading to my college campus in New York City, when I started feeling off-balanced and dizzy.  I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, so that’s what I thought was happening. I sat down and a nice family came over to me and asked if I…

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Blood Clot Risks for Transgender Women: Katherine’s Story

My story begins when I first started experiencing swelling in my right ankle after getting home from work one day. Over the next few days I developed pain in my upper calf that started to hurt when walking. I immediately thought it could be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but instead of addressing this, I…

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I’m Thankful to Be Here Today to Advocate for Maternal Health and Blood Clot Awareness: Patsy’s Story

My son was stillborn on March 2, 2023. Almost immediately after, I started having chest pains, which I attributed to stress from my son dying. My doctor prescribed anxiety medicine and I was discharged that day.   However, for the next eight days, I experienced throbbing chest pain as if the world was sitting on my…

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I Developed a Blood Clot While on an Anticoagulant: Linda’s Story

I injured my ankle in 2017 and needed surgery. Shortly after, I woke up in the middle of the night with intense pain in my back. I knew it was bad, as I was having difficulty moving. My husband took me to the ER, where I was fortunate that they did take me seriously. They…

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I’m Grateful My Doctor Took My Symptoms Seriously: Sonali’s Story

I completed treatment for Stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in June 2022. During my treatment, I developed tachycardia, a condition that caused my resting heart rate to be around 100 and could spike up 140.   In August 2022, my oncologist suggested we do a heart study. Two days later, I had a resting heart rate…

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Cancer Was My Main Risk Factor for Blood Clots: Heidi’s Story

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2017. I had a complete hysterectomy followed by the standard six rounds of chemotherapy, after which I had no evidence of disease until February 2021 when I had a recurrence.   I had to undergo six more rounds of chemo, and I also participated in a trial, but…

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