Woman
Caught Off Guard: Olanna’s Story
March 2015 was the start of a health journey that would impact the rest of my life. Earlier that month, I was experiencing a slight, nagging pain in the back of my calf. After a few weeks of dealing with the symptoms, I made an appointment with my primary care doctor. Later that afternoon, I…
Back to School and Almost Back to Normal: Abbey’s Story
I am 19 years old right now, and in my second year of university. The school I attend is about 3.5 to 4 hours from home, so I live on my own with a few friends. In the beginning of November 2019, when I was still 18 years old, I started coughing a lot and…
The Physical and Mental Health Impact of Blood Clots: Emily’s Story
When I was 19 years old, during the first week of my sophomore year of college, I awoke one morning with a strange, tight pain in my right shoulder. I assumed I had just slept on it funny, and continued about my day as usual. The pain didn’t seem to let up, even after I…
Educate and Listen to Your Body: Tina’s Story
My two pregnancies were marked by dangerous blood clots – the first time when I was 23 weeks pregnant and the second time when I was 27 weeks pregnant. These were my first blood clots, which started in my leg as a deep vein thrombosis or DVT and moved from my ankle to my groin.…
Take Note if You’re Taking the Pill: Leani’s Story
I am a 23-year-old female from South Africa who was on the hormonal birth control pill for skin purposes. As a human physiology and genetics graduate, I knew the risks of taking contraceptives and how it increases blood viscosity, or thickness, but I never thought that it was going to happen to me, even though…
An Ankle Injury Taught Me To Listen to My Body: Clare’s Story
I have always been someone who believed I could overpower being sick— at 31 years old, a hot shower, big glass of water, an over-the-counter pain medication, and a fresh face of makeup could still solve just about any ailment I experienced. But, when I broke my ankle in late November 2018 and started experiencing…
I Thought My Symptoms Were Caused by My Leg Cast: Jody’s Story
After I broke a bone in my foot, I was put in a leg cast up to my knee. I was told to keep it elevated, don’t put any weight on it, and rest. Ten days later, I felt lightheaded and my cast was feeling tighter, so I went to the doctor. They put on…
Do Not Take Your Good Health for Granted: Ardith’s Story
When my symptoms started, I was 34 years old, a bride-to-be and an avid runner. In fact, I was going to run a half-marathon the week before my wedding. Training had been going well, but as race day approached, I noticed I was feeling unusually tired. To save energy for the wedding, I skipped the…
Go to the ER Right Away: Christine’s Story
“You need to go to the ER right away.” Those were the words a doctor said to be over video chat on Easter. “No, that can’t be right,” I thought. Sure, I could work out more and eat cleaner, but overall, I was pretty healthy. The doctor thought I may have a blood clot in…
Another Chance at Life: Rachael’s Story
At 44 years old, I never knew the impact a blood clot could have on someone’s life, especially my own! Both physically and emotionally, 2019 has been a rough year for me. I was diagnosed with a chronic back issue in January 2019, and after many months of conservative treatments, I decided to schedule a…
