Woman
Blood Clots Across Three Generations: Amanda’s Story
Amanda Liimatainen was caught by surprise when she was diagnosed with a DVT. Her mother had a pulmonary embolism at age 46, and she tried to make healthy choices to prevent them. My mother, who is a nurse, had a pulmonary embolism (PE) when she was 46 and I was 16. After her treatment with blood…
I Was In Denial: Brianne’s Story
Brianne Paisley is pregnant and has Protein C deficiency. She had a large DVT in her groin during this pregnancy for which she self-injected with low molecular weight heparin, but is now awaiting the birth of her second child. My name is Brianne Paisley, and I want to share my story with anyone and everyone…
My First DVT Was Related to My C-Section: Salonda’s Story
I had my first child by emergency C-section. A couple of weeks later, I noticed a huge bruise on my left upper thigh. The pain was horrible, and I had to hop to get around the house, so my doctor ordered an MRI that detected a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clot in my…
My Survival Was a Miracle: Jessica’s Story
Jessica Phillips survived a life-threatening PE right after giving birth to her fourth child. Her DVT symptoms were overlooked and a massive PE ensued, so her OB doctor introduced many changes in her practice to prevent DVT and PE after Jessica’s near death. On October 29 2010, I gave birth by C-section to my fourth…
Spent the Night Googling My Symptoms: Lauren’s Story
By: Lauren Hamentz My name is Lauren Hametz and I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in May 2012 with a Masters degree in Secondary Education, although I am originally from Edinboro, PA. Recently, I stumbled upon Stop The Clot on Facebook, and immediately felt a strong connection to National Blood Clot Alliance. Why? In…
Her Death Taught Us Lessons: Deborah’s Story As Told By Her Twin Sister, Mary
Mary Bare wrote this story about the death of her twin sister Deborah from a pulmonary embolism. She is so motivated to spread awareness of signs and symptoms of DVT and PE and is using social media to do so via a Facebook page called Forever Deborah. My name is Mary Bare. My story is personal,…
I Ignored My Symptoms: Geraldine’s Story
A few years ago, I felt unusually weak, faint, and short of breath while walking with my husband and three children. I needed to take breaks to rest and catch my breath. Given that I work full time as a Registered Nurse and am 37 years old, I thought I was just tired from a long and…
I Want to Use My Experience to Help Others: Samantha’s Story
I had zero problems with my health until three years ago, when I was 19, and started on birth control pills to treat acne that did not respond to over the counter medicine. I am a non-smoker, never had any weight problems, and have not been in the hospital since I was two years old.…
Blood Clots in the Brain at 19: Lauren’s Story
Lauren Murdock had venous clots in her brain that seemed to come out of the blue during her time at college, but she found positive ways to cope. 2010 started off as an amazing year for me. I was adjusting to life at a new university, socially active on campus, and had adopted a healthy,…
Foot Surgery Resulted in a DVT: Bridget’s Story
Bridget Schaap thought she was having simple foot surgery, and was surprised to find that she developed a blood clot after it. When I look back, it’s hard to believe all that happened to me. As I prepared to quit my job and move from Chicago to Michigan to begin graduate school in December 2010, I…
