I Was Very Lucky and I’m So Very Happy to Be Alive
On March 6, 2025, I went into the ER for a headache I had been experiencing for a few days, despite trying every trick to get rid of it.
It felt weird — but I just thought it was another migraine.
The First ER Visit
The ER gave me a migraine cocktail since I have a history of migraines (I also have a history of DVTs in my arms).
I went home once the meds kicked in. But then, 30 minutes after I arrived home, the pain came back.
I went to bed and tried to sleep it off and then I went into work the next day still dealing with the pain.
I decided to go back to the hospital mid-day.
“Just to Be Safe”
I was seen by the same ER doctor, who said it was odd that my headache would come back like that.
He said he wanted to add a steroid to it to see if that would help but decided he also wanted to get a CT scan of my brain, “Just to be safe,” because of my history of clots.
30 minutes after my CT scan, the doctor comes back and informs me that I have a blood clot in my brain and that I was going to be transported to a bigger hospital and admitted right away.
Eight Days in the Hospital
I spent eight days in the hospital for a CVST — cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
Not only was it a rare clot, the vein it was located in was abnormally small and I was told I was likely born like that.
I was released after eight days, treated with heparin and anticoagulant injections in my stomach. But not long after I went home, we had to call an ambulance to take me back to the hospital because they thought I was having a stroke.
I lost part of my vision and everything was blurry.
After another two days in the hospital, turns out it was the CVST causing these symptoms as well.
Still No Answers
I’m now on a therapeutic dose of apixaban for the rest of my life.
The clots weren’t caused by birth control. It wasn’t Factor V Leiden or any of the other gene mutations.
They still can’t figure out what’s causing them.
Life After
Now, I’m constantly scared to fall and hemorrhage due to being on blood thinners.
Through this experience, I learned how important it is to get checked as soon as something feels off — even if it is probably nothing.
What makes this harder is that a hematologist once told me that my pain was due to constipation, when in fact it was a blood clot.
What I Want Others to Know
So, if you have pain, please go get it checked out.
That’s how I found out about my DVTs and my CVST.
Normally, I push pain off — but every time it feel just a little different, I go get things checked.
I’m grateful to be alive.
