Something Wasn’t Right
Three weeks after having my fourth baby, I started experiencing severe lower back pain and decided to get a chiropractic adjustment. Later that day, my husband took our kids to the park while I stayed in the car with our newborn. When we got home, I noticed my leg felt swollen and looked slightly red. As someone who has always struggled with health anxiety, I immediately feared it was a blood clot.
Sent Home — Twice
I went to my local ER, but because I was recently postpartum, they sent me to Labor & Delivery. The OB took one look at my leg, told me it wasn’t swollen or discolored, and said I was likely experiencing sciatic pain. I was sent home after about 30 minutes. The next day, I went to a standalone ER where I received a similar response. No blood work or ultrasound was performed. The doctor said my negative Homan’s test (an outdated physical exam historically used to assess for DVT, but it cannot reliably diagnose or rule out a blood clot) meant I was fine and that it was probably sciatic pain.
The Third ER Finally Listened
That evening, during a Mother’s Day dinner at my mom’s house, I was still terrified something was wrong. My mom took me to a third ER, where they immediately took my concerns seriously. They ordered blood work and an ultrasound, which confirmed I had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Instead of spending Mother’s Day with my children, I spent it in the hospital beginning a battle I never could have imagined.
Five Months of Fighting
Over the next five months, I was in and out of the hospital. I endured ICU stays, a failed thrombectomy followed by a successful one, a pulmonary embolism, and septic emboli caused by an infection I acquired during a hospital stay. Throughout it all, my husband cared for our three older children and our newborn at home.
Life After
It has now been a year since my DVT was diagnosed. I remain on apixaban for life due to a condition called May-Thurner Syndrome. I will likely need a stent in the future, but for now I’m living life as normally as possible. I lived with constant anxiety for a while and was put on SSRIs to help cope.
What I’ve Learned
I’ve learned a lot about May-Thurner Syndrome — and I’ve been told it isn’t genetic, though nobody else in my family has been evaluated.
My Advice
Always listen to your body and fight for answers. Don’t let any doctor or medical professional dismiss you.
I’m incredibly grateful to God for carrying me through the hardest season of my life and for allowing me to still be here with my husband and children.
