I am on the Ohio State Women’s lacrosse team and on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, I felt sharp breathing pain after a warm-up sprint. The next day I could barely practice. I felt light-headed and like I couldn’t breathe. I was hardly able to walk.
By Friday, I told my trainer and didn’t practice. On Saturday, I tried to warm up for the game but couldn’t finish warm-ups. I saw two doctors that day, telling them how badly my left side hurt. I was told my muscles were tired and that it was probably in my head.
But I knew something wasn’t right.
By Monday, I couldn’t walk to class without taking breaks. A chest X-ray I took came back normal. By Tuesday, I needed a scooter just to get around campus because my breathing had gotten so bad.
On Wednesday, I skipped class and went for more appointments and blood work. That night around 11 PM, I got a call saying my blood work was abnormal.
The next morning, I left my house and scootered halfway to my destination before sitting down on the side of the road. My trainer picked me up and took me to the ER.
My resting heart rate was 150 and my oxygen was 40. Doctors found a life-threatening pulmonary embolism and performed a procedure to break up the clot and save my life. I spent a week in the ICU!
Months later, I went to get a VQ scan and lung X-ray — lots of clots were still showing up in the lungs but my heart was good. Still, it was deemed I would be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. I was also diagnosed with CTEPH — Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.
I’m still on the Ohio State Women’s lacrosse team and my health is stable. I just can’t safely play contact sports anymore because of the blood thinners.
I have learned that I am not alone and that many athletes like me have also had blood clots. Always listen to your body when you know something isn’t right. Speak up and know the signs of blood clots. Enjoy the present!
