I was home from college on winter break when I started feeling a cramp in my leg after working out at the gym. I thought I may have pulled a muscle. I kept stretching and it felt like it was never going away. The pain ended up moving all the way up to my lower back so I made a chiropractor appointment to get adjusted. It didn’t help.
At dinner on New Year’s Eve, I couldn’t walk and was dragging my leg. I lifted up my pant leg to find my leg was double in size and dark purple. I called my mom immediately and told her to meet me at the emergency room.
I was admitted to the ICU for a week at 18 years old, having multiple procedures during my time to remove the clots. The clots were so severe they weren’t sure I would make it and they also discussed potentially losing my leg.
The doctors discovered my genetic conditions of protein S deficiency and MTFHR gene mutation. I was also taking the birth control pill. From then on, I was put on blood thinners for life.
Eleven years later, in February 2024, I began to have a cramp-like pain again. I thought I tweaked it working out and kept stretching. One day I woke up with intense pain behind my knee I realized my leg was swollen and slightly discolored. Thankfully, I knew what it was this time and jumped to action immediately.
We are not sure what immediately caused this DVT, but I am so grateful to know the symptoms. I’ll now be on a higher dose of blood thinners for life. This was a terrifying, life-altering, and isolating experience, but I am grateful to have a sense of purpose and deeper care for movement, proper nutrition, and mental health.
