In 2017, I was having redness, warmth, pain, and heaviness in my right leg. I was 17 at the time and I had just begun my senior year in high school a few weeks before. I was in school when I first saw that my leg was red, and I made a mistake by not telling my teacher about it. Later, at home, my parents saw my leg and they were shocked.
The next day I went to urgent care. They sent me to the hospital for a Doppler ultrasound and I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my leg (deep vein thrombosis) and spent five days in the hospital. Testing showed that I have antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) as well.
I was prescribed rivaroxaban, and I took it for a month. Bloodwork showed that my INR levels weren’t right, so I had to go back to the hospital to be bridged off of it. I was placed on warfarin, and I’ve been taking it ever since.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I was having the same symptoms I had back in 2017, but in both legs this time. I went to the ER and they told me that I had multiple blood clots in both legs.
I stayed in the hospital for a week and they upped the dosage of the warfarin. Since then, I haven’t had any blood clots. I wear compression stockings and I do a lot of walking to be active and I try to take great care of myself.
My advice is if you have symptoms of a blood clot, don’t ignore it. Go to a doctor right away. It can save your life.
Resources
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
How is a DVT Diagnosed?
Living Your Best Life on Blood Thinners
