Patient Stories
I Feel Lucky to Have Gotten a Second Chance at Living: Kara’s Story
In May 2021, I was experiencing extreme perimenopausal hot flashes, and hormone replacement therapy wasn’t helping, so I started estrogen-based birth control. Things were improving until one day, I lost my breath while vacuuming. I sat down and thought I might have caught Covid, but I started feeling better, so I got back up, but…
I Still Deal With PTSD From Thinking I Could Have Left My Children Motherless: Victoria’s Story
Towards the end of my fourth pregnancy, I felt many random aches and pains. My loved ones would write it off, saying it was likely due to being pregnant with my first son. The day after a wedding, I told my doctor I woke up with a terrible charley horse going down my leg. She…
Diagnosed with a DVT and May-Thurner Syndrome at 14: Madison and Nicole’s Story
As told by her mother Nicole. Our daughter Madison started high school on August 12, 2024, and was excited for the next chapter of her life. Two weeks later, she was in the pediatric intensive care unit with a massive blood clot that stretched from her abdomen down to her ankle. Her initial symptoms were…
Do All You Can to Prevent Clots During Travel: Misty’s Story
In July 2023, our 16-year-old daughter passed away. Later that year, a work trip offered a chance to travel to Hawaii, and I thought it would be a good break for us. We traveled from Virginia to Maui in December. The flights were very long, and I tried not to get out of my seat…
I Had Constant Leg Pain That I Mistook for Soreness After the Gym: Alexia’s Story
On March 14, two months before I was to get married, I fell off my front porch steps and thought nothing of it. I went to work and walked normally for eight hours. In the last 30 minutes of my workday, I started experiencing extreme pain in my left foot. I went to the ER,…
I Beat Astronomical Odds: Anita’s Story
I’ve had two unprovoked DVTs, one in 2006 and one and 2022. Both times I somehow avoided getting a pulmonary embolism (PE). In the first incident, I had cramps in my calves and edema/swelling in my legs for days. I decided to go to the doctor, and he pressed hard on my leg, which left…
Living With Blood Clots Has Left Me Feeling Isolated and Misunderstood: Kevin’s Story
Not long ago, I faced a medical nightmare that nearly ended my life. It wasn’t just one issue — it was a total breakdown of my body from the inside out. It started with unbearable chest pain, shortness of breath, and intense abdominal pressure. I went to three different hospitals before I was treated. The…
I Wasn’t Expected to Live: Michael’s Story
In 2014, I was having pain in my stomach. I went to a local doctor and he told me it was my gallbladder. I weighed around 380 pounds at the time. I was scheduled for the operation, but I knew something wasn’t right a couple days before. On April 14, I had my surgery. Afterwards…
As a Nurse, I Knew Something Was Very Wrong: Donna’s Story
From January to mid-April, I traveled weekly from New Jersey to California for work. I’ve never felt any pain in my legs, and I always tried to move them during flights. On May 4, I drove from New Jersey to my daughter’s home in Maryland, about a four-hour drive. I stopped for a break after…
Go Directly to the Emergency Room if you Have Any Symptoms: Lucy’s Story
I’m a three-time deep vein thrombosis survivor. My story starts during my first pregnancy. I experienced bleeding during the first and second trimesters and the baby was same for gestational age. I tried to get the obstetrician to look into it, to no avail. For my second pregnancy, I had emergency C-section. The baby’s heartbeat…
