Patient Stories

I had just been released from the hospital due to a severe allergic reaction. I was allowed to leave, but with some medication and no signs of blood clots. It had been just two days after I left when I began to get a high fever with swollen lymph nodes on the right side of…

Elizabeth Varga, one of NBCA’s Directors and Chair of the Education and Communication Committees, shares her story of learning that she has the factor V Leiden gene mutation. She was on oral contraceptives at the time and chose to discontinue the pill after learning she has thrombophilia. “I discovered that I was heterozygous for the…

In every person’s life, there is one instance or one moment that changes them in ways they never believed possible. A moment where they reevaluate all that they have and all that they have worked for. Whether it is a good or bad change, it is without a doubt a memorable one. Some happen later…

Laura Zain, from Livonia, Michigan shares her story, “A Journey with Kyle” about her son, age 17, who survived a blood clot to his brain. He was later found to have extremely elevated homocysteine levels. When my son, Kyle Posluszny, was 17 years old he developed a massive blood clot in his left leg. Doctors…

My name is Caitlin and this is my blood clot and May-Thurner Syndrome (MTS) story. At 29, I was an active person, traveling a lot, playing sports, and chasing my nieces and nephews. One day, I thought I had pulled a muscle in my left thigh but shook it off with exercise. However, when the…

I recently had my first encounter with blood clots. I was a rugby player who suffered many blows from both tackling and being tackled. After one particular blow to the stomach, I started having really bad pain in the small of my back, but assumed I had only pulled a muscle. A month later, I…

JUST LISTEN… If you are pregnant, you ARE at risk for DVT. Hear Katie’s Voice; spread hope and increase awareness about DVT/PE in pregnancy. Katiesvoice.org is dedicated to the memory of Katie M. Projansky (Anderson) and the promise of preventing DVT/PE related deaths in pregnancy. Katie’s Voice is an example of how the seeds of…

  I am sharing my son Kyle’s story for two reasons: To bring awareness to how children are affected by blood clots and in hope of finding others who may suffer from similar conditions. In August of 2010, my son was eight-years-old, healthy, and extremely active, playing baseball, football and hockey.  That summer he had some…

My name is Jessica and I’m so excited to share my experience with Team Stop the Clot. Less than a year ago I was sitting in a hospital bed thinking my life as an athlete was over. My pity party came to an end when I found this blog. Reading all of the Clot Buster…

My name is Kathy and I survived pulmonary emboli in 2003. I remember as young as 12 years old feeling pain in my chest. When I asked in 1979 it was dismissed as growing pains. When I asked a doctor in 1989 I was told it was panic attacks. I spent years thinking that I…