DVT
Muscle Strain or Blood Clot: Caitlin’s Story
The First Signs When I suddenly started experiencing pain in my lower calf one evening, I assumed I had just pulled a muscle or sprained something. I couldn’t remember injuring myself, but it felt like the natural answer. I was aware of the risks of DVT, but I told myself it was unlikely to be…
Dismissed Twice While Pregnant — Then Diagnosed With a PE, AFib, and a Leaking Heart Valve
Kaytie Richmond | Stayton, Oregon The Warning Signs I was about 37 weeks pregnant when I started to experience leg swelling and pain. It was localized near my ankle, which I have injured in the past. I thought maybe the extra weight from pregnancy had flared it up. I told my nurse, and without looking…
I Died for 27 Minutes: Heather’s Story
Two years ago this Saturday, I died for 27 minutes from a pulmonary embolism caused by an estrogen-based hormone patch. I had ablation surgery 12 years ago — a procedure that destroys the lining of the uterus, typically done to treat heavy menstrual bleeding — which put me into perimenopause (and then menopause) very quickly;…
Her Leg Turned Purple — And They Still Sent Her Home: Sydney’s Story
It was the week of Thanksgiving break in 2024 and I drove the hour-long drive home from college. I was 21 and in my senior year. On my way home, I noticed that my right hip was aching. I had previously been diagnosed at urgent care with hip bursitis two weeks prior, so I didn’t…
Apple Watch Noticed First: Melissa’s Story
I had experienced shortness of breath for a couple of days, which was very unusual for me because I am very active. My husband and I were walking our dogs and I needed to keep stopping to catch my breath. My Apple Watch had even alerted me that my walking heart rate was higher than…
That Instinct Ultimately Saved My Life: Lauren’s Story
That Instinct Ultimately Saved My Life A few days after my 29th birthday in April 2026, I experienced calf pain that felt like a pulled muscle. I was otherwise fit, healthy and active. Something Felt Wrong My gut told me there was something seriously wrong despite the lack of symptoms. That instinct ultimately saved my…
Being So Young and Not Understanding How This Was Possible, It Was Difficult for Me to Process: Abigail’s Story
Don’t Let It Control Your World Two weeks after having fractured my fifth metatarsal in my foot, with a non-weight bearing treatment plan, I began to have a cramping sensation in my calf — pain and tightness that was so intense and persistent for hours. I first dismissed it earlier in the day as just…
“Don’t Wait or Gaslight Yourself. You Have One Life:” Alexus’s Story
Don’t Wait or Gaslight Yourself. You Have One Life. I had a pulmonary embolism in December 2025. It Started With a Fever A couple of days before, I was sick with a fever. My left leg started to hurt so bad — like a Charley horse. No matter what I did, nothing helped. Day Three…
“Would We Lose Our Baby?” — A DVT Diagnosis at 23 Weeks: Annie’s Story
I never thought a blood clot would be part of my story. I was a former Division I athlete, a college football executive, healthy, active, and someone who had always been accustomed to pushing through pain. August 2024 In August 2024, I was 23 weeks pregnant with our first son — the baby my husband…
Most People Don’t Survive That: Carter’s Story
Living on House Credit and Doctor Time Written within two months of saddle pulmonary embolism I was 59 years old when, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, I suffered a massive saddle pulmonary embolism. My right lung was almost completely blocked, and my left lung had a large blockage as well. The embolism resulted from an…
