DVT
Don’t Ignore Symptoms of a Blood Clot: Marvin’s Story
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…
UPDATE – Thrombosis Has Deeply Impacted My Family: Gerry’s Story
In February 2023, Gerry shared his family’s serious challenges with blood clots. He’s now updating it to reflect significant new results from the genetic research project his family is doing with Yale Smilow Cancer Center. Gerry’s presented his family’s story to five Senate/House committee staff as part of Capitol Hill Day on March 6, 2024…
Listen To Your Body: Mariah’s Story
I was 25 when I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. When I first noticed something was abnormal I was getting off from work and I saw significant swelling in my leg below the knee to the tip of my toes. My calf was so large that my pants were too…
Recognize the Signs of a Blood Clot: Othello’s Story
As told by his wife Tonia. On July 20, 2017, my husband Othello died from two big blood clots in both lungs (pulmonary emboli). We went to the hospital thinking he had developed adult asthma because his oxygen was lower and he had shortness of breath. The doctor advised that Othello would have to be…
My Mental Health Has Suffered More Than My Physical Health: Denise’s Story
In May of 2019, I began experiencing a dry cough. It continued to progress to the point where I could no longer hold a conversation without coughing every four words or so. I went to a family doctor who brushed it off as adult-onset asthma and allergies, gave me a chest X-ray, and sent me…
Listen to Your Intuition, Manage Fear, and Advocate For Yourself: Julie’s Story
In October 2023, I had just returned from a Florida vacation. The following day, I woke up with a subtle ache in my left calf. When I shared with my husband, he casually said, “Do you have a blood clot?” But after years of international flights with no issues, it was easy to attribute the…
Be Persistent When Something Doesn’t Feel Right: Ebony’s Story
Early in my pregnancy, I thought I’d pulled a muscle in my left calf. The pain was horrible for at least two weeks. I soaked it and elevated it, but the pain didn’t cease. I went to urgent care but they sent me home and told me to continue to take Tylenol, ice, and elevate.…
My PE Triggered a Seismic Shift in My Lifestyle: Wendy’s Story
In Paris, during my second night, searing pain tore through my right lung. I hurried to the hospital and straight into the ICU. Reality hit hard. Blood clots besieged my lungs, diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism (PE), stemming from a larger clot in my left calf—deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The cause? Not a mere muscle…
It’s So Important to Fight For Your Health: Taylor’s Story
Throughout my pregnancy, I experienced pain and cramps in my legs, and lots of strange, unexplained bruising. My OB/GYN said it was normal. The last month of my pregnancy, I started having occasional chest pains and my breathing had become different. It didn’t feel like shortness of breath. The only way I could explain it…
The Pressure and Pain Were Unbearable: Autumn’s Story
No one will ever forget when the world shut down because of COVID in 2020. A few days later, I started to lose feeling in my left leg. Whenever I stood up, my leg turned purple. While everyone else was taking walks to pass the time during lockdown, I was finding it harder and harder…
