Filter Patient Stories by tags…

Factor II

My Pain Was Ignored For Almost a Year: Caitlin’s Story

I was diagnosed with my clot in February 2022 after a period of immobility recovering from a torn hamstring. I was unaware of any underlying health conditions, and the blood clot was seemingly out of nowhere. The medical professionals where I was living at the time placed me on blood thinners and left me to…

Read the full story

I Experienced DVTs on Three Occasions: Joanna’s Story

My first DVT was in July 1995, two weeks after the birth of my first (and only) child. I had a shooting pain in my left buttocks and rode an ambulance to the hospital with my newborn and husband. The ER docs did not seem to consider the possibility of a DVT and were looking…

Read the full story

Having a Blood Clot Will Not Slow Me Down: Barbara’s Story

In August 2023, I had my second bunionectomy. The first was in 2015 with no complications. This time would prove differently. Preparing for surgery, I was advised by the surgical team to curtail my activities in the following days. After surgery, I adhered to the instructions. I elevated my leg often and limited going up…

Read the full story

My Clot Started 10 Years Before It Was Found: Jana’s Story

In December 2022, I had the worst pain in my life in my left side of my buttocks after working out. Being a physical therapist and a retired high-level figure skater, I assumed I had strained a muscle until I was unable to walk or bear weight on my left leg. After three ER visits…

Read the full story

I Experienced PTSD: Frances’ Story

I had an appointment with my PCP on October 5, 2019 for shortness of breath. I could barely walk to my car from his office door. My lower legs were hurting. I was 56 and on no medications. He referred me to a cardiologist. The following day, after my morning coffee, I could hardly walk.…

Read the full story

They Couldn’t Figure Out What Was Wrong: Shantelle’s Story

When I was 20, I had some pain in my leg. I chalked it up to a pulled muscle. In the next few days, it seemed to get worse. My mom convinced me to go to the hospital, but they told me I was constipated and sent me home. The pain continued to get worse…

Read the full story

The PCP Who Dismissed My Concerns Was Dismissed By Me: Kay’s Story

After having provoked blood clots from hip surgery (the symptoms I experienced included leg pain, shortness of breath, and chest pain) I asked my primary care physician if she would order bloodwork to determine if I have a clotting disorder. I was detailing my family members with similar issues: my mother had an unprovoked pulmonary…

Read the full story

I Almost Left the ER: Lucy’s Story

In October 2020 at age 28, I woke up at 5 a.m. with back pain. It felt like I pulled a muscle. Throughout the day, the pain got worse. It hurt to sit or lie down. By the next morning, I was vomiting from pain and decided to drive myself to the emergency room. The…

Read the full story

I Had to Figure Everything Out on My Own: Sue’s Story

In the spring of 2018, I began having severe shortness of breath. I’m an asthmatic and was using a rescue inhaler constantly, but it didn’t help much. After about six weeks of complaining to my healthcare providers, they did a chest x-ray that was normal. Two weeks later, I was back in the office with…

Read the full story

I Knew Nothing About Blood Clots: Shawna’s Story

During Covid, I was teaching from home and not as active as I once was. I began feeling short of breath at the start of the week, but attributed it to the bad air quality from fires in the area. On Thursday evening, I began feeling a pain in the right side of my back…

Read the full story