Factor V Leiden
He Spread Kindness Everywhere He Went: Finley and Veronica’s Story
As told by Finley’s mother, Veronica Finley had been diagnosed with factor V Leiden homozygous in May 2023. I asked for him to be tested due to family history. No one explained his diagnosis to us, nor was it given any credence when brought up at doctor appointments. In June of 2024, in the height…
I Live with Both APS and Factor V Leiden: Eloise’s Story
It was December 2020, and I was about four weeks pregnant. I spent a lot of time lounging on the sofa during the festive break. One day I noticed my arm began to feel tight and stiff, but I put it down to my lounging and holding my phone. Around a week passed and my…
Continued Shortness of Breath Two Years After My PE: Shara’s Story
On New Years Day 2023, right as I was getting ready for bed, I started experiencing what felt like a strained muscle in the middle of the right side of my back. I briefly mentioned it to my partner as we were going to sleep but I didn’t think much of it until the next…
I’m Thankful to be Alive and Healthy: Jamison’s Story
I was 19 years old and home from college. I got what we thought at the time was a stomach virus. My mom took me to the doctor, but the symptoms persisted. After about a week, she decided we needed to head to the emergency room. We when arrived, they informed us that my heart…
I Continue to be Gaslit: Stephanie’s Story
When I was around 23, I started to go to the doctor complaining about persistent, enduring headaches. I was told it was stress. I went to the optician, where I was immediately sent to the emergency eye hospital. I had idiopathic intercranial hypertension, which was causing vision loss due to my optic nerves being forced…
Be Informed About Your Clotting Risk: Abby’s Story
On December 19, 2024, I noticed that my right thigh hurt and was discolored (purple-ish) but dismissed it, thinking that it was just bad circulation that would go away. Later that night, I felt extremely light-headed, my vision went dark and almost passed out. My mom and I rushed to the hospital because something was…
I’m a Nurse and I Missed The Signs: Rachael’s Story
In April of 2024, I flew from Tennessee to California for work. The night after arriving, I woke up in the middle of the night with a bad calf cramp. The following day, my calf was extremely sore– like the worst muscle cramp I’d ever had. That same day, I took another flight from California…
My Children Will Have Education About Blood Clots: Katelyn’s Story
It was the last day of our honeymoon. We were packing when I had a sudden onset of nausea, and I was also hot, dizzy, and out of breath. It felt like I was running a marathon every few feet I walked. But I was determined to enjoy our last day, so I took a…
It Was The Beginning of My Transformation: Nicki’s Story
I just had my one-year clotiversary! Last Presidents’ Day, on February 19, 2024, I faced a life-altering struggle. After days of coughing up blood and an urgent care provider’s dismissive reassurance that I simply had a bad case of bronchitis, I finally found help in the emergency room. Doctors diagnosed me with an unprovoked pulmonary…
My Symptoms Were Dismissed: Sophee’s Story
In April 2020, at the peak of COVID, I started experiencing pain in my lower back. During a walk with friends, a sharp pain would shoot down my right leg with every step. I tried to ignore the pain and continued the walk. Later that evening, my leg started to swell, and the pain got…
