Family history

I was working in the chemistry lab when suddenly I experienced a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower back that caused me to fall to the ground. I was rushed to the nearest hospital and, after some tests, I was sent home with the diagnosis of muscle spasms. From that day onwards, the pain in…

As told by his wife, Allison In January 2017, my husband Brian and I had been married for one year, and I had just given birth to our son seven weeks earlier. Brian started mentioning that he had bad calf pain. For a man that never complained, this was odd, but I didn’t know to…

On Valentine’s Day 2013, I woke up with what I thought was a stomach virus. A few hours later, I was in the ER with a diverticulitis attack that split open my intestine and spent 10 days in the hospital. A few months later, I had another diverticulitis attack, but I caught it early and…

In 2011, I suffered the first of six blood clots. This was the start of my new life and a wake-up call heard loud and clear. Little did I know during in the early days about the connection that would surface dating back to the day I lost my only parent, my mother, to a…

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…

As told by his brother, Brandon. My brother Joel was sick with the flu for a couple of days at Marietta College where he was a freshman linebacker on the football team and a petroleum engineering major. He woke up one morning and told my mother by phone he was having difficulty breathing. No one…

I am a two time blood clot survivor. My first pulmonary embolism was at 21 after endometriosis surgery and while on birth control, and my symptoms included shortness of breath and back pain making it impossible to sit back or lie back. My second clot happened when I was 25 after a cross-country flight. I…

For over a month and a half, I had excruciating, indescribable pain in my leg. I was given lab tests, but doctors couldn’t detect anything. My PCP and the ER continued to give me steroids and pain medication, stating it must be coming from my back, which made no sense based on the pain and…

When I was 34 weeks pregnant and 25 years old, I started experiencing pain in my left calf. Being a nurse, I started to question when I should be concerned about the pain. I reached out to my obstetrician and was advised to drink more water and walk more often. The following weekend, I traveled…

I am 48, a gardener, and a mum to two teenage sons, I do Pilates and had just completed Couch to 5k training. I was the fittest I’ve ever been. For a week or so, I experienced an immobilizing pain in my lower right back. I was breathless on the stairs and could only do…