Family history
Educate and Listen to Your Body: Tina’s Story
My two pregnancies were marked by dangerous blood clots – the first time when I was 23 weeks pregnant and the second time when I was 27 weeks pregnant. These were my first blood clots, which started in my leg as a deep vein thrombosis or DVT and moved from my ankle to my groin.…
Take Note if You’re Taking the Pill: Leani’s Story
I am a 23-year-old female from South Africa who was on the hormonal birth control pill for skin purposes. As a human physiology and genetics graduate, I knew the risks of taking contraceptives and how it increases blood viscosity, or thickness, but I never thought that it was going to happen to me, even though…
Grateful to Be Alive: Melanie’s Story
I am 53 years old, a busy business owner, wife, and mother. Being diagnosed with PE has rocked my world. I ran a marathon in May 2016. A month later, during my annual exam, my gynecologist suggested I take birth control to “get through menopause without having to deal with the nuisances.” A voice inside…
Youth Doesn’t Equal Invincibility: Helen’s Story
The day my life almost ended was a picturesque, snow-dappled Saturday in December. I was a 22-year-old on an adventure, visiting Germany for the first time and staying with some old friends. I couldn’t wait to see what an authentic German “Weihnachten” had to offer. Little did I know, my life was about to be…
The Day that Changed My Life: Philip’s Story
My name is Philip Begley, I am 56 years old, and I live in England. My story began on November 22, 1999. My truck was in for MOT annual service, so my boss said to start work late the next day. The next day came, Tuesday, and I was sitting down, putting my boots on…
My Baby Had a CVST: Ivanna and Giovanna’s Story
My name is Giovanna, and I am the mother of baby Ivanna. We are from Mexico, and I want you to share our story. My family has a history of genetic thrombophilia – I had three DVTs in my right leg – but doctors said that we didn’t have to worry about our baby, because…
A DVT in My Arm Changed My Life: Hailey’s Story
My name is Hailey Rutherford and I am a 23 years old. My story is complicated. I was married last year on February 7 and experienced a lot of life changes. One of those changes was being put on birth control pills. Due to irregular menstrual bleeding, I was switched to a stronger dosage pill. On…
This Has Changed Me Forever: Scarlett’s Story
When I was 14 years old, my father died at age 41 of massive pulmonary emboli (PE). At that time, there was no genetic testing to determine if he had a clotting disorder. I am 49 years old now, and I survived bilateral pulmonary emboli (PE) with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) one year ago. I…
Increasing Awareness of Factor V Leiden: Elizabeth Varga’s Story
I discovered that I was heterozygous for the factor V Leiden mutation in June of 2000 after my mother tested positive during a workup for superficial thrombophlebitis. My primary care physician recommended that I be tested, since I was taking oral contraceptive pills. She also had a friend who had been recently diagnosed with factor…
Pregnant Women Are at Risk: In Memory of Katie
JUST LISTEN… If you are pregnant, you ARE at risk for DVT. Katiesvoice.org is dedicated to the memory of Katie M. Projansky (Anderson) and the promise of preventing DVT/PE related deaths in pregnancy. Katie’s Voice is an example of how the seeds of personal tragedy can blossom into great hope and possibility. It was five…
