International

In my twenties, I developed a pain in my calf that was extremely uncomfortable. I couldn’t put my foot on the ground to walk. My dad had DVTs a few years before and told me to go to the hospital. At the hospital, I was given an anticoagulant and sent for a scan the next…

I had my blood first clot at 26. I visited a doctor, but they couldn’t diagnose it, saying it would fade with time. After two months, it did fade. At 28, when I was newly married and planning a baby, I got red bumps on my calves. I tried lymphatic exercises for two months, but…

When I was 32 years old, I experienced terrible pain behind my knee for weeks. My doctor said it’s from standing, and I need physical therapy. I did that, but the pain persisted. Eventually, I went to a vascular surgeon who did vein stripping surgery. Seven days post-op, I felt sick, like the flu, but…

At 30 weeks pregnant, we took a road trip 10 hours away. We drove through the night, and I slept the entire drive. On our way back, I got an excruciatingly sharp calf pain and started crying. I called my midwife and she said it was from dehydration. A week went by. My leg turned…

I had my first pulmonary embolism in 2021 and my second PE along with deep vein thrombosis in 2025. The first time around, I experienced sudden chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. The second time, I had woken up to severe calf pain. Both times, my symptoms were constantly invalidated by doctors…

On May 6, 2024, I was admitted to the hospital to give birth to my little rainbow baby. I had planned a natural birth, but complications meant an emergency C-section. I was terrified and unprepared. Surgery went well, but hours later I developed a severe headache. My doctors said it could be spinal leakage. I…

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…

When I was 18, I was diagnosed with multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli. I was an active young adult, attending university and playing volleyball for my school. I woke up one night not being able to catch my breath and felt crazy amounts of pain in my ribs, upper right quadrant of my abdomen, and back.…

I was on a business trip to Scotland when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest during pre-dinner drinks. I began to feel dizzy and had difficulty breathing. I thought it might be anxiety caused by dehydration and not having eaten that day. A taxi was arranged for me to return to my…

I am a keen runner and I live in a national park in Wales, so I regularly run by myself in the hills. This is my happy place. Last year I ran for Wales for the first time, representing my country doing what I love, which was an incredible feeling. In early January of this…