Mental health
If I Had Waited One More Day, I Wouldn’t Be Here: Heather’s Story
Last March, I had turned 35 exactly a week before my traumatic discovery. I had a terrible, terrible, headache. I knew that after a few days of having this head pain, something wasn’t right. I was flown out of my local emergency room to a stroke center, where I was told I had two brain…
Many Doctors Aren’t Familiar with CVST: Abigail’s Story
I woke up one morning with the worst headache of my life. I immediately thought it was a migraine because my mom suffers from them. I had also been sick for weeks before, so I thought it could have been from that. So I popped a couple of ibuprofen and went to work. It never…
I’ve Become a Passionate Advocate for Mental Health Support: Carrie’s Story
In November 2022, I caught COVID-19 and was battling sickness for over a week. Mild symptoms persisted for a few weeks beyond that, but I was pretty much back to my normal routine by December. In January 2023, I began noticing symptoms that I had never experienced in the months prior: random shortness of breath,…
I Felt Like I Was Having a Heart Attack: Andrew’s Story
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…
This Took a Huge Toll on My Emotional Health: Holly’s Story
In May of this year, I began to feel bloated and my stomach area became distended. It was very uncomfortable. Shortly after, I started feeling upper left quadrant pain. I continued on for a day or two feeling increasingly worse. Finally, I went to the ER. They did blood work and an ultrasound of my…
Make Your Health a Priority: Matt’s Story
I had my first deep vein thrombosis when I was 18. I was training for the military and was very active, doing lots of weightlifting and running. One day, I had extreme pain and swelling in my groin and right leg. Even with those symptoms, I was stubborn and waited four days before getting it…
I Advocate For Myself More: Jessi’s Story
In October 2021, I had a fall that caused my left knee to dislocate. It was determined that I had fractured my patella, and torn the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) in my knee. Since I had a history of dislocations, I opted for an MPFL reconstruction to reduce the chance of dislocation in the future.…
Don’t Give Up, Keep Going: Alejandra’s Story
In March 2019, I woke up with my left leg all red and swollen. Thanks to God and the speed with which I received medical attention, the doctors saved my life and also my leg. I was in hospital for four days and I had two surgeries. They put a filter in my vena cava…
Take Advantage of the Support Available: Tammillia’s Story
In 2021, I had a routine laparoscopy procedure and came out of the general anesthetic coughing up blood. I was pale, sweaty, low on oxygen, and experiencing a fast heart rate and chest pains. After being told by the surgeon, “We were rough with the tube we put down your throat,” I was discharged like…
Each Moment, I Feel Like I Just Ran a Marathon: Brett’s Story
I am lucky to be alive. On a recent Wednesday morning, I went to the emergency room with chest pains and shortness of breath. After many tests and a CT scan, they said I had a blood clot in my lungs, another pulmonary embolism. This was my third time. The doctor said that one out…
