Misdiagnosed
I Was Told I Had Broken Ribs: Hannah’s Story
I had just graduated from college and I was moving back home to Helena, MT to start my career as a registered nurse. I woke up one morning and noticed pain in my left shoulder. I thought I had slept wrong or pulled a muscle. The pain continued for the next few days. I noticed…
I Never Thought it Could Happen to Me: Mariah’s Story
In October 2012, I started to feel a pain in my left calf. I immediately thought I pulled a muscle, so I tried stretching and even got new tennis shoes. The pain would not go away and after about three weeks, and shortness of breath joined in. I had to take breaks walking to class…
There is Life After Blood Clots: Rebekah Bradford’s Story
The personal story below is intended for informational purposes only. The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) holds the rights to all content that appears on its website. The use by another organization or online group of any content on NBCA’s website, including the patient stories that appear here, does not imply that NBCA is connected…
The Doctor Didn’t Listen: Jason’s Story, As Told by His Mother
Note: This is Jason’s story as told by his mother, Becky Hilty This story is about my son Jason Michael Hilty, born November 9, 1988. Jason died of a DVT on September 20, 2008. He was 19 and a second year student at Auburn University in Alabama. Jason had been complaining of pain in his…
I Was Told I Had a UTI: Jennifer’s Story
If someone would have told me a year ago that my birth control pills were killing me, I would have laughed. At 25 years old, I was on the top of my game. Professionally, I had just started my dream job six weeks prior as a meteorologist at NBC 6 in Miami. Physically, I was…
I Had My First PE at 16: Cassie’s Story
Cassie Sheffield and her birth family were affected by blood clots, and discovered that the family has a genetic blood clotting disorder, Antithrombin (AT) III deficiency, that carries a high risk for blood clots. Cassie not only developed multiple pulmonary emboli in her teenage years, she learned that her mother and two brothers had AT…
I Was In Denial: Brianne’s Story
Brianne Paisley is pregnant and has Protein C deficiency. She had a large DVT in her groin during this pregnancy for which she self-injected with low molecular weight heparin, but is now awaiting the birth of her second child. My name is Brianne Paisley, and I want to share my story with anyone and everyone…
My Survival Was a Miracle: Jessica’s Story
Jessica Phillips survived a life-threatening PE right after giving birth to her fourth child. Her DVT symptoms were overlooked and a massive PE ensued, so her OB doctor introduced many changes in her practice to prevent DVT and PE after Jessica’s near death. On October 29 2010, I gave birth by C-section to my fourth…
Spent the Night Googling My Symptoms: Lauren’s Story
By: Lauren Hamentz My name is Lauren Hametz and I graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in May 2012 with a Masters degree in Secondary Education, although I am originally from Edinboro, PA. Recently, I stumbled upon Stop The Clot on Facebook, and immediately felt a strong connection to National Blood Clot Alliance. Why? In…
Her Death Taught Us Lessons: Deborah’s Story As Told By Her Twin Sister, Mary
Mary Bare wrote this story about the death of her twin sister Deborah from a pulmonary embolism. She is so motivated to spread awareness of signs and symptoms of DVT and PE and is using social media to do so via a Facebook page called Forever Deborah. My name is Mary Bare. My story is personal,…
