Misdiagnosed
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 Want to Help Raise Awareness: Corrinne’s Story
In the spring of 2023, I gained a new appreciation for the gift of breathing. Over a period of weeks, I grew increasingly short of breath. As I was misdiagnosed twice, first with allergy-induced asthma and then bronchitis, I struggled more and more to breathe during everyday activities. After several weeks, I was so short…
My DVT Was Misdiagnosed as Postpartum Swelling: Chelsea’s Story
In the Spring of 2013, I was expecting my first children, twin girls! My twins arrived at just 30 weeks and were both in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). About 2-3 weeks after their birth, I noticed some discoloration on my leg, and it felt a little weak. I went to urgent care, where…
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…
The ER Sent Me Home With No Answers: Emily’s Story
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…
My Doctor Told Me There Was Nothing Wrong With Me: Billie’s Story
After a long car trip, I began having pain in my right calf. I came home and told my doctor I thought I had deep vein thrombosis or DVT. He ordered an ultrasound, which took less than 10 minutes, and it came back negative for DVT. My pain continued to worsen over the next two…
The ER Doctor Immediately Assumed I Was Having a Panic Attack: Amy’s Story
One day I was hanging clothes on our clothesline outside. I bent down and suddenly felt really short of breath. After that, I was fine, but then experienced it again when walking or doing anything strenuous. Living in the South, I thought it must be seasonal allergies, but it continued to worsen. When I took…
I Was Filled With Clots: Savannah’s Story
I had my son via C-section in April 2023. During my pregnancy, doctors said my leg pain was sciatica. After having my son, I was having severe headaches, and the pain medicine I was given didn’t help. A week later, I had three seizures. After the first seizure, we went to a local hospital. They…
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…
My Doctor Failed Me: Getsemany’s Story
I had given birth via C-section, and my daughter was sent to the neonatal intensive care unit at a different hospital. My legs were swollen for a couple of days after giving birth, but I figured it was normal since they pumped me with so many fluids when I was in labor and delivery. Six…
