Misdiagnosed
Blood Clots Kicked Me When I Was Already Down: James’ Story
I woke up one morning in the summer of 2011 with nausea and pain in the left side of my torso/abdomen. At first, I wrote it off as a stomach bug and called in sick at work. After a couple of days, I was feeling worse so went to an urgent care clinic. The doctor…
My PE Triggered a Seismic Shift in My Lifestyle: Wendy’s Story
In Paris, during my second night, searing pain tore through my right lung. I hurried to the hospital and straight into the ICU. Reality hit hard. Blood clots besieged my lungs, diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism (PE), stemming from a larger clot in my left calf—deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The cause? Not a mere muscle…
It’s So Important to Fight For Your Health: Taylor’s Story
Throughout my pregnancy, I experienced pain and cramps in my legs, and lots of strange, unexplained bruising. My OB/GYN said it was normal. The last month of my pregnancy, I started having occasional chest pains and my breathing had become different. It didn’t feel like shortness of breath. The only way I could explain it…
The Pressure and Pain Were Unbearable: Autumn’s Story
No one will ever forget when the world shut down because of COVID in 2020. A few days later, I started to lose feeling in my left leg. Whenever I stood up, my leg turned purple. While everyone else was taking walks to pass the time during lockdown, I was finding it harder and harder…
I Thought I Had a Blood Clot, But No One Listened: Cherree’s Story
Three months after a surgical procedure, I went to urgent care as my leg was turning colors and I couldn’t walk. I was told that I had plantar fasciitis on the top of my foot. That was so off track, so I went to a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed me with tendonitis just by…
Don’t Ignore the Ache: Demi’s Story
In September 2022, I gave birth to my second child, a little boy weighing 9 lbs. and 11 oz. Sadly, he passed away at 12 days old due to issues during my labor, which caused brain damage, specifically hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). At my six-week checkup with my general practitioner, I mentioned pain in my stomach…
This Experience Has Scared Me: Sally’s Story
At 45, I was a healthy, active mom and just thought I was having ongoing respiratory issues from a previous cold and cough. I suddenly had pain in my chest, shortness of breath, and a rapid heart rate, which got worse if I walked around. I went to a walk-in clinic the next day, where…
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…
