Woman
Monitor Your Own Vitals: Jamie’s Story
It was June of 2023. I was five days postpartum when I started to get really erratic blood pressure readings. It would go from 177/206 to 123/79 within minutes, up and down like a roller coaster. I was also having palpitations and I remember telling the doctor later that I had a twinge of pain…
They Couldn’t Figure Out What Was Wrong: Shantelle’s Story
When I was 20, I had some pain in my leg. I chalked it up to a pulled muscle. In the next few days, it seemed to get worse. My mom convinced me to go to the hospital, but they told me I was constipated and sent me home. The pain continued to get worse…
My Lungs Felt Itchy: Jessica’s Story
In 2021 I was feeling healthier than I had in years because I spent the previous 10 months working out and eating better. On April 14, I had varicose veins treated in my right leg. Two weeks later, I had a follow-up where they did an ultrasound on the leg and released me to resume…
My Doctor Told Me I Almost Died: Tonia’s Story
On March 21, 2024, I woke up having extreme shortness of breath while trying to get ready for work. Finally, I decided to text my boss to tell him I was going to be late. I made it to work at 10:00 and let my boss know what was going on with me. At the…
My Doctors Say I’m Lucky: Marta’s Story
I was at work just sitting down when my heart started racing. My Apple Watch alerted me that my heart was beating at 140 bpm, something I had never felt before. I chalked it up to just being overworked and tired. So I sat down drank some water and took a break. My heart started…
I Didn’t Give Blood Clots a Second Thought Before Experiencing Mine: Alison’s Story
Last July, I started feeling tightness in my chest when I breathed in deeply. I ignored it for awhile, as it didn’t seem to cause any real issues. A month or so later, I went to my doctor to make sure it wasn’t Covid or another respiratory infection. The doctor ran basic bloodwork, which came…
I Now Live My Life to the Fullest Every Day: Meghan’s Story
In April 2022, I was a normal 18-year-old preparing for graduation and college. My world would soon flip when I was diagnosed with a DVT that went from my hip to ankle. I was an active high schooler. I was a part of the varsity cheer team and marching band. When the pain in my…
I’m Grateful for the Insightful Urgent Care Provider Who Saved My Life: Mary’s Story
I had lower right leg pain for more than a month. I finally went to urgent care in October 2022. I described the pain as a pinging inside my leg and I thought it was a stress fracture. The provider asked a few questions about medications. I told her I took tamoxifen to reduce a…
This Was a Terrifying, Life-Altering, and Isolating Experience: Logan’s Story
I was home from college on winter break when I started feeling a cramp in my leg after working out at the gym. I thought I may have pulled a muscle. I kept stretching and it felt like it was never going away. The pain ended up moving all the way up to my lower…
Three DVTs in Two Decades: Heather’s Story
I’m 43. My first DVT experience was at 19 years old while in college. Long story short, I was sent home by two different doctors over two months even though my leg was in excruciating pain and eventually could barely walk. The third doctor knew what was wrong with me within minutes and sent me…