Woman
I Thought it Was Appendicitis: Samantha’s Story
My name is Samantha and I am 20 years old. On April 12th, 2013 I walked into the emergency room (ER) thinking I had appendicitis. A week prior my 6’2″ friend sat on my back for while I played cards on the floor. Since then, I was having symptoms like nausea and an extreme…
Teenagers Can Get Blood Clots: Amy’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…
I Put My Health First Now: Kimbery’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 patient stories that appear here, does not imply that NBCA is connected to…
There is Life After Blood Clots: Rebekah Bradford’s Story
Rebekah Bradford is a 2010 Olympian, a two-time US Sprint Champion, and a Master Sprint World Champion in Speed Skating. She tells her story: The spine specialist called me first thing Monday morning and informed me that I needed to see a pulmonologist (lung doctor) right away. There was something on my lung. The appointment…
Be Your Own Advocate: Michelle’s Story
My name is Michelle, and like many of the patient stories on this site, I stumbled upon the Stop The Clot Facebook page during my research for more information on blood clots. On October 29, 2013, I survived a life-threatening blood clot in my calf (deep vein thrombosis or “DVT”) and lungs (pulmonary embolism or…
No Longer Nonadherent: Shawna’s Story
Shawna was never too keen on going to the doctor. By her own admission, she did so fairly infrequently. So, it came as quite a shock when she found herself at her doctor’s office, and surrounded by no less than three physicians, waiting for an ambulance to transport her to the hospital. “I didn’t go…
Debbe’s Prescription for Adherence: Patient Empowerment
It was mid-March in 2009, and spring was just a few days away. The weather was inviting, but Debbe McCall didn’t take her daily walk that morning. She woke up that day to her heart racing. A quick check with her blood pressure cuff showed that her pulse was 121 beats per minute, and her…
Don’t Stop Fighting: Tara’s Story
Tara Robison was startled at age 20 by 21 blood clots in her lungs. She was misdiagnosed at first, but her persistence in seeking further care saved her life. In June 2010, I felt a pain in the right side of my upper chest that I thought at first was just gas pain. I…
Do Not Wait to Seek Care: Melissa’s Story
I was a healthy 25-year-old who ran numerous half marathons, sprint triathlons, and I am also an active Crossfitter. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I’d battle life-threatening blood clots in my calf (deep vein thrombosis/DVT) and lungs (pulmonary embolism/PE). I noticed lingering calf pain in my left leg in September 2011. There…
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…
