Home / JUNE PEP TALK: VTE AND HE

JUNE PEP TALK: VTE AND HE

Date: June 11, 2024

Time: 7:00 pm

Did you know that the overall risk of blood clots is slightly higher in men than in women? That risk increases as men age, and certain male cancers — including prostate cancer — leads to a higher incidence of blood clots. Hear from three patients as we unpack the male blood clot experience.

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Advancing blood clot awareness, prevention, diagnosis & treatments to #stoptheclot. Submit your story @ link below ⬇️ Our podcast: Taking a Breath 🎙️

💛 The ripple is growing. This Giving Tuesday,

💛 The ripple is growing.

This Giving Tuesday, your generosity is already helping save lives.

We’re close to our goal — but the next few hours matter.

When a patient finds NBCA at 2 a.m., searching for answers and support…

When a caregiver understands what questions to ask…

When a story helps someone recognize a warning sign and get help in time…

That’s the ripple *you* create.

If everyone who turned to NBCA for information or support this year contributed even a small amount, imagine the reach we could create together — and the number of people who would be safer because this community exists.

Your gift powers:

✨ Lifesaving education

✨ Support for patients + families

✨ Better diagnosis + prevention

✨ Answers during frightening moments

There’s still time to change someone’s story.

👉 Donate: Link in bio💛

If you’ve already donated today, thank you! Sharing this post helps the ripple reach even farther.

#StopTheClot #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2025 #GlobalGenerosity #BloodClotAwareness

If you’ve already donated to NBCA for Giving Tue

If you’ve already donated to NBCA for Giving Tuesday, thank you — your generosity truly makes a difference. 💛

Now, help inspire the next person.

Share your UNselfie and show the world why blood clot awareness matters to you — whether it’s for your own health, someone you love, or a story that changed the way you see blood clots.

Here’s how to join in:

✨ Make a sign that says why you’re supporting blood clot awareness (or download the unselfie template: Link in bio.

✨ Take a picture of yourself holding it

✨ Post it on social media and tag us @stoptheclot with #UNselfie and #GivingTuesday

We’ll be resharing your UNselfies throughout the day to remind others of the real people behind this movement.

If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time — and your UNselfie can spark someone else’s gift, too.

Donate Now: Link in bio.

#StopTheClot #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2025 #GlobalGenerosity #BloodClotAwareness

Maybe you found NBCA after a frightening ER visit.

Maybe you found NBCA after a frightening ER visit.

Maybe you learned the warning signs because someone you love didn’t have the chance to.

Or maybe you’re here because a single story opened your eyes to what blood clots can do — and what awareness can prevent.

At NBCA, we see every day how one moment of generosity can change someone’s life:

❤️ One donation fuels education for someone who’s scared and searching online at 2 a.m.

❤️ One resource gives a caregiver the words they need to advocate.

❤️ One story helps a person recognize symptoms and get treatment in time.

Your #GivingTuesday support strengthens that ripple — one person, one family, one life at a time.

Every gift — $10, $25, $50, or any amount — helps save lives.

Thank you for being part of this life-saving ripple. 💛

👉 Donate: Link in bio.

#StopTheClot #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2025 #GlobalGenerosity #BloodClotAwareness

A blood clot diagnosis can feel overwhelming, and

A blood clot diagnosis can feel overwhelming, and many people are left wondering what’s normal, how recovery works, and where to find support.

You don’t have to go through it alone.

NBCA has two key resources for people who have been recently diagnosed with a blood clot, or are continuing to learn about their condition:

❤️ New Patient Guide

A free handbook (in English and Spanish) that answers common questions and helps you navigate life after a clot. 👉 Download: Link in bio.

📅 PEP Talk — Tuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. ET

Our next live session is designed for newly diagnosed patients and their loved ones. Diane Wirth, MSN, ANP-BC, CACP, will cover early recovery, daily management, and how to work with your care team. 👉 Register: Link in bio.

Whether you’re healing or supporting someone you love, these resources offer clarity, guidance, and community at a time you need it most.

#StopTheClot #BloodClots #VTE #NewDiagnosis #BloodClotAwareness #NewPatientGuide

🏈 It’s game day! 🏈 Tonight on Monday Nigh

🏈 It’s game day! 🏈

Tonight on Monday Night Football, @Patriots long snapper @julian.ashby takes the field promoting the National Blood Clot Alliance and blood clot awareness through My Cause My Cleats — a tribute to former @paladinfootball teammate Bryce Stanfield, who died suddenly from a blood clot in 2024.

Bryce’s mother, @teristanfield, shared how much this moment means to their family: “If sharing his story helps one person recognize a warning sign or get help sooner, then his light is still shining, and his life is still making a difference.”

Learn the story behind the tribute: Link in bio.

📸 👟 Spot the cleats tonight?

If you catch them during tonight’s broadcast kicking off at 8:15 p.m. ET, snap a photo and tag @stoptheclot — we’d love to see and share your posts!

#StopTheClot #MyCauseMyCleats #NewEnglandPatriots #NFL #BloodClotAwareness #StanfieldStrong #BeLikeBryce

❤️‍🩹 The @Patriots published a powerful a

❤️‍🩹 The @Patriots published a powerful and deeply moving article about rookie long snapper @julian.ashby and his tribute to his friend and former @paladinfootball teammate, Bryce Stanfield.

The story shares the heartbreaking loss of Bryce to a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs), Julian’s commitment to honoring his legacy, and his partnership with the National Blood Clot Alliance through the @NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign.

👉 Read the full article (link in bio) and tune in tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET as the Patriots face the New York Giants. Watch for Julian’s custom “Stop the Clot” cleats as he raises awareness and plays in Bryce’s memory.

@teristanfield

#StopTheClot #MyCauseMyCleats #NewEnglandPatriots #NFL #FurmanUniversity #BloodClotAwareness #StanfieldStrong #BeLikeBryce

🎉 We’re proud to share that the National Bloo

🎉 We’re proud to share that the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) has been selected for an Oral Presentation at this year’s American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting — an extremely competitive distinction awarded to only a small percentage of abstract submissions each year, and even fewer nonprofit organizations.

Our presentation next week will highlight insights from the B.L.A.C.K. (Black Lives Advocating for Clot Knowledge) Church Bus Tour, a first-of-its-kind community-based initiative created to address critical health disparities by partnering with Black faith communities across the southeastern United States.

Post-event surveys showed significant increases in knowledge about blood clot risks, symptoms, and treatment — and 100% of attendees said they planned to share what they learned with others. These outcomes demonstrate the power of culturally tailored, community-driven outreach to close gaps in blood clot awareness and save lives.

We’re honored to bring this work to the clinical community and to elevate how community partnerships can meaningfully address blood clot health disparities.

🔗 Read the research: Link in bio.

#StopTheClot #HealthEquity #VTEAwareness #ASH25 #BloodClotAwareness

🏈 Countdown to Monday Night Football 🏈 TONI

“This May, I tore my calf muscle playing soccer.

“This May, I tore my calf muscle playing soccer. It was the same injury I had only three months earlier, so I thought I knew what to expect. Three days later, I had a massage and then left for Cuba that evening on a three-hour flight.

My calf was sore and I had bought a calf sleeve to support me it while walking. The pain in my calf was terrible, especially when I woke up in the night to go to the washroom, or waking up in the morning. It lessened slightly with walking.

A few days into my trip, I developed a rash all down my right shin on my injured leg and the calf was mildly swollen. I thought it could be heat rash as it was very hot that week and I had been wearing a support sleeve on my leg. I felt uncomfortable since it was on my injured leg and was driven by taxi to a nearby clinic at 3 a.m.

I explained the injury to the doctor and that I had been wearing a support sleeve for my calf. She touched my calf and said it was heat rash. She recommended keeping it cool and elevated. I believed the doctor and stayed in my air conditioned room for the remainder on my trip with my leg elevated.

I got home and my ankle was so swollen. I went to urgent care the next morning where I explained everything to the doctor. He sent me for an ultrasound, which found a DVT above the back of my right knee. He said he suspected I had a blood clot just by looking at my leg. I was overwhelmed and cried a bunch that weekend. I was on apixaban for three months and my next ultrasound came back clear, clot fully resolved.

I'm a little anxious of random feelings in my legs. But after my calf injury healed, I'm prioritizing exercise again and being smart while I travel. I went to Portugal while on thinners. I wore compression socks, moved on the plane and booked aisle seats. I was told I’m not someone who is especially prone to getting clots, which is reassuring, but the worry is still there.

Blood clots symptoms can mimic so many other things. So, be careful.”

Read more stories on our website.

#StopTheClot #StopTheClotStory #BloodClots #DVT #Travel

🎉 We’re excited to announce that the National

🎉 We’re excited to announce that the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) will be exhibiting at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, December 6-9 in Orlando, FL! We'll be bringing the patient perspective to more than 25,000 clinicians and scientists in attendance. Follow along with @stoptheclot on X for updates from the conference and scientific sessions!

#StopTheClot #ASH25 #HematologyConference

💊Taking a blood thinner and have Medicare? You

💊Taking a blood thinner and have Medicare?

You may qualify for an option to help manage your prescription costs.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP), first introduced in 2025, will make it easier for individuals with Part D drug coverage to afford important medications — including anticoagulants — by letting you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs into monthly, interest-free payments instead of paying everything at once.

This can help if you:

💊 Take lifelong or high-cost blood thinner medications

💰 Struggle to afford large pharmacy bills up front

🗓️ Prefer smaller, predictable monthly payments

Participation is optional, and you can enroll anytime, but reviewing your coverage and eligibility now during open enrollment ensures you’re prepared.

Learn more about the MPPP and get guidance for people managing chronic conditions like blood clots:👉 Link in bio.

#Medicare #OpenEnrollment #StopTheClot #VTEAwareness #Anticoagulation #BloodClots #MedicarePrescriptionPaymentPlan #MPPP

“In June 2024, shortly after turning 30, I was d

“In June 2024, shortly after turning 30, I was diagnosed with an unprovoked DVT in my lower left leg. The diagnosis and the sudden need to start blood thinners felt like a death sentence. I was terrified and didn't know where to turn.

Once the clot was discovered, I was started on apixaban immediately and told to follow up in a few months for genetic testing to uncover why the clot had formed in the first place. Estrogen-based birth control was my only known risk factor.

I eventually found an excellent team of specialists, a vascular doctor, primary care physician, hematologist, and rheumatologist, who worked collaboratively to order the appropriate genetic tests after six months on apixaban.

In May 2025, nearly a year after the clot was first identified, I finally received a diagnosis: triple positive antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

From there, I transitioned from apixaban to warfarin, using an injectable medication called enoxaparin to bridge between the two. It took months for my body to stabilize within a therapeutic range, and I’m still learning about warfarin’s sensitivities and how to manage my INR — a standardized measure of how long it takes for your blood to clot, which is used to ensure warfarin stays at a safe and effective level.

This has been the most unexpected and discouraging journey of my life, but I continue to challenge myself, advocate for myself, and encourage others to do the same.

I’m still adjusting to this new reality of bloodwork every two weeks, wearing compression socks every day, INR monitoring, routine ultrasounds, and the understanding that lifelong management will be part of my care.

My goal as a young woman living with vascular and blood disorders is to raise awareness and promote healthy blood flow habits, such as leg elevation and wearing compression socks. There is simply not enough information or visibility for young women with autoimmune and clotting disorders, especially those with APS or CVI."

Read more stories at the link in bio.

#StopTheClot #StopTheClotStory #BloodClots #APS #CVI #BloodClotAwareness

Happy Thanksgiving! 💛 Today is all about grati

Happy Thanksgiving! 💛 Today is all about gratitude, connection, and the people we love. It’s also National Family Health History Day — a reminder that one of the most meaningful conversations you can have is about your family’s health.

Blood clots can be linked not only to surgery, injury, pregnancy, or long travel, but also to hereditary conditions you may not know about. Sharing your family’s health story can help protect the people you love most.

👉 Watch our November PEP Talk on this topic: Link in bio.

#StopTheClot #Thanksgiving #NationalFamilyHealthHistoryDay #KnowYourRisk #BloodClotAwareness

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️ Season 3, Epis

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️

Season 3, Episode 3 of Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot podcast is now available on all major podcast platforms.

In this episode, listeners hear from Chris Gailus, anchor of News Hour on Global BC Television in Vancouver. He describes how he experienced leg swelling after a morning run and figured it was a pulled muscle.

About a week later, he felt a sharp pain in his side along with shortness of breath.

The ER sent him home, so he waited a few days until a scheduled checkup with his doctor, who recognized the signs of a pulmonary embolism.

“I’m thankful to him,” Chris said, his voice filled with emotion. “I believe he saved my life.”

During Thanksgiving week, we’re thinking about the people whose awareness, instincts, and advocacy save lives every day — including clinicians like the one who recognized Chris’s PE.

Thank you, Chris, for sharing your story and helping raise awareness. 👉 Listen to his journey on our website or wherever you get your podcasts: Link in bio.

#StopTheClot #TakingABreath #TakingABreath #StopTheClotPodcast #BloodClotPodcast

The moment you hear the words, “you have a blood

The moment you hear the words, “you have a blood clot,” everything shifts. Your routines, your plans, your sense of safety all feel uncertain.

Our next PEP Talk on Tuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. is designed to meet you in that moment.

We’ll talk about what early recovery is actually like, how to recognize what’s normal, how to manage the day-to-day changes, and where to find trustworthy guidance.

If you or a loved one are searching for clarity, connection, and a steadier path forward, this session is for you.

👉 Register: Link in bio.

If you can’t make the live webinar, sign up anyway to get the recording sent straight to your inbox.

#StopTheClot #BloodClots #VTE #NewDiagnosis #BloodClotAwareness

The National Blood Clot Alliance is honored to ann

⏰ #GivingTuesday is just one week away on Decemb

⏰ #GivingTuesday is just one week away on December 2!

Blood clots don’t wait, and neither can we. Every few minutes, someone in the U.S. is hospitalized or loses their life to a preventable blood clot.

Behind every survivor is a ripple — a clinician who recognized the signs, a family member who urged them to seek care, a friend who shared a resource, or a stranger’s story that inspired them to act. Your support helps create those ripples before someone even knows they’ll need them.

This Giving Tuesday, your action can spark the next ripple.

Your support helps the National Blood Clot Alliance raise awareness, equip clinicians, fund patient education, and empower people to recognize the signs before it’s too late.

🔗 Here are four ways to join NBCA this Giving Tuesday (the link in our bio has more info!)

1. Donate: Your gift supports lifesaving awareness, education, and prevention efforts

2. Create a Facebook fundraiser: Rally your friends and family to give by starting your own fundraiser.

3. Share your story: Your voice may be the ripple that saves someone else.

4. Get your workplace involved: Encourage coworkers to donate, ask about matching gifts, or share NBCA’s mission in your company newsletter.

How do you plan to mark Giving Tuesday? Tell us in the comments!

🔗 For more ideas and resources, download NBCA’s 2025 Giving Tuesday Toolkit: Link in bio

#StopTheClot #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2025 #GlobalGenerosity #BloodClotAwareness

🫶 Every effort to prevent a blood clot is an ac

🫶 Every effort to prevent a blood clot is an act of public health.

Today, on #PublicHealthThankYouDay, we honor our partners in health — the clinicians, researchers, advocates, and community partners — who help NBCA empower patients, advance awareness, and save lives.

Public health workers are the link between science, healthcare systems, and everyday people. They translate knowledge into action so fewer people develop clots, more individuals receive timely diagnosis and treatment, and more families are spared preventable loss.

Join us in saying thank you to public health workers for their dedication to prevention, education, and care that keeps our communities safe.

Tag a public health hero in the comments to help us celebrate their impact.

#StopTheClot #PHTYD #BloodClotAwareness #PublicHealthHeroes

“On December 11, 2024, I went to the emergency r

“On December 11, 2024, I went to the emergency room because my entire right arm was swollen. My father told me not to go since I wasn’t in pain and already had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the next day, but something told me to get it checked out. I honestly thought it was just a pinched nerve — nothing serious.

When the ER doctor came in and told me I was in a life-or-death situation after finding a blood clot, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my arm, my whole world stopped. They prepared to transfer me for emergency surgery but later decided instead to start me on blood thinners and send me home. I didn’t realize at the time that my life was still in danger.

In the early morning hours of December 12, around 3 a.m., I woke up gasping for air. I couldn’t breathe. My heart was pounding out of my chest. My consciousness began to fade, and my whole body was tingling and numb. When I touched my left arm, I couldn’t feel my own touch — the sensation was completely gone.

I was rushed to the hospital and woke up the next day, Friday, December 13, after 12 hours in the ER. The doctors told me I was lucky to be alive — I had suffered a pulmonary embolism.

After my PE, I struggled to understand how this could have happened to me. It was labeled as unprovoked, which only made me more determined to find answers. For months, I shared my story, changed doctors, and kept searching.

My first hematologist told me there was nothing they could do to figure out why I had a blood clot and to seek psychological help.

About nine months later, after switching hematologists and hospitals, I finally learned the cause: venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS). My right first rib was severely compressing my subclavian vein — the same area where my clot had formed back in December.

On October 22, 2025, I underwent surgery to remove my first rib. Without it, I faced a high risk of another DVT or pulmonary embolism.

I believe God saved my life for a reason, and I’m grateful every day to still be here. My message to others: never stop advocating for yourself — your life may depend on it.”

More stories: Link in bio. @itsnicolejarosz

Game day energy. Player passion. A cause that save

Game day energy. Player passion. A cause that saves lives. 👟🏈

Every November and December, @NFL players lace up to honor the causes that matter most to them. This year, one NFL player is stepping onto the field with a powerful tribute in memory of a teammate gone too soon. We have a powerful My Cause My Cleats partnership announcement dropping this week. Any guesses? Comment below!

#StopTheClot #MyCauseMyCleats #NFL #BloodClotAwareness @ESPN

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