Melanie Polk, a business owner, wife, and mother of two teenage girls, was working out of town when a blood clot, as she says, "rocked her world." Shortly after running a marathon this past spring, her doctor suggested she take birth control pills to address some of the troublesome menopause symptoms she was experiencing. Several weeks later, and while on the road for business, Melanie experienced pain in her calf and breathlessness, which led to a diagnosis of a blood clot in her leg and in her lung. She was hospitalized far from her family and friends for two days, while doctors worked to treat her blood clots. 

"I t's been...weeks since my diagnosis, and I feel like it's three steps forward, three steps back," Melanie explains. "I am emotionally fragile. I am hypersensitive to any leg pain. When I fly, I am fidgeting. I worry that because I am still breathless sometimes, I am not improving. I go weeks feeling almost normal, and then I am hit by fatigue and breathlessness. Reading other patient stories is comforting as I wade through recovery. I am grateful to be alive." ( You can read all of Melanie's story here.)

 

We are grateful that Melanie shared her story with us, and we're grateful for all of the other inspiring stories that have been shared with us this past year, as they underscore the importance of the work we do at the National Blood Clot Alliance, and the important connections we have with so many individuals throughout the country. The sense of community that is formed through these stories and all the people who engage with us throughout the year, gives even greater meaning to the work we do to support our mission to advance the prevention, early diagnosis, and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots.