A little over 2 years ago, on May 31st, I had a stroke caused by my birth control pill, Loryna. I had been on the pill for approximately 9 months before the clots developed. I didn’t even know what a stroke was until I was in the hospital and I kept hearing the word. Here I was 31 years old and in the hospital after suffering from a stroke.
I was 6 months into a new manager position when the pandemic hit. We closed like everyone else. I worked for 2 days then I was off for the weekend. I woke up that Saturday and my left leg was killing me. I could barely walk, but I still managed to go back to my place of business to see if they needed any help. After work, I did some shopping and then went home because I couldn’t stand the pain anymore. I went to the ER later that day and they gave me an ultrasound. They said they found nothing. NOTHING! They were very dismissive and sent me home.
The next morning changed my life forever. I woke up and my leg hurt even worse. I called my mom and told her what happened and told her that I wanted to go to a different ER. Things went downhill from there. I passed out and hit my head on my nightstand. By the time I woke up, my mother was there with the EMTs. I know I couldn’t breathe. I had an ischemic stroke and pulmonary embolism. The clot went up my leg, through my lungs, across my heart, and into my brain. I was in the hospital for a week.
As I said before, I had no idea what a stroke was before this! I kept hearing it when I was in the hospital and they said my birth control, Loryna, caused the stroke. I also found out that I have a clotting disorder. I would think my doctor would have tested me for a clotting disorder before prescribing birth control, but I guess they don’t do that and they don’t tell women about the risks. I didn’t know that my birth control would give me a stroke. Think before you decide to get birth control. The birth control I was taking had low hormones, but I still developed a clot that led to pulmonary embolism and a stroke.
I learned the hard way that doctors do not take the symptoms of blood clots seriously. I knew something was wrong, but I was sent home from the ER. If you feel like you have developed a blood clot from hormonal birth control and are being pushed away at your doctor’s office or ER, go to another one immediately. It could save your life.
It has been just a little over two years since my stroke. The stroke affected me in many ways. I have issues with my speech. I had many panic and anxiety attacks that I still suffer from today. I was depressed, lost the best job I have ever had, and my confidence went right out the window.
My stroke was pretty severe but they said because of my age and how healthy I was overall, I survived. After the stroke, it took a lot of people to convince me that I could do anything, as long as I put my mind to it. My first job was at a beauty supply store and currently, I’m working as a receptionist for a great company. They say in therapy that after you have a stroke, you are always recovering. I find that to be very true.
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Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash.
