Juli Chadwick Victim of blood clots Country: Great Britain

A Survivor of Blood Clots

Julie Chadwick, a survivor of blood clots, learned just 10 days after giving birth to her son that her own life was limited, most likely quite short. The blood clots in Julie's veins did not respond to traditional treatment methods, and her life hung by a thread. Fortunately, Chadwick managed to overcome all the challenges fate threw at her. When doctors discovered blood clots in Julie Chadwick's lungs, they quickly delivered a rather grim prognosis to her partner Chris, stating that it was unlikely she would survive. A year has passed since the verdict, and Chadwick is in no hurry to depart to the other side, puzzling all the pessimistic medical professionals with her mere existence. During this time, she started pursuing an education and later got married. The wedding ceremony helped Chadwick "unfold reality" and add new, very pleasant memories to her list of experiences. As Chadwick admitted, her illness not only affected herself – her husband and the rest of their family also suffered greatly from her pain. Chris, who was 29 at the time, was informed that Chadwick had about a 10% chance of survival. Soon, the sad news reached their relatives and loved ones, who rushed to meet Julie to offer their condolences (and perhaps say goodbye). Julie collapsed for the first time 10 days after her son Casper's birth while she and Chris were dealing with his registration. Julie suddenly felt dizzy, and soon she lost consciousness. Fortunately for her, a certain medic was registering their own child on that day; thanks to his efforts, Chadwick managed to hold on until the arrival of an ambulance. New episodes followed one after another, and it was clear that Julie could not endure this for long. Examination at the hospital helped determine the cause of Julie's fainting spells – a massive blood clot was found in her pulmonary artery. It blocked the blood flow to her heart, thus provoking four consecutive heart attacks. Immediate treatment was prescribed, but blood thinners proved to be barely more helpful than harmful – Julie started bleeding from her mouth and ears. The doctors had to put Julie into a coma – and unfortunately, her chances of waking up from it were quite slim. However, fate turned out to be favoring her – despite the doctors' predictions, she managed to recover. Of course, even with this miraculous return to life, Julie and Chris faced numerous difficulties – for some time, Julie, who emerged from the coma, was unable to take care of herself. She couldn't speak or eat properly, but all of this no longer mattered because she was at least alive. Chris's care helped Julie fully recover, and those terrible days are now in the past. The source of these unfortunate blood clots is still unknown; among the numerous theories proposed by doctors, the most convincing one suggests a genetic mutation. Theoretically, about every 100th person suffers from this type of mutation, which manifests as an increased tendency for blood to form clots both with and without reason. Julie takes this theory quite seriously and advises other expectant mothers to pay closer attention to their health, undergo all necessary tests diligently, and not ignore any suspicious symptoms. Chadwick fully understands that her survival was equally due to both sheer luck and the hard work of others – the medical professionals from the intensive care unit and her own loved ones. She does not want anyone to go through something similar and does not wish to repeat her past experiences.