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Going to the doctors office is never fun whether it be with a physician, eye doctor, foot doctor,

or dentist. Going to the emergency room is even less fun. The worst is going to the emergency
room because something doesnt feel right, and not knowing what is the problem. The unknown
is a very scary place. When I was nineteen-years-old, I was taken to the emergency room for
what I thought was going to be routine. I ended up leaving with something completely
unexpected.

October 22, 2001 was a beautiful, sunny fall day. The temperature was in a comfortable mid
50s range. I had picked up my morning coffee as I usually did and went into work. Youre still
limping?, Elsie asked. Yeah. I feel the pain to be much worse almost intolerable. The
swelling comes right back as soon as I stand, I replied. Elsie, who was the manager of the
furniture store I worked at had a concerning look on her face. You see, for the past month or so,
Ive been having swelling in my left leg accompanied by sharp pain in the calf area. As time
went on, the swelling became so severe that I wasnt able to fit a gym shoe without the laces on
my foot. The pain in my calf muscle could be described as being in the middle of a basketball
game and a cramp suddenly strikes; paralyzing you to the point where you fall to the floor. The
only difference was that the pain didnt go away unless I was laying down with my feet in the air.
You need to go to the hospital. And since youre apparently too stubborn to go, Im calling
your aunt to come pick you up and take you, Elsie said scoldingly. She was right, I was
stubborn. I knew deep down something was wrong. My mentality was if I just wait long
enough, it will go away. I had no choice but to let her call my aunt. The pain was too
excruciating to bear any longer it was time. Since my aunt was the HR manager for the
business, it made sense to call her instead of my mother. My aunt was 15 minutes away, working

at a different location, compared to the hour away my mother was. I got a call from the
receptionist at the front of the store to let me know my aunt was here and was on her way to the
back office where I was at. As soon as she walked into the office, Elsie greeted her. Sorry for
having to call you, Rosa, but I had no other choice. Everyday she comes in; she looks worse.
You were right to call me. I know how stubborn she can be. Lily, are you ready to go? asked
my aunt. Yeah, lets go, I defeatedly responded. Lily is a nickname that only my family
members use to refer to me. On our way to the hospital my aunt lectured me about taking care of
oneself. I told her she was right, but just didnt think it was a big deal. When we dont think
its a big deal is when it turns out that it actually is, she said. Maybe she was right, but in that
point of my life, I thought I had it all figured out.

After registering at the hospital and giving my symptoms to the triage nurse, I was escorted to
my own bed in the ER. The nurse gave me a gown to change into while another was prepping an
IV to inject into my arm. Needles and mass amounts of blood are my kryptonite. I begin to get
clammy, my hands shake with nervousness, and the closer the needle gets to me, the fainter I
become. Is all this really necessary? Its a pain Im feeling in my leg for Christs sake. Its not
like its surgery or anything, I declare. Before she can respond, a group of doctors walk in. Hi
Ana. Can you tell me when you started to notice any discomfort in your leg? As I did with the
triage nurse, I recounted exactly when I realized the pain. OK, so just to make sure I have it all
down you started to notice swelling in your leg about a month ago. The pain started about a
week after that. Gradually you started feeling the pain more severe and the swelling to be more
prominent. This has affected your walking as time went by. Today was probably the worse pain
you have felt to date. Your boss was worried about you because she too noticed it wasnt getting

better. She calls your aunt, your aunt picks you up, and here you guys are. Does that sound
right, Ana? You got it doc. Good. Im going to request for you to be off your feet. We are
going to put these boots on your legs to help circulate the blood since you wont be getting up.
Im also going to order an Ultrasound of your leg to see whats causing all this discomfort. Its
very important you stay off your feet until I have those results. Sound good? Yeah, I guess
so, I replied rather annoyed.

The Ultrasound room was so cold. I didnt understand that. I mean, sure its kept like that to
keep bacteria and virus from spreading, but a couple of notches up on the thermostat couldnt of
hurt. Once I was placed on the bed, the nurse dimmed the lights which brought this sense of
relaxation in the room. The technician, dressed in light blue scrubs, entered the room. She
couldnt have been older than twenty-five. How are you doing sweetie? Is this your first time
getting an ultrasound? Yes, and Im a bit nervous about it. I really dont know what these
machines do or what their purpose are. It doesnt hurt, does it? Of course not! I will put jelly
on this camera and run in up and down your leg and see if we can get some good pictures for the
doctor. After a few minutes, a cold feeling on my leg startles me. Thats colder than I thought
it would be, I said. Itll warm up as I continue. I tried to make out what was on the screen,
but all it looked like was a channel that couldnt get good reception. She ran the camera from
my hip all the way down to the ankle on the front side of my leg. After snapping a few pictures,
she proceeded to do the same to the back part of my leg. Once she reached the calf area, she
remained fixated. After about five minutes I asked her if all looked ok. Nothing to worry
about. Just taking the pictures the doctor has requested. I wasnt buying it, though. Her face

had somewhat of concern written on it. After another ten minutes, I was done and taken back to
the ER.
Shortly after, the doctor came in and told me I had a blood clot in my left calf that was six inches
long. Over the course of the month, its started traveling towards my heart. Another two or
three days and that clot couldve traveled to your heart and killed you. Your lucky you made it
here today. We are going to put you on blood thinners immediately to get that clot under
control. I began to cry. The fact that I couldve died that week made me anxious. He told me
to calm down and not worry since I was already in the hospital. Wheres my aunt? She came in
with me, I said. At some point, while getting the ultrasound done, she had gone to call my
father and he arrived shortly after. She went to go greet him at the entrance of the hospital. The
doctor then began to push on my stomach, just like every other doctors appointment Ive ever
had. Your stomach seems pretty hard. Why is that? Abs of steel?, I jokingly replied. We
both knew that was a lie a lie that he didnt find amusing. He asked when was my last
menstrual cycle. As I previously answered to the nurse, it was about two months ago. I was
irregular so it wasnt uncommon for me to miss every other month. Because your stomach IS
so hard, Id like to order up an ultrasound of your stomach. I just want to make sure were not
missing anything. I agreed. Hey, if theyre going to run all these tests to eliminate what is
wrong, do it today; that way I dont have to come back. Instead of taking me back to the room
where the initial ultrasound took place, I was wheeled into a room that was fifteen feet away. I
assumed that room was probably busy before. The familiar cold sensation startled me just as it
had before. Two doctors, one nurse, and the technician were in this small room with me. It felt a
bit cramped. After running the camera for a few moments, the doctor says, there are the
fingers. Thats amazing!, I thought to myself. How can they see my fingers through my

stomach? Theres the head. Lets measure it, the doctor says. At this point, Im in utter shock.
Has technology advanced so much that everything on the human body can be viewed through the
stomach, using a tool that resembles a television remote control? December 14th. December
14th? Thats my mom and my brothers birthday, I said confused. I looked at all of them, they
looked at each other, and then looked at me, all of us with the same bewildered expression.
Youre pregnant. Seven and a half months, no less. Your baby is due on December 14th. All
the blood in my head left. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. My body felt like it
was buried in cement, and someone had just hit the off switch to my brain. All the sounds
escaped the room. It was the equivalent of laying in bed in dead silence, in total darkness. The
feeling that you get right before you pass out; the last anything you remember seeing, hearing, or
feeling thats what I was experiencing in that moment. Once it registered, my immediate
reaction was to cry; and cry I did. Ten minutes ago I had just found out that I was a few days
from death. Now Im being told that, not only will I survive, but I will be welcoming a new life.
Anxiety, apprehension, worriment, and nervousness hit me simultaneously like a brick wall.

If I wouldve went to the doctor when I first felt the discomfort in my leg, the outcome wouldnt
have been any different in this case. I still wouldve been diagnosed with a blood clot in the left
calf and I still wouldve been pregnant. Looking back on the months that lead up to that hospital
visit I never saw symptoms that would lead me to think that anything was off. Morning
sickness never happened, nor did weight gain. Contrary to the belief, I lost weight. The doctors
themselves even said I didnt look pregnant for being as far along as I was. I went from being a
regular nineteen-year-old to an expecting mother experiencing a high risk pregnancy, and I only
had a little more than a month to prepare. Now to tell my boyfriend.

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