THANK YOU to ALL who have made a purchase so that they can help spread the work about blood clots and blood clotting disorders as well as inspire other blood clot survivors to get back doing what they loved doing either in sport or outside of sport.
Getting polka-dots out of people is very exciting to me because I am always asking to learn about the purchaser's blood clotting story. I know that it is a bit forward but all stories intrigue me and I always find them fascinating.
June's Athlete of the Month is indeed a victim of my questions...
This lady just wanted to get her polka-dots and get out in Central Park to wear them proudly... but here I was asking away my usual set of questions and of course making in roads to see if she would be willing to share here story with a all of us... Well, THANKFULLY she was willing to share her story of survival from blood clots which you can read more about below.
So, please allow me to introduce to you ANGIE MOREFIELD!
1) What is you
sport/activity of choice? Why do you enjoy it?
I have been competing triathlon for about 4 years. I love
pushing myself and seeing what I'm capable of physically and mentally.
2) How did you get started in that sport?
I originally started doing triathlon for the
Leukemia/Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program to help find a cure for
blood cancers. It was a great program to learn the sport and help a great cause
at the same time.
3) What is the latest milestone you achieved or
plan to achieve?(Long bike ride, some race coming up or that you did) .
I am currently training for Ironman Mt. Tremblant on August
17th. I've been training since October. I've put lots of mileage on my bike, in
the water and on my running for the legs to get stronger since my PE. This past
Memorial Day weekend was the hardest and longest mileage yet in training. I was
able to log about 200 miles on my bike, and about 20 miles running. Not to
mention a couple open water swims all up in beautiful Lake Placid, NY.
4) Tells about your clotting episode. Are you on blood thinners now? How long were
you out of commission?
Last June I was training for what was then my 2nd Ironman
competition. I had flown out to Lake Tahoe to do a Century ride with my
brother. After a fantastic day riding 100 miles I then hoped on a red eye
flight back to New York City. The next day I resumed my training but something
felt off. Wasn't sure if it was the jet lag, the red eye, the NY humidity but
something didn't feel right. I continued to train that week. On Saturday I was
supposed to run 18 miles but could barely crawl through 4. The next day on
Sunday (1 week after my Century ride) I went out for an 80 mile ride with
friends. I couldn't ride up the same hills I had been able to ride up for the
last 4 years. I just didn't have the breath or energy. I thought maybe I had
allergies or some sort of exercise educed Asthma. The next morning, going to
work I had a very difficult time walking up the Subway stairs. A close coworker
looked at me and recommended I go to urgent care and just have my symptoms
looked at. I thought nothing of it but agreed. When I got to urgent care they
asked me 3 questions (1: had I done any recent travel, 2: do I have a history
of blood disorders in my family, and 3: are you on birth control (I was
currently on the Nuva Ring). When I said yes to all the questions they insisted
I go to the ER immediately because they thought I had a Pulmonary Embolism. I
was familiar with this because my mom had had 2 PE's in the past. But, how
could this happen to me? Young, athletic, healthy. Quickly I learned it can
happen to anyone. 
5) When were you able to get back into your
activity? How did it feel that first
time?
I was released from the hospital 4 days later. My doctor
said I could try to run maybe a mile after 2 weeks. So I did. It was the
hardest mile of my life. From there I just gratually started riding my bike at
a studio and slowly running trying to get my lungs back. I even competed in a
Tough Mudder 3 months after my diagnosis. Wasn't easy by any means, but I did
it. I was on Rivaroxaban for 7 months and wasn't able to ride my bike outdoors
for fear of crashing and bleeding out. The day I was able to ride outdoors
again was with my brother. It was very emotional and I couldn't of been
happier.
6) What is your favorite piece of gear for your
favorite activity? (Bike brand, running shoes, perhaps a running singlet or the
Clot Buster's
Running Polka-Dot
Technical Shirt...) I love my bike. Miss Roo is her name. She's a black and pink
Quintana Roo and she's gotten me through some rough times, races and emotional
moments.
8) What is your favorite food? Either generally or after a workout. For me there is nothing better than a
Chipotle Burrito...
Being a California girl living in New York City, I love
mexican food. But during training it's not the best food to generally eat
before workouts. :) So, I will always still with a good cold beer immediately
after a race or major workout to be my favorite.
9) If you could go some place to visit and explore,
where would like to go?
I would love to go Greece some day. Do they have races
there? :)
10) What would like to say to someone who is
going through a clotting episode, perhaps very similar to yours? How can people return to do what they enjoy?
Tells about your concerns and what you look out after as you got back.
Coming back from having a PE while being so young and
healthy has been quite the emotional rollercoaster. Being and athlete the
frustration I've gone through with why my body won't respond the way it had in
the past or the way I want it to can really screw with your head. But each day,
I remind myself of my favorite mantra "What doesn't kill me makes me
stronger" and I just keep swimming...or biking...or running. I'm so lucky
to have supportive family members, friends and teammates who are always
cheerleading for me and pushing me. The body is an amazing things. All I think
about these days is the moment I'm going to be able to cross the finish line to
my Ironman, and come back from one of the scariest moments of my life.
#SUCKITPE