Support And Advice On All Things Blood Clot Related
Please check out our NEW podcast above!
Support And Advice On All Things Blood Clot Related
Please check out our NEW podcast above!
About Thrombowatch
Story
My dad lost his mother to a stroke when she was just 53. They said it was just one of those things.
Years later, at 64, he had his first blood clot. He was a healthy non-smoker, so it came as a shock. It started with sudden knee pain, and the GP attempted to aspirate fluid. They said it was just one of those things. Even on Warfarin, he continued to develop clots.
Around that time, I had suffered multiple miscarriages, but no investigations were ever done—it was just dismissed as "one of those things." Conscious of my age, I pursued private IVF treatment. As part of the workup, they took a detailed family history and asked about blood clots. This led to extra blood tests, which revealed that I have Factor V Leiden. I carry one copy of the gene—something we now know I inherited from my dad.
Because of this finding, back in 2005, IVF was declined. I wasn’t considered a candidate for any treatment involving hormones. Since then, I’ve been mindful of my risk. I take precautions when flying and try to stay active. These days, my Factor V Leiden status even appears in DNA tests, like 23andMe, making it much easier to discover.
The Team
Dr Aman Sharma
Louise Thompson
Louise Thompson
● Internal Medicine Doctor
● NHS Clinical Entrepreneur
Louise Thompson
Louise Thompson
Louise Thompson
● Patient Advocate & Podcast Lead
● NHS Clinical Entrepreneur
● Lived Experience with Factor V Leiden
Martin Taylor
Louise Thompson
Martin Taylor
● Digital & Production Lead