A 30-year-old mother has shared a horrifying image of 20 giant blood clots found in her leg – a gruesome side effect of giving birth to a “huge” sized baby.
Starla Ellis, 30, of Dayton, Ohio, had recently given birth to a 9-pound, 10.5-ounce newborn after a long, agonizing labor when she began feeling “excruciating” pain in her leg. right.
Doctors at the hospital said the pain was the result of a blood clot that likely formed due to pressure on the blood vessels in his lower body.
Doctors sent her home with blood thinners, but she returned a couple of days later when her leg became completely stiff.
Scans revealed that he did in fact have dozens of blood clots in his leg which would prove fatal if not removed immediately.
Ms Ellis said: “I was terrified and didn’t think I would make it out.” [of the hospital]’
Ms Ellis gave birth to her third child, Amaris, via emergency caesarean section after the baby got ‘stuck’
Ellis said her third child, Amaris, who finally arrived via emergency C-section in November, became “stuck” in her vaginal canal, causing her to push excessively before doctors decided to take her to the operating room.
After the birth, Ellis went home as planned, but the mother of three soon began experiencing a “burning pain” in her lower back, which then moved to her abdomen and right leg.
Ellis said she initially believed the pain was her body releasing pregnancy hormones and readjusting in the weeks after giving birth to her child.
But when the pain became unbearable, she went to the hospital where she claims she was told she had a blood clot in the femoral artery in her right leg, given blood thinners and sent home.
The 20 red blood clots found on a piece of cloth after they were removed from Mrs Ellis’ right leg.
Initially, Ms Ellis thought the medication was working, but when her leg became stiff and she couldn’t bend it, she visited another hospital for a second opinion two days later.
The customer service worker claims she underwent an ultrasound and was told she actually had 20 lumps on her leg and they needed to be surgically removed immediately.
Disturbing photos show red clots bulging on a piece of cloth after they were removed from her right leg.
Ellis says he thought he was going to die and is now urging people to be persistent with their hospital referrals to ensure they get the care they need the first time.
Mrs Ellis said: “I collapsed when I saw how many blood clots there were in my leg because I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
‘Seeing a photo of all the blood clots put into perspective how serious it was and how close I came to losing my life.
“Not only was I shocked by the photo of the 20 blood clots, but I was also hurt by the fact that the previous doctor let me leave the hospital.”
According to the CDC, blood clots can be very serious and should be treated quickly. They can lead to illness, disability, and even death if not treated in time.
While it’s unclear what caused the clots, Ellis claims a doctor told her the blood clots could have been caused by possible complications from the C-section.
According to Medical News Today, there are two types of blood clots that women can experience after giving birth.
One is clots that pass through the vagina in the days after birth, which are due to the lining of the uterus shedding and the placenta detaching.
Mrs Ellis with her family while pregnant with her third child
Ellis also said Amaris was a very “big” baby for her size. “They told me he was going to be a big baby and that he was big for my body since I’m five foot three and he was 9 pounds, 10 ounces,” she said.
The second is clots that occur within the body’s veins, which are rare but can be life-threatening.
This may be because pregnancy increases pressure in the veins in the legs and pelvis, making clots more likely to form.
Ellis also said Amaris was a very “big” baby for her size. “They told me he was going to be a big baby and that he was big for my body since I’m five foot three and he was 9 pounds, 10 ounces,” she said.
‘The pain [in my leg after the C-section] It was pretty persistent and kept getting worse and I went to the emergency room.
“At that moment the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t move and almost had to drag myself to the car to go to the hospital.’
Doctors ran some tests and discovered a blood clot in a large blood vessel in his leg. They sent her home with a blood thinner and She was told to follow up with her doctor in a week.
“When I was discharged I was quite worried because I had a numb feeling in my leg, but I just ignored it because the hospital told me I could go.
‘At first I thought the blood thinners were working. I tried to move on because the hospital had discharged me, but that night I was back on the ground.
‘My leg was completely stiff at the time and I couldn’t bend it. Complete terror was going through my head and I thought I might lose my leg,” she said.
He decided to go to a different emergency room to get a second opinion.
‘At that time I had a fever and they gave me painkillers, but they didn’t help me at all because the pain was so intense.
“Then they sent me to the blood and vessels department and they did some tests and an ultrasound on my leg and they realized the clots were much worse.
“I was terrified and I didn’t think I would make it out.” [of the hospital].’
After being shown a photo of the 20 clots removed from her leg, she said she “broke down” upon seeing them.
Ms Ellis said: “You need to be persistent with your doctor about your medical care and they don’t always seem to be as concerned as you are.”
‘You know your body and if you feel something is wrong you need to get it checked.
“Be sure to follow up with your doctor, as blood clots can be fatal.”