Source: WPVI-TV
With the intense pressure of planning her wedding, 26-year-old Jordan Ward dismissed the migraine headaches, blurred vision, vomiting and nausea she was experiencing as stress.
Ward told Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate, “Honestly, I was just very overwhelmed with a tension headache.”
But in actuality, her body was attempting to warn her of a much more severe issue. Ward refused to go to the doctor until finally her fiancé forced her to go to the emergency room. Doctors told her she was suffering from migraines and sent her home.
When the symptoms persisted the couple returned. Ward was given a CAT scan that revealed she had suffered a kind of stroke. There was a large blood clot that blocked a network of veins in her brain.
She told ABC, “When I did get the news I was in shock. I’m 26-years-old.”
Doctors were able to tell her fairly soon afterward that the clot had been caused by her birth control pills.
Dr. George Teitelbaum, the medical director of the Providence Neurovascular Center, said Ward’s particular oral contraceptive contained a dose of estrogen that increase the risk of blood clots, particularly in women who smoke, which Ward did.
Teitelbaum said, “The brain swelling can become severe enough that somebody can be thrown into a coma. They can even die from this.”
Teitelbaum and his team were able to remove the clot and eight days later Ward left the hospital without any neurological effects.
Ward is thankful for her fiancé’s persistence and says that their June wedding is moving forward as planned.
“I’m so thankful for so many things, but especially for the fact that I still get to marry the man of my dreams,” Ward said.
She also urges all women who take birth control pills to talk to their doctor and understand the risks.
“I would just want people to really ready those label signs. Listen, dig deeper, try to gain an understanding, because you could save your own life.”
Ward’s doctor recommends that women on the pill avoid smoking and excessive alcohol and make a conscious effort to stay hydrated.
Thank God her fiancé pushed her to go to the doctor.
Ladies, have any of you out there experienced severe complications from your birth control?
