Thrombosis survivor Robyne Toseland shares her story: “It felt as though an elephant was sitting on my chest”

Having been born ten weeks early and weighing slightly over two pounds, Robyne Toseland of the United Kingdom has always considered herself lucky to be alive.

At age 22, she was diagnosed with asthma. However, in early 2008, she noticed her breathing was getting progressively worse. One night, a few minutes after exercising with a friend, she felt as though she was suffocating. At the time, Robyne said she didn’t realize the severity of what had just happened.

A couple of days later while walking down the stairs she began to gasp for air.

“It felt as though an elephant was sitting on my chest,” she recalled.

Over the next few days, her symptoms increased in severity. They got to the point that she had to be carried upstairs gasping for breath.

Robyne was soon hospitalized. The doctor there said she thought she was suffering a pulmonary embolism (PE). Robyne had no idea what that meant.

Tests revealed that Robyne had a massive PE and a massively enlarged heart. She was put on an anticoagulant, which she was told would be her lifelong companion because of the extent of clotting.

Since her blood clots in 2008, there have been many false alarms where Robyne would race to the doctor with symptoms of breathlessness, chest pain and just not feeling right.

“My most recent bout with breathlessness seemed different – I saw the doctor immediately and again was diagnosed with PE. The lesson I have learned is that you should always trust your instincts – you know your body better than anyone,” she said.

“It all feels so surreal,” says Robyne, “and I can’t quite believe that I’m in this situation again. But it highlights just how incredibly lucky I am to still be here to share my story, as my body has been through such a lot. I’m counting my blessings, today and always.”

Undoubtedly, there are challenging days, Robyne noted, but she said she finds hope in sharing her thrombosis story with others.

“Despite the fact that there have been some really dark days, and times when I don’t know if I can find the strength to get through it, I wouldn’t change any of it,” she said. “It’s made me the person that I am today—a new and stronger me.”