A personal trainer says she nearly died after a bout of Covid-19 left her with blood clot blockage in her legs, tummy and lungs.
Becky Fanthorpe, 39, from Cambridge, first realised something was wrong when she started feeling pain in one of her hips.
She said doctors initially dismissed it as sciatica, Covid and an autoimmune condition and told her to take paracetamol.
But following advice from 111, Becky made her way to A&E where she collapsed, likely due to the blood clots preventing her blood from flowing to her organs, and tests revealed she actually had blood blots all over her body.
Studies have shown there is an increased risk of clots after contracting Covid, according to the British Medical Journal.
Becky Fanthorpe, 39, was rushed to hospital after advice from 111 where she collapsed likely due to the blood clots
Mother-of-three Becky had to learn to walk again and gave up her job of 16 years as a personal trainer.
A year on, she said falling in love with cooking got her through her darkest days, and she now shares her favourite recipes online to more than 11,000 followers.
Becky, a content creator, said her children and partner helped her get through the difficult times.
‘They were there every day. You kind of realise how loved you are when something like this happens,’ she explained.
Becky said she first noticed pain in one of her hips in October last year.
She went to the doctor when the pain first appeared, and again when it spread to her groin, but on both occasions her worries were dismissed.
The mum claims her concerns were not taken seriously despite her family history of serious blood clots.
She had Covid in October last year, only a few days after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition.
A bout of Covid-19 left Becky with blood clot blockages in her leg
Becky Fanthorpe was admitted to hospital last October
Mum-of-three Becky had to learn to walk again and gave up her job of 16 years as a personal trainer
Becky had Covid in October last year, only a few days after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition
The blood clots travelled as far as her stomach and lungs and put Becky in a life-threatening condition
‘The doctor should have picked up on the fact that I should have really got checked out because of all this background, but he didn’t,’ Becky said.
He sent me home and just said take paracetamol.’
It wasn’t until she called 111 a few days later, she was advised to go to the hospital in Harlow, Essex, where she suddenly collapsed.
She explained: ‘As I walked through the front door, my leg gave way.
‘It was like a lightning bolt through the whole of my body.’
When Becky later woke up in a hospital bed 10 minutes later with a leg infection caused by the clots, she said the doctors did not know if she was going to make it.
‘It turned out I had blood clots from the bottom of my leg all the way up through to the top of my groin, all through my arteries,’ she said.
The blood clots travelled as far as her stomach and lungs and put her in a life-threatening condition.
She went to the doctor when the pain first appeared, and again when it spread to her groin, but on both occasions her worries were dismissed, she said
Becky’s right leg doubled in size due to blood clots and an infection
Becky ‘nearly died’ after a bout of Covid-19 left her with blood clot blockage in her legs, tummy and lungs
Becky Fanthorpe with her family
Becky, previously a personal trainers, as been in recovery since October 2023
Two weeks later she was released from the hospital, but she was still very unwell and could not walk for eight weeks.
Becky has been in recovery since, but the seriousness of her condition meant that she had to give up her passion for personal training, which she had done as a job for 16 years prior.
‘Some days I get really, really down, because exercise was my thing for my mental health,’ she said.
‘Now as soon as I get out and exercise my legs start swelling again.’
She reignited her passion for healthy living by writing about food and sharing healthy recipes on Instagram and Facebook.
She said: ‘I nearly died, and I documented my journey on my social media channel on Instagram which has boomed and I now share my love of cooking through it.
‘It’s like my little escape. For me that’s where my heart is now.’
Becky said a check-up has revealed she still has blood clots in her arteries and they might never go away.
But she remains optimistic and feels lucky to be where she is.
‘You don’t know what’s around the corner at all,’ she said.
‘Always trust your own instinct. Keep thinking that there is always a tomorrow.’
