Protect Your Flow.
Know Your Rights.
Free advocacy tools, discussion guides, and emergency room scripts — so you can demand the diagnostic care you deserve, in the moments that matter most.
Protecting Your Flow
Essential Questions for Your Healthcare Team
Presented by the Check My Flow Blood Clot Foundation
According to the CDC: Black women face up to a 60% higher incidence of life-threatening blood clots (Venous Thromboembolism/VTE) during pregnancy and postpartum compared to other racial groups. Many of these complications are entirely preventable with immediate diagnostics and proactive preventative care. Use this guide to advocate for yourself or your loved ones.
Prenatal & Pre-Surgery Planning
Bring these questions to your OB-GYN appointments in your third trimester, or to your pre-operative surgical consultation.
Emergency Room & Acute Care Advocacy
Use these direct statements if you or a family member experience symptoms like sudden shortness of breath, sharp chest pain, rapid heart rate, or one-sided leg swelling/warmth.
The Patient Bill of Rights: Empower Your Voice
You have the right to a second opinion.
If an ER provider dismisses your pain, ask to speak with the attending physician or the hospital's Patient Advocate.
Chart documentation is legal evidence.
Forcing a provider to write down that they refused a life-saving test often compels them to run the test to avoid liability.
Trust your body.
If your instinct tells you that something is severely wrong with your breathing or your body, do not leave the medical facility until a clot has been objectively ruled out through bloodwork or imaging.
Disclaimer: This document is an advocacy tool and does not constitute formal medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding your specific medical care.
Blood Clot Warning Signs
If you experience any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately and request a D-dimer blood test.
DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
Clot in a deep vein — usually the leg
- Swelling in one leg (rarely both)
- Pain or tenderness in the calf or thigh
- Skin that feels warm to the touch
- Red or discolored skin on the leg
- Leg fatigue or heaviness
PE (Pulmonary Embolism)
Clot that has traveled to the lungs
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Sharp chest pain that worsens with deep breath
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Coughing up blood
- Lightheadedness or fainting
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