Personal trainer, 39, reveals she had to learn to walk again after collapsing in A&E when ‘Covid-related blood clots’ caused her leg to swell up to twice its size – but claims her pain was first dismissed by doctors as sciatica
A personal trainer says she almost died after a bout of Covid-19 left her with blood clots in her legs, stomach and lungs.
Becky Fanthorpe, 39, from Cambridge, first realized 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 disease and told her to take paracetamol.
But on 111’s advice, Becky headed 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 bloodstains all over her body.
Studies have shown that 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 apparently collapsed as a result of the blood clots
Mum-of-three Becky had to learn to walk again and gave up her job of 16 years as a personal trainer.
A year later, she said her love of cooking got her through her darkest days, and she now shares her favorite recipes online with more than 11,000 followers.
Becky, a content creator, said her children and partner have helped her through the tough times.
‘They were there every day. You kind of realize how loved you are when something like this happens,” she explained.
Becky said she first noticed pain in one of her hips last October.
She went to the doctor when the pain first appeared, and again when the pain spread to her groin, but on both occasions her concerns were allayed.
The mother claims her concerns were not taken seriously, despite her family history of serious blood clots.
She contracted Covid last October, just a few days after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease.
A bout of Covid-19 left Becky with blood clots 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 was diagnosed with Covid last October, just a few days after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease
The blood clots traveled as far as her stomach and lungs and left Becky in a life-threatening condition
“The doctor should have realized that I really should have been examined because of all this background, but he didn’t,” Becky said.
He sent me home and just said: take paracetamol.’
It was not until she called 111 a few days later that she was advised to go to hospital in Harlow, Essex, where she suddenly collapsed.
She explained: ‘As I walked through the front door my leg gave out.
“It was like a bolt of lightning through my whole body.”
When Becky later woke up in a hospital bed ten minutes later with a leg infection caused by the clots, she said doctors didn’t know if she would make it.
“It turned out I had blood clots from the bottom of my leg to the top of my groin, all the way through my blood vessels,” she said.
The blood clots traveled as far as her stomach and lungs and left her in a life-threatening condition.
She went to the doctor when the pain first appeared, and again when the pain spread to her groin, but on both occasions her concerns were addressed, she said.
Becky’s right leg doubled in size due to blood clots and an infection
Becky ‘almost died’ after a bout of Covid-19 left her with blood clots in her legs, abdomen and lungs
Becky Fanthorpe with her family
Becky, formerly a personal trainer, has been in recovery since October 2023
She was released from the hospital two weeks later, but she was still very ill and could not walk for eight weeks.
Becky has since been recovering, but the severity of her condition meant she had to give up her passion for personal training, which she had taken up as a job 16 years earlier.
“Some days I get really, really down because exercise was my thing for my mental health,” she said.
“As soon as I get out and start exercising, my legs start to swell again.”
She reignited her passion for healthy living by writing about food and sharing healthy recipes on Instagram and Facebook.
She said: ‘I almost died, and I documented my journey on my social media channel on Instagram, which has taken off 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 test showed she still has blood clots in her arteries and they may never go away.
But she remains optimistic and feels happy to be where she is.
“You don’t know what’s around the corner,” she said.
‘Always trust your own instincts. Keep thinking there’s always a tomorrow.’