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TEMOIGNAGES
Doctor (Rouen, France)

Sabine, 39 years old

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I had been taking combination birth control pills since I was 16 for acne and I continued to self-prescribe them. I didn’t have the time to see a gynecologist because I worked too much and had kids to take care of. I didn’t have any significant medical history, apart from a family history of migraines, and a few headaches. I did smoke a bit, two to five cigarettes per day. Last year, the day before summer vacation, I woke up and had trouble talking and I couldn’t move my arm. My husband called 911 and in the emergency department, an MRI confirmed I’d had a small stroke. I was really lucky because I recovered fully in a few weeks, but it could have been much worse. I learned that migraines combined with tobacco use and estrogen-progestin pills put women at risk for stroke. Tell everyone you know about this so that other women can avoid what happened to me.

 

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Sophie, 47 years old

Business executive in Lyon

During lockdown, I was experiencing strange sensations. I called the paramedics right away and described what I was feeling. They told me I was having a heart attack. Fortunately, I was taken to the hospital right away and had two stents inserted. I was released after four days and started cardiac [...]

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Marlène, 37 years old

Medical secretary (Lille, France)

I didn’t have any health problems before my pregnancy in 2009, but I was under observation because I was expecting twins. I was hospitalized at 37 weeks to monitor the babies and I had lots of edema at the end of the pregnancy. I gave birth by C-section because the twins’ health condition was [...]

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Nathalie, 51 years old

Dr. A., an emergency physician, recounted the heartbreaking story of Christine, aged 46, and shared the experience of her son who wanted to send an alert to all women who don’t take good enough care of themselves. 1:28 a.m.: a call came into emergency services. “Come quick, it’s an emergency, [...]

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