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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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Marie, 59 years old

Administrative Assistant (Paris, France)

Last summer during the heatwave, I had difficulty breathing and shortness of breath, even though walking was my favorite pastime. I lead a healthy life and eat a balanced diet. I decided to see my doctor because of the chronic fatigue and shortness of breath. I was worried about light pain in my arm [...]

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Flora, 39 years old

Baker in Villefranche de Rouergue, France

I had a huge shock when my daughter was born seven years ago. She was my second child. My first birth went smoothly, so I wasn’t worried about anything in particular. I worked until two weeks before my due date and was pretty proud of how my pregnancy had gone. When I got to the maternity ward at [...]

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Chantal, 70 years old

There’s a BEFORE and an AFTER. For a number of years, I suffered from an arrhythmia. Despite an electric shock and medications, I was having more and more episodes lasting longer each time. At 68 years of age, I was unable to plan activities, an outing or even accept an invitation because of my [...]

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