Social Media for Good

I recently took on the role as Director of Social Media for an awesome Stanford Student ran Non-Profit called 100k Cheeks.  It's a social media driven non-profit organized to raise the amount of registered bone marrow donors.  Just in case you are wondering, "Cheeks" refers to swabing your cheek with a q-tip and mailing it (for free) to the Nation Bone Marrow Registry.  Can you believe it? It's that easy to register and take the first step to giving the gift of a lifetime of health.
Here's the link in case you want to check it out.
Inspect- http://www.facebook.com/100kCheeks
Register- http://marrow.org/Join/Join_Now/Join_Now.aspx?promo_code=100kcheeks 

Just a thought

When I take a step back look at my life experiences and knowing what I know.  It takes more faith to believe there isn't a God than it does to believe there is One. This is a good thing:)

NEw Chapter

So I'm back to work now. Have been since the week my Doctor and Physical Therapist gave me the thumbs up.  Turns out that a position at Stanford Graduate School of Business opened up so I applied, interviewed and believe it or not GOT THE JOB!  I'm now on month 8 and just got switched over to a permanent employee.  The people and environment I work for is amazing.  I not going to act like everyday has been the easiest to get through but ever since to my medical problems  nothing really seems to phase me as much.

I'm back UPdate

I'm still alive and kicking. Things are going great!  Please email me for questions or support @ blakef85@gmail.com   . Looking back on it this ordeal Paget-Schroetter Disease / Thoracic Outlet Syndrome was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  So keep your chin up, God has greater days ahead for you.

Symptoms Worsen

July 30, 2010
I didn't sleep a wink the previous night because of all my chest/shoulder pain.  The pain was getting more severe and I found myself being able to breath less and less without there being pain. I found out it was worse when I laid down flat so I tried to stay sitting straight up and keep a cool look on my face not to worry Rachel.  After all I just thought it pulled a muscle in my back, I didn't want her to feel bad for me or worry about it.  That night I had to prop myself up to get any shut eye and my breathing felt much more shallow than before.  I planned on calling mom first thing in the morning to get some advice.

2nd Symptom

July 29, 2010.

I remember Rachel was having a girls night at the house that night.  Rachel, Jenica, Kim and Alisha were watching this show called "Jersey Shore" which both me and our roommate Brian can't stand so we went to the gym.   I rode the bike on medium difficulty for about 5 minutes and was feeling really winded which was out of the norm so I went over and tried doing some curls for a change.  After about 2 sets I was extremely out of breath and sweaty so I left Brian there and went home to clean up.  By the time I cleaned up and ate some dinner Alisha had left and I realized Jenica was staying the night so I did what any gentleman would do and offered her my bed.   From the moment I laid down on the couch I could tell something was wrong.  

Symptoms were-

Sharp pain in back- behind right shoulder blade

Slight shortness of breath

Very tight chest

General uneasy feeling.

1st Symptom

July 26 2010,  I woke up made some coffee and got on the cpu to hopefully find that perfect job I'd been looking for the past month.  After a couple hours I was getting kind of burnt out so I decided to do some yoga(which I was very new at).  About an hour after twist and contorting my body in bunch of different uncomfortable positions my left arm started feeling a little funky.  I brushed it figuring I just popped something out of place during yoga until my whole arm felt constricted and my veins were popping out for no apparent reason.  So I sat on the couch, relaxed and it past after about 5 minutes of discomfort.


What had most likely happened was I twist my neck and arm in such a way that my rib and clavicle pinched my sub clavian vein. Thus causing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Actual Picture of my arm at time of blood clot