YouTube Star iJustine Opens Up After Life-Threatening Blood Clot That Left Her Bedridden

YouTube star Justine Ezarik opened up about her near-death experience after a health scare left her bedridden for days.

Ezarik is the face behind the lifestyle channel iJustine that has over 7 million subscribers. At 38 years old, she seemed healthy and fine but everything changed in a matter of hours.

In a video shared on YouTube, Ezarik explained that back in March, she noticed her arm was feeling numb but didn’t think too much of it. However, on April 1, she was rushed to the hospital after her numb arm started swelling and turning purple.

Photo: YouTube/iJustine
Photo: YouTube/iJustine

Ezarik says she was immediately admitted to the hospital with a deep vein thrombosis – a potentially fatal blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the body.

In an interview with Today, Ezarik said, “I went from (being) perfectly fine to almost (dying) in the course of a few hours.”

She further recalled how she had to undergo surgery to break up the blood clot so it wouldn’t move to her heart or brain.

Photo: YouTube/iJustine

Speaking with Today, she said: “I couldn’t move either of my arms because one had the catheter (and) the other had so many needles. My sister was brushing my teeth and feeding me. I was basically in bed for four days without moving.”

Following her surgeries, a piece of the clot still managed to travel to her lungs causing a pulmonary embolism (a serious condition that can cause lung damage or death). Thankfully, blood thinner medication was able to remedy that.

On YouTube, Ezarik explains that she was officially diagnosed with Paget Schroetter’s Syndrome.

Photo: YouTube/iJustine

According to a report in the journal Medicine, Paget-Schroetter Syndrome is a condition that, if recognized and treated appropriately, can have few long-term complications. However, without proper treatment, it can lead to “significant morbidity.”

In a follow-up video, Ezarik said she plans to address her condition with physical therapy, but other options could be life-long blood thinner medication and/or surgery to remove part of her rib.

It’s a good reminder to always take health concerns seriously, even if you’re seemingly young and healthy!

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