Serena Williams Relives Frightening Medical Crisis She Experienced Following Alexis' Birth
Jan. 10 2018, Updated 3:51 p.m. ET
Serena Williams may have been posting snapback pictures of herself just weeks after giving birth to her first child, Alexis, but she revealed this week that the aftermath of her pregnancy did not go as easily as perceived by fans. In fact, the tennis champion faced a horrifying medical crisis after her daughter was born, and "everything went bad."
The 36-year-old is on the cover of the latest Vogue issue with her beautiful baby, who was born by emergency C-section. Alexis' heart rate was dangerously low during contractions, which is why Serena had to undergo the procedure. When Alexis came out, she laid on Serena's chest, which the new mom called “an amazing feeling." But it was unfortunately short lived.
The following day, Serena experienced a shortness of breath and told staffers she believed she had developed blood clots. This has happened to her in the past. In 2011, after leaving an Oscar's after party, she experienced a shortness of breath and was later told by doctors she had several blood clots in her lungs, which people can potentially die from.
And Serena did in fact have blood clots again in her lungs. She was then given a heparin drip but that was just the beginning of the drama. Her C-section wound opened up due to her coughing intensely because of her pulmonary embolism.
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While back in surgery, doctors found a solid swelling of clotted blood in her abdomen, a medical catch-22 "in which the potentially lifesaving blood thinner caused hemorrhaging at the site of her C-section."
In the end, Serena was given a filter which was inserted into a major vein, preventing clots from re-entering her lungs. The following six weeks were spent in bed, as she was forced to go on bed rest.
And it wasn't easy for her now-husband Alexis Ohanian to witness. "I was happy to change diapers, but on top of everything she was going through, the feeling of not being able to help made it even harder. Consider for a moment that your body is one of the greatest things on this planet, and you’re trapped in it."
What are your thoughts on Serena's medical scare? Let us know in the comments section.