iJustine “nearly died” after blood clot left her hospitalized

YouTube star Justine ‘iJustine’ Ezarik has revealed that a blood clot left her bedridden, hospitalized, and nearly killed her.

iJustine is a name that will be familiar with anyone who has followed the top YouTubers for a long time. She hosts a variety of content on her channel, predominantly tech reviews, but she also vlogs and posts more real-life content occasionally too.

At 38 years old, Justine thought she was perfectly healthy, until a whirlwind few days between March and April 2022 saw her arm go numb, swell up, and turn purple, before finally being rushed to the hospital.

The issues arose as a result of a blood clot in her shoulder, which then traveled to her lungs and became nearly fatal.

Justine was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis, she said in an interview with Today, a blood clot located in deep veins.

“I couldn’t even flex my arm because my bicep was so massive that it looked like I was so shredded from the gym — but it was just swollen,” she said. “I went to (an emergency clinic) and a nurse looked at it. She’s like, ‘We’re not equipped to handle that.’”

Doctors then decided to transfer her to another hospital better equipped to deal with the issue, but it wasn’t easy.

She underwent a thrombectomy, which involved using a catheter to break up the clot to prevent it from moving to her heart or brain, which can be deadly. The first failed to fully break up the clot, so a second was needed.

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

Months later, Justine claimed she still feels the effects of the clot, quicker to feel winded during light workouts and is now considering surgery to remove a part of the rib that doctors claim pinches veins and helps cause clots.

Needless to say, had she not caught the clot quick enough, the situation could have been far different, and Justine might not even have been around to tell her story.