As a freshman softball player at Iowa City West High School, Livia Williams noticed during practices and games that her throwing arm would often feel numb and her hand would get swollen.
Lynnita, 40, of Blairstown, Iowa, was quickly diagnosed by Maen Aboul Hosn, MD, the vascular surgeon at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics who fixed the condition that caused the blood clot. Hosn diagnosed Lynnita with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), a condition that affects the blood vessels and nerves that go from the chest to the arm. Left untreated, TOS can cause permanent damage to the arm.