Patient Stories
Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute
Carrie – He Saved My LifeAccording to the American Heart Association, it's estimated that more than 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. That's a statistic Carrie Paschal is lucky not to be a part of.
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Susan – New Heart, New LifeSusan has been on the cusp of modern medicine her whole life. Having been born with a heart defect, she is no stranger to heart conditions.
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Jill – Heart Transplant Patient Builds Her Own Family After Triumphing Over ConditionWhen Jill was born in 1973, she had blue baby syndrome. Her parents would later learn that she was born with a severe heart defect and was missing both an atrium and a ventricle.
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Knowland – Beating the Odds with his Sutter Team of Specialists"Poor Knowland’s had it rough. He was born with a heart murmur and has struggled with a learning disability for his entire life. Several years ago he needed to have valve replacement surgery and had an artificial valve put in his heart.
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Tyler – From football to heart surgery and back againWhen the nurse at urgent care told Terri that her son had a cardiac abnormality, she didn’t believe it. After all, Tyler was the picture of health – an active high school senior and quarterback of the football team.
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Candy – Tired of Sedentary LifeCandy was a healthy, active middle-aged woman until a heart condition slowed her down a few years ago. She began experiencing episodes of shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness and was soon diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
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Howard – Heart Attacks and No Heart DamageHoward is no stranger to health issues. Having had three heart procedures, his colon and gall bladder removed, and even kidney stones, he knows a little bit about living with health conditions.
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Dorothy – A Heart-Felt PartnershipOne look at Dorothy Britt’s broad smile and twinkling eyes, and you can tell that this is a woman who truly loves life. The mother of three sons and two daughters, Dorothy dealt with the tragic loss of one of her daughters in adulthood. Yet this vivacious 80-year old has the kind of positive outlook on life that easily rubs off on everyone around her. Given her infectious enthusiasm, you wouldn’t know that she struggles with heart failure.
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John D. – Maximizing Life with Help from Sutter’s Heart Failure ClinicWhen Diane talks about her beloved father, John, her admiration is evident. “He loved life, and anyone who met him could see that,” she says. “His last years were nearly as enriched as his earlier ones, thanks to the team at Sutter’s Heart Failure Clinic.”
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Patient Says Healing Process Includes Thanking those Who Helped Save HimBy trade, Dr. Farrell is a physical therapist who has helped countless patients for more than 30 years. However, he never envisioned himself on the flip side, but that was exactly what happened the following year when he suffered cardiac arrest while at a friend’s home in Rocklin.
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Bob – a Match he Won’t ForgetOne Saturday morning while playing an aggressive match of tennis with a few friends, Bob did something out of the ordinary: He bent down to pick up the ball ... when he stood up, a wave of dizziness hit him like a ton of bricks.
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John – From Doctor to PatientA retired orthopedic surgeon, John remembers helping his daughter study anatomy when she was in nursing school. Today, his daughter, Stephanie Baroni, is a cardiac nurse - a career choice that played a hand in saving her dad's life.
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Jackson – Overcoming Severe Illness with the Help of the Heart Failure ClinicAfter battling cardiac issues for years, Jackson was referred to Sutter Heart & Vascular’s Heart Failure Clinic in 2003. "It was nice to go there, they gave me a lot of attention," he says. "They helped me manage my heart condition and took very good care of me."
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Carlotta – Great Hospital, Always Ready to HelpCarlotta has experienced many painful health conditions. From needing an angioplasty and having breast cancer to her kidneys failing; she is no stranger to the hospital.
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Larry – Breakthrough Technology Saved my LifeUnlike most heart attack patients, Larry, an attorney/arbitrator, had no symptoms leading up to his massive heart attacks last December.
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Kenneth – Less Invasive Surgery Synchronizes a Heart and Restarts a Life“Bring it on,” said Kenneth, a recently retired 62-year old who swims for 50 minutes several times a week. While that fitness level may be uncommon for men Kenneth’s age, it’s especially surprising for a man who had to rest after climbing a flight of stairs not long ago.
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Donna - Open heart surgery after stroke and heart tumorThe first sign that something was wrong with Donna happened after one of her marathons. “I felt unusually sick,” she said. “I’m always tired after marathons, but this was different.” Since she has been healthy and extremely fit her entire life, 44-year old Donna dismissed her feelings as an isolated reaction.
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Polly – Finally Beating Atrial FibWhen Polly was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation her early sixties, she was shocked. "I was pretty healthy; at least I thought I was. I used to be a runner and was still physically active. My family, my job, and my life kept me busy and happy. I was very surprised when a physical exam showed I had a heart condition".
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Frank - You never think you'll be the one to have a heart attackThe day Frank had a heart attack was an ordinary day just like any other. The retired deli-liquor store owner woke up, showered and shaved, made a few phone calls, then did a few minor chores around the house. By 11 a.m. he noticed an odd feeling in his chest. The feeling wasn't painful, rather light and fluttery.
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Emilie - Smallest baby in the world to undergo a balloon pulmonary valvuloplastyBorn three months premature and weighing only one pound, 15 ounces, Allison fought for her life in the Special Care Nursery. The isolette next to Allison which held twin sister Emilie, was empty. Weighing a mere one pound, seven ounces, Emilie had been born with critical pulmonary valve stenosis.
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Betty and Jim – a testament to true heart careRodgers and Hammerstein's hit musical Annie Get Your Gun has been a popular production for theatre companies since it first played on Broadway in 1946. It's no wonder that Sacramento residents Betty and Jim Saggs were excited when they saw the production listed at their local community center. So excited, that Betty wasn't going to let a little shortness of breath and a slight pain in her neck keep her from seeing the show.
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Linda – Healthy Heart, Happy LifeSince her twenties, Linda felt like she had the word "smoker" tattooed on her forehead whenever she'd see a doctor. Her symptoms – shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue – were always chalked up to her smoking habit. "Of course, I knew that my smoking contributed to my symptoms.
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Mark – New Doctors, Better LifeFive years ago, things were not looking good for Mark. The then 73-year-old was connected to an oxygen tank and ran out of breath by doing simple things like crossing the room. As a formerly active person, Mark was getting frustrated living with his congestive heart failure.
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Steve – Heart Transplant … Just in TimeSteve was out of breath and tired...a lot. He knew his heart failure was like a ticking time bomb. "We knew it may happen eventually," said Steve, 50, who finally landed in the intensive care unit after collapsing at home. Gravely ill, and knowing it was the only option to save his life, Steve got on the list for a heart transplant.
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Bruce – Tiny Device, Big Change"Interesting," said Bruce. That was the only word he could come up with as he reclined in the cath lab and watched the screen that showed his heart being poked with a device while the doctor repaired two damaged vessels.
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