Stories about Cardiac Catheterization
A cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic and interventional procedure performed by cardiologists to evaluate and treat many types of heart disease.
During a cardiac catheterization, a long narrow tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery or vein into the groin, neck, or wrist. This catheter passes up through the vessel into the heart and can be used to assess heart function, check and treat blockages in coronary arteries and can even be used to replace diseased heart valves using procedures such as TAVR and MitraClip
Marlo Purnell
I had pain in my collarbone and a very heavy feeling in my chest like nothing I have ever felt before. I went to the local ER and found out that I had a heart attack at only 50 years of age! I was transferred to a different hospital, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s (it was a […]
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Victoria Weibel
I was driving with my husband when I had a fatal heart attack. He grabbed the wheel and was able to bring us to a stop. A lady on scene performed CPR and brought me back. Paramedics then took me to Prairie Heart Institute. That was the luckiest day of my life. Dr. Jeff Christy […]
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Steve Pace
When Steve Pace collapsed on the floor, his wife Carmen dialed 9-1-1 and immediately began chest compressions. She wasn’t certain she was using the proper technique, but doctors, nurses and first responders agree that her quick action saved Steve’s life, keeping him alive until the ambulance arrived. Inspired by the story of Carmen’s quick thinking, […]
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Jim Healy
Cardiac Arrest, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Stent
Jim Healy doesn’t remember much from his collapse at FitClub, but his wife remembers getting the news. “I got a phone call from the FitClub saying that he had collapsed, that his heart had stopped. It was going by then, but that’s not news you ever want to hear,” Coreen Healy said. Jim had 99% […]
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JoAnne Neathery
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Open Heart
I was in Florida walking the beach, and that evening I started feeling chest discomfort. Before that, I was experiencing fatigue and not feeling well, especially when I was exerting myself. I’d have to sit down, and then it would go away. Back home, my primary care doctor suggested I see a cardiologist. I went […]
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Terry Hart
Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain
I was at work one afternoon and felt a heaviness in my chest. I went into the clubhouse and my friend called 911. The paramedics were able to send my EKG directly to the team at Prairie Heart. I went straight to the cath lab and didn’t need to stop in the emergency room. They […]
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Theresa Thompson, RN, BSN
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain
I lost my dad on Feb. 4, 2017, just 5 days shy of his 89th birthday. As a child I always saw my dad as invincible. He was my protector, my life coach, my hero!! As an adult, I realized he may not always be around but I knew as long as he walked this […]
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Gail Wolfe
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain, Coronary Stent
I had my first heart attack at age 35 on Labor Day of 1978. I was taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital with very bad chest pain, but eventually sent to St. John’s in Springfield. Dr. Dove became my cardiologist at that time. He found several blockages and put in two stents. At the time, Dr. […]
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Steve Larson
Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain, Coronary Stent
After losing my wife and best friend, Paula of 34 years to pancreatic cancer, I continued my lifestyle as an avid runner. Running was the one thing that helped me find some needed relief from my grief. I started experiencing chest pain as I ran. It stopped me. I chalked the chest pain up to […]
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Cardiovascular conditions affect more Americans than any other disease in the United States. It takes bravery to fight heart disease, and having a community of support makes a world of difference.