Cardiac Rehab Fundraiser

On December 30th, I experienced a new, unfamiliar pain in my chest, and my left hand felt like pins and needles. The sensation only lasted a few moments, and initially, I decided to ignore it. As I started about my day, I had a nagging feeling that maybe I should go in to get it checked out.

I went to Northwestern and checked myself in at the ER. I apologized to the nurses that took my vitals that I didn't want to waste their time. It turned out, my visit wasn't a waste of anyone's time. My EKG came back with an elevated Troponin level. After consulting with Kish's cardiology team, a decision was made to do an angioplasty.

The most common angioplasty risks include: Re-narrowing of your artery. When angioplasty is combined with drug-eluting stent placement, there's a small risk the treated artery will become clogged again.

That's what happened to me. Dr. Berry assured me that the procedure is well-practiced, routine and carried little risk of fatality. (1 in 300, consistent over a long period of time.)

Ninety minutes later, my blockage was clear and a third stent was put in, giving me a new lease on life!

Unfortunately, leases come with monthly payments, so, I am once again, asking for your financial support as I attend another cardiac rehab stint. (8-12 weeks). I know we did this last summer, and I promise I've already begun doing the exercises that I already know I will need to be doing when rehab starts.

I don't like asking for help, but if you could help out in any way, it would be appreciated and I would be grateful.