Patient Stories
Open-Heart Surgery a Surprise for High-Intensity Athlete
Trained in jujitsu and a high-intensity mountain biker, Doug, age 50, wasn’t anticipating undergoing open-heart surgery this year. A cardiac catheterization test found that Doug had three partially blocked arteries.
Heart Patient Experiences Second Chance at Life
Breathing in the fresh smell of cut grass, feeling the cool breeze kiss your face, and the warmth of the sun showering down on you as you play 18 holes of golf is something Jim Thacker always enjoyed until he started experiencing dizzy spells.
“New Lease on Life” After TAVR Procedure
Ron Williams experienced dizzy spells, shortness of breath and balance problems, which made everyday activities difficult or impossible. He never thought his way of life would improve until he started seeing Mercy’s heart team.
Racing Shoes & Racing Heart
The metaphor “my heart skips a beat” usually refers to shock, but for atrial fibrillation patients, it’s a literal occurrence. An avid runner and relay racer, Mike Newhouse knew something was wrong when he started feeling his heart out of rhythm.
A Reason for Thanks
Talk about a detour to remember! Morgan Saxe was on her way back home to Wisconsin when, 30 miles from Cedar Rapids, she began experiencing what she thought was heartburn. She tried antacids, but still, the pain continued. Read more.
A Clear Path to a Healthy Heart
John "Rusty" Fritz was mowing when he felt a burning sensation in his chest. After he started feeling better, he quickly forgot about it. Later, Rusty experienced numbness in his leg that was hard to ignore. Read his story on page 4 (PDF).
A Little Warrior's Big Battle
Hayley Ballew had a feeling something wasn't right as she nursed her newborn son, Carter. She and her husband noticed his head bobbed slightly with each breath and his chest retracted in unusual places. Read his story on page 6 (PDF).
Update (Aug. 25, 2022): Carter is now a very active five-year-old who participates in wrestling, soccer, football, swimming and T-ball. He has had a few sicknesses as he’s grown up, but ultimately, his health has improved. See how Carter is doing now.
Tuning In to Warning Signs
Persistent headaches and extremely high blood pressure sent Kathleen Gorski, 70, to Mercy Cardiology Clinic. She was going to get checked out, even though she didn't think the symptoms were caused by her heart. Read his story on page 10 (PDF).
Back in the Game after a Heart Attack
When 49-year-old Tom Jackson walked into Mercy Cardiology Clinic at the direction of his doctor, he thought he was dealing with a bad case of indigestion. But, the test results proved a life-threatening reality. Read his story on page 12 (PDF).
Acing Heart Care
After being dealt a heart attack, Melvin Kummerfeldt, 80, is "all in" today. When he and his wife, Marietta, went to Mercy's ER, tests showed he had had a heart attack and was in the middle of one. Read his story on page 18 (PDF).
A Heartfelt Homerun
Two days before Vance Nunemaker's son would pitch for Prairie High School in the state championship baseball game, Vance shrugged off some danger signs his body was sending, attributing them to a case of the jitters. Read his story on page 10 (PDF).
Strike!
Anamosa resident Larry Hahn has had cardiac catheterization and stents inserted twice – once with a femoral approach (through the groin), and the second time with a transradial approach (through the wrist). Read more (PDF).
Life-Saving Teamwork
One minute Chris Ward was unloading camping gear; the next, an aortic aneurysm stopped him in his tracks. Today, the 30-year-old Anamosa man is thankful for the remarkable collaboration of highly skilled cardiologists who saved his life. Read more (PDF).
Put On Ice
Amy Watkins’ heart broke – literally. The 51-year-old was eating lunch one minute and unconscious the next when her heart simply stopped working correctly. Read more (PDF).
Fighting Heart Disease Together
Terry Repstein, 56, and Bill Dawson, 57, have been friends since elementary school. They both served in the Air Force and moved away and then back to Iowa. And, last year, they both underwent open heart bypass surgery just months apart. Read more (PDF).
