Evelyn & Frank: From Signs of Heart Failure to Remarkable Recovery

Evelyn & Frank: From Signs of Heart Failure to Remarkable Recovery

Evelyn & Frank: From Signs of Heart Failure to Remarkable Recovery

Evelyn Walton began to experience severe shortness of breath one night, unaware that she had entered the stages of advanced heart failure. Our Advanced Cardiac Valve Center is one of a few places in the U.S. that offers a full range of transcatheter and minimally invasive procedures for heart valve conditions. Evelyn and her husband Frank share her story with her doctor, Gorav Ailawadi, MD.

For more information, visit https://uvahealth.com/services/heart-…

Evelyn Walton: On June the 17th, Father’s Day, I noticed my right foot and ankle were swollen.

Frank Walton: I checked it out and she did have an edema of the leg. And also her breathing was extremely harsh.

Evelyn: I had pillows behind me trying to breathe. And I was gasping for breath all night long. So when we had an appointment here with Dr. Ailawadi and we came in, he said, “Admit her right away.”

Frank: It was a fastest admission I’ve ever seen at any hospital. She went to ICU.

Gorav Ailawadi, MD: She was actually in pretty bad shape. She didn’t look like she could even say a full sentence without having to stop to catch her breath. We call that pretty advanced heart failure, where people can’t breathe to do simple things. The additional complexity was that her heart function had become weak and I think that was likely due to the valve leakage, but also from atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm. Your heart was going quite fast and the heart pump gets weak when that happens.

Evelyn: I don’t remember a lot of it, but when I did start coming to, the ones that were taking care of me, they would help me in any way that I needed help. And you don’t find that help everywhere. And I found everything here, the people cared about me.


Evelyn: Dr. Ailawadi is a great man. He’s a caring person. He’s one that, to me, if he can do something to help you in any way, he’s going to do his best. And that’s what he did for me. And I know he’s done it for others. Just keep working, buddy.

Ailawadi: I’m doing my best.


Content

0.52 -> On June the 17th, Father's Day, I noticed my right foot and ankle were swollen.
8.85 -> I checked it out and she did have an edema of the leg.
15.88 -> And also her breathing was extremely harsh.
19.75 -> I had pillows behind me trying to breathe.
23.21 -> And I was gasping for breath all night long.
26.8 -> So when we had an appointment here with Dr. Ailawadi and we came in.
31.97 -> He said admit her right away.
34.59 -> It was a fastest admission I've ever seen at any hospital.
40.54 -> She went to ICU.
42.65 -> She was actually in pretty bad shape.
43.681 -> She didn't look like she could even say a full sentence without having to stop to catch
49.48 -> her breath.
50.48 -> We call that pretty advanced heart failure, where people can't breathe to do simple things.
56.08 -> The additional complexity was that her heart function had become weak and I think that
61.42 -> was likely due to the valve leakage, but also from atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular
67.869 -> heart rhythm.
69.509 -> Your heart was going quite fast and the heart pump gets weak when that happens.
75.09 -> I don't remember a lot of it, but when I did start coming to, the ones that were taking
80.829 -> care of me, they would help me in any way that I needed help.
85.499 -> And you don't find that help everywhere.
90.509 -> And I found everything here, the people cared about me.
95.709 -> Dr. Ailawadi is a great man.
98.439 -> He's a caring person.
101.329 -> He's one that, to me, if he can do something to help you in any way, he's going to do his
109.42 -> best.
110.42 -> And that's what he did for me.
111.549 -> And I know he's done it for others.
113.509 -> Just keep working, buddy.
116.579 -> I'm doing my best.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvHVIf3vmgI