It was a beautiful Friday in September, and Shelly Emrick was in her element, volunteering at a community service event. As the crowd grew, a fellow volunteer asked her to sign up for a carotid artery screening. The St. Elizabeth Healthcare CardioVascular Mobile Health Unit was parked nearby, waiting for its first “customer,” she explained. “Just get the ball rolling,” the volunteer said. “It’ll take you five minutes.”
“Is Everything All Right?”
The possibility of having vascular disease didn’t even cross Shelly’s mind. She was 54 years old, eats healthily, exercises and has never smoked. “I climbed into the mobile health unit and introduced myself to the tech, Bruce,” she said. “We were joking around as he started the ultrasound screening. But then, he got really quiet and serious. He was focusing on this one spot on the right side of my neck. I said, ‘Is everything all right?’ He didn’t answer right away, so I knew it was serious.”
A carotid artery screening uses ultrasound to see if you have vascular disease caused by blocked or narrowed arteries. When Bruce was confident about Shelly’s screening results, he asked her to sit up. “Your right carotid artery is about 90% blocked,” Bruce said gently. “You need to see a specialist right away.”
With that, Bruce called St. Elizabeth Healthcare and made an appointment for Shelly with Douglas Rodgers, MD, MBA, a vascular surgeon who sees patients at the Edgewood and Lawrenceburg locations. Bruce explained that Shelly would probably need surgery to remove the plaque.
“I felt like a deer in the headlights,” Shelly said. “After Bruce explained everything, I left the van, walked to a more private place and called my husband. I just couldn’t believe this was happening.”
It wasn’t the first health crisis Shelly had faced. About 15 years earlier, when she was 39, Shelly was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ironically, it was another screening — a mammogram — that had alerted her to the problem. She had leaned on her faith in God through that difficult time. Now, she realized she would need to do so again.
Shelly finished helping at the event, and Bruce came by to check on her before she left. He gave her a card with her appointment information. Then he handed her another card that explained the warning signs of a stroke — just in case. “I was a ticking time bomb,” said Shelly. “If the plaque blocked the artery completely or broke off and traveled to my brain, I would have a stroke.”
Shelly spent a nervous weekend waiting until Monday when she went in to see Dr. Rodgers. After he asked her a few questions, Dr. Rodgers said he thought the screening may have been a “false positive.” However, a follow-up ultrasound and a computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the original diagnosis. Shelly would need surgery.
Surgery: Nerve-Wracking but Successful
Shelly was thankful to know Dr. Rodgers could remove the plaque. But the surgery sounded intimidating. It required opening her carotid artery with an incision from the bottom of her ear to her neck. She tried not to worry about the risks, which included the possibility of having a stroke during surgery. Instead, she focused on the expertise of her care team and the path to recovery.
“Dr. Rodgers explained everything and answered all my questions,” Shelly said. “I prayed a lot. One verse that helped me was from Proverbs 3: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.’”
Shelly’s surgery took place about two weeks later and was a success. “I just can’t say enough about the staff at St. Elizabeth,” she said. “Everyone, from Dr. Rodgers to my anesthesiologists to the nurses, was awesome. I felt very well cared for.”
Back to Work
Shelly went home a few days after her surgery and returned to work about a week later. She takes medicine to reduce the risk of plaque build-up and manage her cholesterol and has follow-up scans to make sure her carotid arteries remain open.
Since her surgery, Shelly has become a vocal advocate for carotid artery screening. In fact, she is planning a carotid artery screening for residents at Dominion Senior Living where she works as the community relations manager. “The screening is quick and painless,” she says. “I encourage everyone to do it, even if you don’t have symptoms. That screening saved my life.”
Take Action
Don’t wait to take control of your cardiovascular health. The CardioVascular Mobile Health Unit is here to offer you the latest technology and expertise right here in your community. Visit our calendar listing to find a convenient location near you. You can also get more information or schedule an appointment by calling 859-301-WELL (9355). Appointments are preferred. Insurance is not accepted, so patients should bring cash, check or credit card.
It’s essential to get screened if you are between the ages of 40 and 78 and have:
- A family history of heart disease or stroke.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- Smoked or currently smoke.
