When Ken Taylor’s friend told him a joke about getting old, it really hit home. “He said, ‘You know how to tell you’re getting old? When you know more doctors than regular people!’” Ken gave it some thought and realized that seemed to be true for him!
From open heart surgery to a series of surgeries (four, to be exact) to address an artery blockage in his leg, Ken had spent a good deal of time visiting doctors and hospitals over the last few years.
Ken was losing hope as he battled severe leg pain in spite of multiple surgeries to address it. “My cardiologist finally ran a tube from my groin all the way down to my ankle and told me if that didn’t fix it, I’d have to consider amputation,” he said.
Ken and his wife Paulette are people of faith and, in spite of his setbacks, they desperately held on to hope that there was a solution out there somewhere. They, their family and church continually prayed for answers. When a friend happened to mention knowing someone who almost lost his leg but was doing well after seeing Dr. Lam at Lam Vascular & Associates, Ken wasted no time getting in touch.
The Dr. Lam Difference
Within a week, Ken and Paulette were sitting in Dr. Lam’s office waiting to go over all the diagnostic tests he had just performed on Ken. “When he came in to the exam room, I asked him, ‘Well Dr. Lam, can you help me?’ and do you know what he said? He said, “No. But I can fix you.’”
The Taylors were so relieved. Dr. Lam diagnosed Ken with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and laid out an aggressive treatment plan in the hopes of saving his leg.
Ken’s treatment and ultimate recovery was not an easy road. The tube placed in his leg by the other surgeon had caused a brutal staph infection that took significant time and effort to eradicate. Dr. Lam surgically removed the tube in a procedure that took more than six hours. “He got in there and found that the infected tube had been put straight through my calf muscle so he had to rebuild a new calf muscle from scratch,” said Ken.
As a diabetic for more than 25 years, he knew the recovery would not be easy. But Ken spent 7 ½ long WEEKS in the hospital. “My leg looked like a road map and at one point, I had four wound vac machines hooked up to it,” he chuckled.
But little by little, day by day, they saw improvement. And the day Ken was able to briskly walk 15 laps around the physical therapy track in record time, he knew he was going to be okay.
Free of PAD
When Ken finally went for his final follow-up appointment with Dr. Lam, it was a joyful occasion for all. “I really thought he was going to do a dance in the exam room with me,” said Ken. “He was so happy with my progress and even admitted that at one point, he didn’t know if I’d still have that leg at the end of it all. But I believed in him. He’s truly the finest and most caring doctor I have ever known…and I’ve known a lot of doctors!”
Today, Ken is back to mowing and edging his own lawn and looks forward to putting out the American flags with his Masonic Lodge buddies this Memorial Day weekend. The Taylors will be married 54 years this coming January and Ken credits much of his recovery to the love and support of his wife. “When I was in the hospital, do you know she came to see me every cotton-pickin day and even spent some nights with me too?” marveled Ken.
If Ken could sum up his experience in one word it would be grateful. He is grateful for his life, his wife, his leg, his health, and so very grateful to have met Dr. Lam.
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The overall goal for treating PAD at Lam Vascular & Associates is to alleviate pain. In severe cases of PAD, the team may recommend procedures such as peripheral bypass surgery, angioplasty or stenting to restore blood circulation in your legs and give you back your ability to walk.
For your comfort and convenience, Lam Vascular & Associates has locations in Dallas and Rockwall, Texas. Schedule your appointment today to get a leg up on your vascular health…and take your life back.
The information contained in this article is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice. Patient results will vary based on risk factors, age, disease and medical history and are not guaranteed in any way.
