Terry of Garland admits he lived a little hard when he was younger. “I’m just happy I lived this long,” said Terry, age 70, with a little chuckle.
A Type 2 diabetic, he was dealing with significant leg pain and cramping. It was beginning to affect his life negatively but all his doctors were unable to determine the source. “It got to where I couldn’t even walk around the grocery store with my wife anymore,” he said. “I just had to sit in the car.”
His wife Nancy (he calls her his angel on earth) saw something on Facebook about Lam Vascular & Associates and suggested they call. “We figured we’d tried everything else so why not?” said Terry. “The cramping and knots in my legs were so bad, I had nothing to lose.”
It turns out, the leg pain was due to Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a condition that often plagues individuals with diabetes. A sonogram at Lam Vascular revealed artery blockage in each leg of up to 70 percent!
This discovery launched a season of aggressive treatments to combat the condition and, ultimately, to save Terry’s legs from amputation. He had his initial surgery – angioplasty and stenting – with Dr. Lam. “He is the nicest guy you’d ever meet,” said Terry. “He’s very compassionate and even gave me his personal cell phone number in case I needed him over the weekend. I’ve never had a doctor do that before.”
As Terry’s condition continued to resist treatment, his care was taken over by Dr. Duran. “She’s got a heart as big as Texas,” said Terry. “You can see it in her eyes. She really cares about her patients.”
Over the next several months, Terry underwent more procedures with Dr. Duran, including the implantation of cadaver veins and arteries to replace his ones which had failed due to the PAD. His hospital stay was lengthy but Dr. Duran faithfully came to check in on him and keep him informed of everything that was going on.
Wound care is a tricky issue with diabetics and Terry needed several lengthy sessions in the hyperbaric chamber which aids in healing. “I’ll be honest,” he said. “I really lost my will to live while in that hyperbaric chamber for two hours at a time.”
Dr. Duran noticed Terry’s distress and stepped in to make a different plan. “She got me out of the hospital so I could go home and continue my wound care there and just come in when I needed a treatment,” he said. “I could see Dr. Duran was hurting inside because I was doing so badly. But she would not quit. She’s a fighter and just kept on trying and trying until she saved my leg.”
Today, Terry is almost completely out of pain, his leg is healed and he can even mow the yard again and grocery shop with Nancy like he used to. “I would recommend Dr. Lam and Dr. Duran to anyone,” said Terry. “I have 100 percent confidence in both of them.”
Dr. Russell Lam and Dr. Cassidy Duran of Lam Vascular and Associates see many individuals who have been told an amputation is their only option. The truth is, that’s rarely the case. Lam Vascular and Associates specializes in second opinion evaluations and has saved thousands of limbs for thousands of patients who thought an amputation was inevitable.
Schedule your second opinion appointment today.
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.
