Brother and Sister Toast the Bride…and Their Successful Heart Procedures at Silver Cross

At his daughter Kari’s wedding, Jim Galen and his sister, Linda Mitchell, shared a celebratory dance.

Each had life-saving heart procedures at the Midwest Institute for Heart at Silver Cross Hospital only weeks before. Mitchell was first after making an appointment with Dr. Joseph Stella, an interventional cardiologist on staff.

Mitchell said she wasn’t keeping up with household chores, was getting out of breath after a short walk, and her heart raced from time to time. She ignored the symptoms for weeks. Dr. Stella didn’t. The camera portion of a nuclear stress test showed no blockages, but the treadmill test showed abnormalities.

“He scheduled an angiogram, but several days before, I was watching my grandson, and I really didn’t feel well. I called my son and daughter-in-law,” she explained. “They called for paramedics.”

At the Silver Cross ER, her heart rate was 204 beats per minute, and her angiogram was bumped up. When Dr. Hong Jun Yun, Medical Director for the Structural Heart Program at Silver Cross and interventional cardiologist who was on call, saw her charts, he told her he “had a procedure to do, and then you’re next,” Mitchell said.

“One artery was 95 percent blocked, and the other was 85 percent. Only 20 percent of the blood was getting to my heart.” The “widow-maker” artery also was blocked, requiring a more intricate stent procedure.

During a follow-up with Dr. Stella, Mitchell brought a copy of her brother’s heart scan results taken at another hospital. “The scan showed I have a 95 percent chance of having a serious heart event,” Galen said. “I was concerned.” Galen said one artery was 99 percent blocked, and another was 95 percent. Dr. Stella requested surgery as soon as possible.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Allison Beckett scheduled a double-bypass just weeks before Galen’s daughter’s wedding. He got to walk Kari down the aisle, make the father-of-the-bride speech, and have that daddy-daughter dance.

Mitchell requested a song she and her brother could dance to: “My Heart Will Go On,” the theme to the movie Titanic.”The doctors – cardiologists, surgeons – nurses, technicians, they were all great.”

Galen said heart scans are so important. And Mitchell is glad she shared her brother’s scan results with Dr. Stella. “This has been the greatest blessing of my life. What happened to me saved my brother’s life.”

And they are spreading the love to other family members who are at risk, including a brother who lives in Rockford.”He’s driving 100 miles to see the best cardiologist we know.”

To schedule a $49 CT Heart Scan at Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org.