When Cassandra Humbles woke up on the morning of June 6, it was like any other day.
A long-time sufferer of skin lesions under her arms, Cassandra had undergone countless outpatient surgeries and treatments on her arms that ultimately led to her being unable to work. After her most recent outpatient surgery for her arms, Cassandra decided to take action: Find another primary care provider. She found Community Access Network and, together with Dr. Lucy Kibe, began actively maintaining her health with routine visits.
The morning of June 6, Cassandra was not scheduled for a routine primary care visit. Instead, she woke up, went about her daily chores, and noticed a nagging heartburn sensation. Because she had been routinely seeing Dr. Kibe, she knew exactly who to call to be seen for the issue.
A Visit to Community Access Network
Cassandra called Community Access Network and requested to be seen that day for her heartburn issue. On that particular day, Dr. Kibe wasn’t in the office so the Community Access Network staff paired her with another Team Yellow team member, Susan Clapp.
Upon intake, Susan asked Cassandra to describe what she was feeling and, at first glance, it truly seemed like just a case of heartburn. But Susan dug further. She discussed with Cassandra her family history and discovered that Cassandra’s father had had a massive heart attack at 41. Cassandra, at age 42, also described to Susan that she had been becoming more and more out of breath when walking.
All signs, while seemingly innocent when standing alone, together pointed to the potential for a much larger issue.
Susan referred Cassandra over to Centra Health to receive a stress test from their cardiology team to confirm her suspicions: Cassandra has having a cardiac event.
Centra Health and Community Access Network Work Together
The Centra Health team worked quickly to get Cassandra in that day for her stress test and confirmed Susan’s theories about Cassandra’s heart health. After Cassandra’s stress test, Centra’s Dr. Saum paid her a visit and let her know that she was having a heart attack and it wasn’t safe for her to return home.
They admitted Cassandra and began doing further tests, where they discovered that one of Cassandra’s arteries was blocked at 80% to 90%, and another was blocked 40% to 50%, with further blockages throughout her heart.
The news was clearly shocking and devastating to Cassandra, who started her day in the most ordinary way and was ending it by being placed into surgery to repair her failing heart.
The Follow-Up
Cassandra stayed in the hospital for a week following her surgery. Though she was dealing with the emotional aspects of emergency heart surgery and the recovery thereafter, she knew that her life had been saved by the quick actions of herself and the teams at Community Access Network and Centra.
Susan, who specializes in cardiac health, took a special interest in Cassandra’s case even after she left Community Access Network and stayed apprised of her next treatment steps.
Cassandra calls Susan her angel, saying that she and Susan were put together on that day for a reason.
When to Call For Help
Cassandra’s life was saved because she took immediate action on a symptom she knew wasn’t ordinary for her or her body. But she also had a primary care provider and a relationship with a group of healthcare professionals who knew her health, her health history and were able to take quick action.
If you are experiencing any symptoms that seem abnormal to you, make an appointment with us.
