The Heart of Care
"I just have so much respect and kindness in my heart for him because not only did he save my life, he became my friend, and he cares about me."
Joyce has made a lifetime out of caring for others. She and her husband have four children of their own but have also cared for 17 foster children over the years, adopting two of them. In 2017, the couple adopted a baby in need, Elijah, from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a local hospital.
But in 2019, Joyce suddenly needed help of her own. She started experiencing shortness of breath. After passing out at her home, she visited a local hospital and eventually received a pacemaker.
The pacemaker helped her symptoms, but they returned about a year later. Once again, she found herself often short of breath.
"Something was really wrong, and I knew it," she says.
She returned to the hospital that installed her pacemaker but did not receive a diagnosis or treatment plan that satisfied her. She discussed her concerns with her husband, a pastor, and they prayed for an answer.
Joyce got an answer when her husband's insurance changed, enabling her to visit UPMC. She visited with Kashif Chaudhry, MD, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in North Central Pa., in May 2022.
Tests revealed that Joyce's pacemaker was installed incorrectly, causing her to have irregular heartbeats. Her ejection fraction — a measurement of the amount of blood your heart pumps when it beats — was well below normal. She would need surgery to replace the pacemaker, or else her life was in jeopardy.
Dr. Chaudhry suggested an innovative pacemaker that uses one lead instead of four. Joyce would be the first patient in the region to receive that kind of pacemaker.
“I said, 'I'm not afraid. At this point, I have nothing to lose,'" Joyce says.
"And he is the kind of man that when you talk to him, he is genuine. He's not running out the door. He's not looking at his watch. He's not worried about the next person who's waiting in the waiting room. He's making eye contact with you, and he's gaining your confidence. And I said, 'OK, let's do it.'"
Dr. Chaudhry scheduled her surgery in June 2022. After the procedure, Joyce's condition improved quickly. Her ejection fraction rapidly returned to normal levels.
"My heart was pumping the way it should have been," she says. "The blood was flowing, and it was great."
Joyce even noticed a physical difference. Her rosy cheeks, which were a normal part of her appearance before her heart trouble, returned in full force.
Over a year after her surgery, Joyce says she feels great. She and Elijah, now 6 years old, go for walks together all the time.
She also returned to work. She's working as a paraprofessional support for children with special needs at a local elementary school.
Joyce is grateful to Dr. Chaudhry for saving her life, and she says the doctor has also become a close friend. She thanks him for his heart.
“I just have so much respect and kindness in my heart for him because not only did he save my life, he became my friend, and he cares about me, and he cares about when I walk in the office," Joyce says. "He always says, 'How's Elijah?' He remembers our little boy's name.
"I could say 100,000 words. The most prolific word I can say is, he cares. He absolutely, 100%, cares."
Joyce didn't choose to need heart surgery. But she did choose UPMC.
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