Arteriosclerosis

The Boynton Times

There is a light

I always talk about modern technology and the miracles performed daily. I recently received a story telling about a miracle and a light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a story about a medical breakthrough procedure called CryoPlasty, a frozen balloon angioplasty, which is benefiting many people with bad circulation and immobility.

The living proof of this story is about an 87-year old woman who is now living a normal life because of this procedure.

Jeanette Shorr was an extremely active 87-year old woman. One of her favorite activities as to walk the malls and shop as part of her daily routine. She walked for hours on end with a group of friends while they socialized; they also exercised at the same time.

Two months ago while engaging in her activity, Jeanette noticed she was unable to walk for any length without having to stop to catch her breath. She also experienced extreme pain in her left leg when this happened. After resting for a few minutes, she resumed walking. This was coming a very common occurrence and was getting worse. She noticed her quality of life was diminishing.

One day while engaging in her routine, her knee buckled and gave out completely. She knew that this was a problem needing medical advice immediately.

She asked around and was told there was a new procedure being done by Dr. William Julien, an Interventional Radiologist in Margate, Florida. He is the first physician in Broward County to perform the procedure. She sought him out and became his patient.

She was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis, namely a build-up of plaque in the arteries. With the new medical breakthrough, CryoPlasty, (a frozen balloon angioplasty,) her life was given back.

It is the only procedure to treat this type of problem. The build-up of plaque in the arteries is extremely treacherous, especially in the knee. Conventional angioplasty would not have worked in this part of the body.

The result of not using this procedure could have been the cause of a life threatening complication. Without it this lady would have to alter her lifestyle dramatically and would have been debilitated in movement and quality of life. She had to have the surgery.

Shortly after being operated, she returned to her busy, active lifestyle with her friends once more. She no longer had worries of falling or becoming incapacitated. She is very grateful to her doctor and for being about to live a much more complete life.

"Mr. Comiso was a delight to work with, and it was gratifying to use this new technology for his serious situation. Since the carotid stent procedure avoids any neck incisions, there is zero risk of vocal cord paralysis," said Dr. Julien. "My practice philosophy is to offer each patient the latest and best technologies, procedures, and medications currently available. Clearly, we were able to accomplish that here."

We never stop to think what our lives would be like if we were not able to be mobile. Jeanette was helped because of this breakthrough and procedure.

Her mind is now at ease and she is living a pain free, happy life enjoying what she likes doing best.

Stories like this are very enlightening and when I am sent something I feel can give my readers hope; I enjoy putting it in to the paper. Thank you for sharing your story with us and I hope it is an inspiration to others suffering from the same problem.

Modern medicine never stops finding new possibilities in so many areas thus creating a success story, as the one above.

A short while ago, I wrote on Hope, and the above is exactly what I was talking about. We must never feel that anything is so fatal that the result seems hopeless, you never know!