Paul's Story

Paul is incredibly grateful for the day he stopped by the Peterborough Regional Vascular Health Network booth at a mall in Peterborough to have his blood pressure and cholesterol level checked. He was asked if he would like to participate in a study called "Stick Your Neck Out for Life Campaign". He readily agreed. Heart disease is no stranger to Paul. His father had his first open-heart surgery at the age of 52. Paul, age 48, thought he was doing all he could to prevent the same from happening to him.

The study involved having an ultrasound of his neck to see if there was any evidence of vascular disease in his carotid arteries. The test revealed that Paul had significant thickening of the artery wall, which is a risk factor for vascular disease and this finding led to further testing. Paul went on to have a cardiac stress test, which was also positive, necessitating a cardiac catheterization. It was discovered that Paul had a 70% blockage of one of his coronary arteries, which required immediate angioplasty, and placement of a stent.

Paul is appreciative of the early detection and management of his vascular disease.