Patient Stories
"I wouldn't go anywhere else"
“I am Lillie. When I arrived at the Emergency Room's Chest Pain Center, I thought
I had indigestion. But when the nurse came in and told me I had a minor heart attack
I said, 'Heart attack! Are you kidding?' I was shocked. I had just been to my doctor
the month before, and everything was fine.
It turned out that I needed a triple bypass. The support and attention I received
from everyone there was fantastic - I've never seen anything like it. The nurses and
the doctors responded immediately to anything I needed. It's now six weeks later,
and I'm feeling very good. I'm grateful I'm alive thanks to the treatment I received
at AtlantiCare. I wouldn't go anywhere else for my medical care.”
"A second chance at life"
Lucille Robinson of Atlantic City was finishing her last year of classes at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey when on March 7 of this year, she experienced symptoms. “It was as if I had eaten a York® Peppermint Patty,” she said, of the sensation in her chest. “I also had numbness in my legs. Since my mother has heart disease, I knew the symptoms could be a sign of something serious.” A call to 911 led to Robinson’s ambulance transport to the Emergency Department at ARMC , where Scott Menet, DO, diagnosed her with an aortic dissection – which meant the layers of her aorta’s wall tore. “The Emergency Department is often the first place patients seek treatment for chest pain,” said John Becher, DO, chairman of Emergency Services at ARMC. ARMC’s Mainland and City campus Emergency Departments were the first and second accredited chest pain centers in New Jersey. “In addition to implementing the most efficient and advanced diagnostic and treatment programs for chest pain patients, we stress among the community how vital it is for those experiencing chest pain or other symptoms to get to a hospital quickly.”
Howard Axelrod, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Heart Institute, repaired her aortic tear and replaced one of her heart valves. “I feel blessed and fortunate to be saved. The staff at ARMC puts a lot of love into their job. They helped me recover quickly.”
Robinson, a former cocktail waitress and a single mother of one child, continued her class work as she recovered. She has since graduated from Stockton, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology. “I received a second chance at life,” said Robinson.
"The staff couldn't have done more for me"
Frederick E. Ruddick Sr., 64, of Egg Harbor Township, knew something was wrong when he didn’t have the energy to climb a ladder at Post Yachts in Mays Landing, a task he has done for 38 years servicing yachts as a marine electrician. “I’m usually very active at work,” said Ruddick. “When I couldn’t climb the ladder I knew something wasn’t right.” A cardiac catheterization at the Heart Institute revealed a 90 percent blockage of three arteries in Ruddick’s heart. He needed a triple bypass. “I wasn’t surprised because my father died of a heart attack in his forties and my sister had a triple bypass in 1998,” explained Ruddick. “Now I feel like I’m 21 again. I stay very active at work and I don’t get tired.” Ruddick credits the ARMC staff for providing him comfort during his stay and follow-up care after his surgery. “The staff couldn’t have done more for me,” said Ruddick. “It seemed like there was a nurse in the doorway of my hospital room for two days straight.”
"Listen to your body"
Marie Rubino-Schrull, 65, of Little Egg Harbor, said her mother died of heart failure at the age of 46, but she didn’t realize her own fatigue was a symptom of heart disease. She said a “pulling sensation” in her throat led her to make an appointment with a cardiologist. She failed a stress test in the office of Tome Nascimento, MD, a cardiologist on staff at ARMC. Nascimento called an ambulance and notified the Heart Institute that Schrull was on her way to the Emergency Department. A cardiac catheterization revealed three arteries in her heart were 95 percent blocked; a fourth artery was 45 percent blocked. On May 15, James Dralle, MD, chief of Cardiac Surgery at the Heart Institute, performed her coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). “Listen to your body,” Schrull advises. “If something feels wrong, have it checked out. Doing so could save your life.”
"I was able to see my son Michael's wedding"
“If it was green, it was mean,” said Nucci Jay Ross, Jr., of Galloway, describing his previous distaste of vegetables. Ross has lost 85 pounds since his quadruple bypass surgery at the Heart Institute. “I now watch my diet carefully. It’s chicken, fish and lots of vegetables for me.” After his surgery he converted a room in his home to an exercise room. He exercises six days a week with aerobics, weight training, biking and walking. Ross said his wife knew to call for help for symptoms he was ignoring that June morning in 2002. “I woke with chest pain one morning, but I got up, shaved and showered,” said Ross, who is a computer specialist for a supermarket chain. “I had some important meetings that day that I didn’t want to miss. I knew it was wrong to ignore the pain, but it wasn’t as if I was having the typical Hollywood heart attack – where the person is clutching his chest and falling to the ground.” Ross said his wife Debbie, who works in a physician’s office, recognized his symptoms and dialed 911. “My cardiac catheterization at the Heart Institute showed several arteries were 100 percent blocked.” Ross is grateful his wife heeded the symptoms and he received quadruple bypass surgery at the Heart Institute. “I was able to see my son Michael’s wedding this past October and to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary in May in Jamaica .” Ross and his wife are expecting a grandchild in November.
Related information
AtlantiCare's personal approach to heart health can make a difference in your life, too.
For more information, call (609) 748-7500.
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