Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute
Patient Stories
Rodgers and Hammerstein's hit musical Annie Get Your Gun has been a popular production for theatre companies since it first played on Broadway in 1946.
It's no wonder that Sacramento residents Betty and Jim Saggs were excited when they saw the production listed at their local community center. So excited, that Betty wasn't going to let a little shortness of breath and a slight pain in her neck keep her from seeing the show.
"I became somewhat alarmed and insisted we return to the car and go home," recalls Betty's husband Jim. Betty, however, was equally insistent that they continue to the theatre where she silently suffered another episode. Although she had nursed Jim through his own heart problems, Betty never thought she was having a heart attack. "It really felt more like the kind of catch you get in your side when you're walking too fast, and it didn't last long," she explains.
Jim, however, continued to be concerned. A few years earlier he had learned the necessity for following up on symptoms even remotely related to cardiac disease. His decision to seek medical help resulted in the discovery of a blocked artery. A balloon angioplasty, performed at Sutter Memorial Hospital in 1997, opened up his blockage and the insertion of a wire mesh tube, known as a stent, kept the blockage from reoccurring. "I was back home in no time," he says.
After a few days of "nagging" Jim finally convinced Betty to call her doctor, Bayard Chang, M.D. An echogram was immediately set up with cardiologist Dennis Breen, M.D. Early into the test, which according to Jim, "Betty was flunking gloriously," Dr. Breen insisted that Betty check into Sutter Memorial. "I still didn't think it was serious, or at the most, I'd have something like Jim had," adds the reluctant patient.
Unfortunately, Betty's problem was much more severe than her husband's. Cardiologist Daniel Van Hamersveld, M.D., performed an angiogram that revealed the necessity for a five-way bypass operation. One of the surgeons at Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons performed the life-saving procedure. "I guess it was pretty touch-and-go at times but I made it through," says Betty. Jim credits the doctors at Sutter Memorial with his wife's recovery.
Upon her return home a week later, Betty began Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute's Cardiac Rehabilitation program. The monitored exercise program consisted of 36 sessions, three days a week. "Everyone is so wonderful there. They treat you like family," says Betty. "The nurses in the rehab unit are really on the ball and would call my doctors if they were concerned about anything." Jim concurs, "Roxanne, Linda and Carol are the salt of the earth. They called Dr. Shankar when an incision in Betty's leg didn't seem to be healing properly which resulted in her being sent to a dermatologist. I just get the feeling that everyone at Sutter is genuinely concerned about their patients. They're not just doing a job."
While Betty was meeting the physical challenges of the rehab program, Jim had a few challenges of his own. "Believe it or not I had no idea how to use the dishwasher, washing machine, or most anything at the house," laughs Jim. "My son, Michael, had to come over and show me how to do the laundry. Also, with Betty's instructions, I learned to cook a few chicken dishes."
Jim conquered the home appliances, but the stress over Betty's condition and the added responsibilities put a strain on his heart, as well. He began to experience a heart flutter and arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) and checked himself into Sutter Memorial. During his week's stay, Jim received another angioplasty with additional stents added to his blocked arteries. "I can't say enough about the fine care I received from the doctors at Sacramento Heart," says Jim. "I think I went through them all!"
Fortunately for the Saggs, daughter-in-law Michele was able to take time off her job and stay with Betty while Jim was in the hospital. "She is a real blessing," adds Betty who felt responsible for Jim's attack. "He was so worried about me that I know that had an affect on him," Betty explains. "Although, come to think of it, he does like to hog the spotlight and this was one way to get all the attention," she teases.
The Saggs are now both recuperating nicely. "We eat a very healthy diet, one we learned through the cardiac rehab program, and get regular exercise," says Jim. They also continue to enjoy theatrical performances at the community center. "I think in the future we'll just leave all the drama and the spotlight to the actors," Betty adds.