Sutter Heart & Vascular Institute
Patient Stories
Five years ago, things were not looking good for Mark. The then 73-year-old was connected to an oxygen tank and ran out of breath by doing simple things like crossing the room. As a formerly active person, Mark was getting frustrated living with his congestive heart failure.
His family took it worse, so much so that his granddaughter convinced him to seek an opinion from a different cardiologist. Through her work as a medical device sales rep, she had heard good things about Dr. Stephen Peters at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
Mark made an appointment with Dr. Peters to get a second opinion. After seeing him, Dr. Peters concluded that Mark’s condition could be improved with medical intervention and contacted Mark’s current doctor to discuss the matter. Because of Dr. Peters’ request, Mark underwent an angiogram and then surgery for a biventricular pacemaker to help his right and left heart ventricles pump together.
“When I woke up from the surgery, it felt like a different world,” said Mark. “I could breathe on my own, without the oxygen machine.” After the surgery, Mark gradually resumed his more active lifestyle.
Because of his positive experience with Dr. Peters, Mark changed his insurance so he could access Sutter Health for all his medical needs. He found a new primary care physician at Sutter Roseville Medical Center who is “a lot better than my old doctor,” according to Mark. He and his wife, Bea, also became involved in Sutter Roseville Medical Center’s expansion campaign. “Sutter is such a first-class operation. I’m proud to be a part of it,” he says.
Today, several years after the device was implanted, Mark is a very active 78-year-old. He hunts deer and elk. He and Bea play golf. They also enjoy taking care of their house and yard. About his garden that contains pear trees, apple trees and tomatoes, Marks says, “I love to see things grow and thrive.” He could say the same thing about his nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, with whom Mark visits as often as possible. Mark and Bea also have a kennel and are raising two Labrador retrievers.
Earlier this year, Mark had his biventricular pacemaker replaced – normal maintenance for that type of device. “Those nurses at Sutter really know what they’re doing. They’re fantastic,” Mark says of those who cared for him during his recent stay at Sutter Memorial Hospital for his device replacement.
“I’m feeling better today at age 78 than I did 10 years ago,” said Mark. “I only wish I found Sutter earlier.”
Learn more about the Sutter Heart and Vascular Institute.