Nothing traumatic happened. At 81 years old, nothing traumatic needs to happen. As Janet Doyle routinely descended the steps from her bedroom one morning, an unexpected pain shot into her hip and traveled down her left leg.
Debbie Lovensheimer’s hiking buddies looked concerned after traversing 25 miles on the Appalachian Trail. Normally, Debbie thrives as their fearless leader, but this time she felt bad. In addition to unusual fatigue, she consistently experienced stabbing pain after she ate.
In the spring of 2017, Charles found himself taking naps frequently, but something didn’t feel quite right. “I soon realized I wasn’t actually napping, but instead was having blackouts,” explained Charles.
Tami Swope woke with an odd tightness in her neck. Describing it as “pressure,” the sensation didn’t go away. When Tami arrived at the emergency department, she lost consciousness, and her heart stopped beating. She was suffering from a widowmaker heart attack.
Brad Hollingsworth tests his limits and always has. The 41-year-old has accomplished amazing physical feats even though he has complete congenital heart block, diagnosed when he was about a year old.
Mary Loise Cox stood in the church parking lot on one foot, or at least it felt like one foot. Numbness crept up her right foot, leg and hip, all the way to her pain-stricken lower back.
