People do you know what vascular disease is and how it affects the human body? My husband has been suffering with this debilitating vascular disease for several years and it is hard to deal with. He has had a total of seven surgeries due to by-passing huge blockages in his heart and his legs.
These operations were necessary to try and obtain proper blood flow through major veins in his body. The by-pass surgery on his legs were worse than his major open-heart surgery. It lasted approximately 8 hours and before the surgery the doctor called us in to tell us there was "no" guarantee my husband would survive the surgery.
Needless to say, the total leg by-pass surgery was a total loss because the transferred vein died and my husband was back to square one. I’m writing this article in hopes people who maybe suffering with this terrible disease will seek help to discuss their options with a professional vascular doctor and to prevent the possibility of losing part or all of a foot or leg.
Cleveland Clinic.org has stated that vascular disease is any condition that affects the human circulatory system, i.e., veins and lymph vessels, arteries, and blood disorders that affect the proper circulation system.
Vascular disease is a condition known as arteriosclerosis; and most people will have to ask a doctor to explain what it actually is. I’m going to repeat what the doctors explained to us and that is it is a build-up of plaque beginning to collect in the walls of arteries which circulates throughout the body; and once the arteries get blocked or narrowed in time, it causes blood to be reduced or it stops the blood flow to the areas of a person’s body.
When this happens to an individual, it affects arteries leading to the heart, arms, legs and veins in the eyes, arteries around the intestines or the kidney, brain and the carotid arteries located in the general neck area.
I want people to be aware how this disease affects a person’s life. My husband has had quadruple heart surgery, six operations on the veins in his legs, a laser used to stop bleeding in the veins of the eyes and we’re living day to day not knowing the ravages of the disease from day to day.
This is a disease people need to watch carefully. Jeffrey Bahr, M.C., Internist at Advanced Healthcare has said, "People should know the risk factors causing vascular disease so they can take the necessary precautions to control the risks of them having it. People should watch their blood pressure, smoking, and their high cholesterol levels too."
Did you know that smoking can cause grave damage to a person’s vascular system because it constricts and hardens the arteries?
In today’s society people are aware of medications that can lower cholesterol levels to reduce the risks of developing a stroke or a heart attack because of blockages. If vascular disease has a tendency to run in a person’s family, they need to get medical screenings to ensure they’re free from the disease; and if they’re a diabetic they should try to control their blood sugar level because uncontrolled blood sugar can also cause a person to develop vascular disease early in life.
When people live a healthy lifestyle by exercising, eating plenty of vegetables and fruits and they eat low saturated fats, they can reduce their risks of developing a vascular disease. People can escape many health issues if they’ll watch what they eat, exercise, and do what is necessary to avoid the hazards of this disease.
I’m a firm believer that people can reduce their risks of developing vascular disease if they see their doctor regularly and they take care of themselves properly. It’s hard for me to look at my husband’s chopped up body because he has so many scars…this is preventable with proper healthy lifestyles and exercise.
Barbara Kasey is the sole writer of this article – it is based on experiences and knowledge gained from her husband’s vascular disease.