Persistence Saves Bismarck Woman`s Life | Video

Juli McDonald | 6/16/2010

If new symptoms appear, it might be easy for some people to brush them off and assume they`re nothing. But a Bismarck woman, who began to experience some strange feelings, wouldn`t stop until doctors figured them out.

Connie Ness has always been active. When she started to feel pain briefly in her stomach and arms, it might have been easy for her to ignore them. But fortunately, she didn`t ignore the symptoms, and because of that she`s still alive today.

Ness loves to be active. She frequently walks around her neighborhood, and also exercises by running up and down stairs. But a few months ago she began to have pain when she exercised. Her arm hurt down to her fingertips, but it would always go away within minutes.

I was waking up during the night feeling a sicky feeling, like a flu feeling, and that went on for months. And I thought well there has to be something more to this," said Ness.

So, she went to her longtime doctor, who knew something wasn`t right.

"I think it`s important for us to rule out the bad things first," said Dr Brenda Miller, Medcenter One Family Medicine. "Well, maybe it is because you`re getting a little older, maybe you`re out of shape, but what if it`s your heart? Let`s check on that first and make sure that`s not the problem."

Miller sent Ness for a stress test and to see a cardiologist, but all the evaluations came back normal. Miller then sent Ness for a CT scan with Medcenter`s new Aquilion One scanner.

Miller said, "She had massive heart disease, to the point where she would have had a heart attack in six months if it wasn`t found."

Connie had surgery to place stents in her heart right away. Miller doesn`t know why the problems didn`t present in early tests, but they both are thankful for the Aquilion scanner.

"I`m just right up to it. I`m running and walking and everything`s just wonderful. I feel good," said Ness.

Ness says she jumped right out of bed the next day after surgery and is back to walking and running up those stairs.

Miller is quite pleased with Ness`s recovery and renewed good health. Her blood pressure and cholesterol are finally under control, and Miller says the absolute best thing Ness has done for herself is quit smoking.

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