Marge Julian – Heart Bypass Surgery Success Story

With her heart in good shape, Marge Julian’s retirement is back on track

This was not the retirement she had signed up for.

In 2004, Marge Julian moved from California with her daughter and grandson to live in their new home in Arlington. But earlier this year, every time she tried to climb the 16 steps to her retreat on the second floor, she experienced shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and achiness.

Julian had hoped for an active retirement after years working as a city billing supervisor. Instead, her weakness kept her stationary and limited to playing computer games.

“While I liked keeping in touch with my friends on Facebook, I was depending on others to take care of me way too much,” the 79-year-old says. “I wanted to be able to go out to dinner and see a movie with my grandson without the weakness or pain I felt when simply getting in and out of the car.”

Julian had also been looking forward to a family vacation in Florida but feared she wouldn’t be able to walk along the beach without feeling exhausted.

“One evening, I had finally had enough,” she says. “I asked my daughter to take me to the ER.”

The heart of the problem

At Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, Julian had an EKG, a stress test, and several other diagnostic tests. She was diagnosed with restricted blood flow to the heart in two of her arteries and recommended for bypass surgery.

Julian’s surgeon, Darien Bradford, MD, thoracic surgeon at Methodist Mansfield, gave Julian and her daughter confidence about the procedure.

“I remember meeting Dr. Bradford in the hospital; he was fantastic,” Julian says. “He listened to me and answered all of our questions. He explained everything to us in terms that were easy to understand, and he made me feel so comfortable and reassured. I told myself that I was too young to give up.”

Florida, here she comes!

After her bypass procedure, Julian recalls: “I didn’t feel a thing. I remember asking the nurse if they had done anything. I had little pain and felt up to going home.” After a few days of rehabilitation and physical therapy, Julian did just that.

“I’m now back to climbing the stairs to my suite, driving, and enjoying Stuart Woods novels by the pool,” she says.

Before she left for her trip to Florida this fall, she said she couldn’t wait to walk barefoot in the sand, shop, and enjoy time with her family, adding, “I’m living life again, and I owe everything to Dr. Bradford.”

We’ll keep your ticker tickin’

If you think your heart could use some help, Methodist Mansfield is a great place to turn. Recently awarded Cycle IV Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, the hospital offers advanced diagnostic technology, robotic procedures with the da Vinci® Surgical System, cardiac rehabilitation, and more.