Vascular Cures News

June 14, 2023 Communicating with healthcare professionals can be difficult for anyone, but for queer/trans people, it can be even more challenging to navigate how to come out to our healthcare team. Many LGBTQ+ people have stories about awkward interactions in healthcare, from lesbians reassuring doctors that they’re definitely not getting pregnant, to gay dads having to explain the connection to their children. No matter how you choose to discuss your identity with your phys

May 9, 2023 The Patient Community Liaison Microgrant was created to help patient ambassadors lead grassroots and community efforts to advance awareness, treatment and prevention of vascular diseases, including Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). The Patient Community Liaison Microgrant has been awarded to Kim Campbell, RN. Her project focus is on educating her community in Atlanta and hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, about PAD with the goal of decreasing and potentially prev

May 9, 2023 May is Stroke Awareness Month, and for this Patient Community Newsletter, we’re going to help spread awareness about this all-too-common vascular event. Knowing is half the battle, and we encourage you and your loved ones to learn about what a stroke is, what it looks like, and what to do if it happens. May is Stroke Awareness Month. Vascular Cures wants to mark this important month by spreading the message that 80% of strokes are preventable.  A little progress o

April 21, 2021 April is National Minority Health Month, and for this Patient Community Newsletter, we’re going to highlight the importance of vascular health for those populations that are often underrepresented in health research and care initiatives. Many factors affect your health, and there is a lot of research that shows that certain races and ethnicities can be at a disadvantage when trying to protect their health or seek care. These gaps in health outcomes are evident

March 15, 2023 March is Blood Clot Awareness Month, which is a chance for everyone to learn more about and assess their risk of blood clots. One of the best things you can do to lower your risk for blood clots is staying active, so this month we’re focusing on the importance of exercise for vascular health. Blood clots are actually quite common. They’re gel-like clumps of blood that can have many different effects on your body. Serious blood clots can cause events like heart

February 28, 2022 By: David Sayas Originally posted 8/16/22 Vascular Cures believes in supporting patients, caregivers, and advocates by sharing their experiences in a safe space. We believe this is essential to spreading education and disease awareness in ways most meaningful to the people impacted. Our patient Partner and Vascular Cures’ board member, Steve Hamburger, founded a Facebook Community PAD support group that has grown to over 400+ members. Reflecting on the past

February 23, 2023 February is Black History Month, and a time to reflect on the ways vascular care and research have been and often continue to be inequitable. This month, our newsletter will focus on stories and perspectives from Black patients, providers, and advocates who make a difference in vascular health. Black History Month allows our nation to celebrate Black Excellence in all its forms - including in medicine and healthcare. New Face at Vascular Cures: Meet Chiamaka

February 23, 2023 It was like any ordinary morning in Lagos, Nigeria, when I sat in the back seat of my mother’s crowded car as we headed to my primary school early in the morning. I was lucky, or maybe just bossy enough, to sit by the rolled-down window and absorb the smells, sounds, and view of the busy city, albeit somewhat interrupted by my brother’s heavy, sleepy head. Amid the frustrated drivers honking the cars that illuminated the atmosphere and the multitudes chatter

February 21, 2023 Why do people need vascular surgery? According to Dr. Tillman, the two most common reasons for vascular surgery are: Blockages: when there’s no blood flowing due to conditions such as a clot or buildup of plaque (deposits of fat, calcium and other waste products) in the arteries Aneurysms : when a blood vessel gets too large How does a person typically get referred to a vascular surgeon? “Most patients are referred to vascular surgeons by other doctors who i

January 2, 2023 In September, Kim Campbell represented Vascular Cures at the African American Male Wellness Walk in Atlanta. Kim has made it her goal to share information about peripheral artery disease: this is her way of honoring her mother, Gertrude. Born in Greenville Mississippi, Kim’s father died when she was 9; she grew up close to her mother, and the two shared a lifelong bond often unique in single mother families. Gertrude, who made history as the first African Amer

September 1, 2022 By: David Sayas On September 22nd, the SAVE (San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular)  Clinic will be hosting resource fairs and free screenings throughout various districts of the San Antonio area. Learn more about the importance of vascular health and meet with medical professionals for a free vascular disease screening. The Save Clinic was established by Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, Board Certified Vascular Surgeon, to serve the need for compassionate, personalized, ad

July 19, 2022 A Patient Blogpost by Asher, Vascular Cures Patient Partner : Have you ever been called the wrong name or been mistakenly labeled as the opposite sex? If so, you can understand the uncomfortable, awkward feelings of disrespect and ignorance that affect your identity. For the past 30 years I have been identifying as a female. About 10 months ago my partner helped me realize that I identify as non-binary (meaning I am neither male nor female, I identify with both)

May 25, 2022 By: Vascular Cures Team To help improve the use of PROMS in PAD, Vascular Cures created the PROM-PAD Working Group. The 2019 kickoff meeting of this group in the nation’s capital brought together a multi-disciplinary group of clinical experts, scientists, governmental and industry stakeholders — as well as several patients with PAD who provided direct and powerful input. We are proud to have catalyzed this important work. In 2022 the PROM-PAD working group publis

May 23, 2022 A Patient Blogpost by Bill, Vascular Cures Patient Partner : I was diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) by my primary care provider some ten years ago. Having never heard of this disease before, the first thing I did when I got home was Google it. On the whole, the news was not very encouraging. For as prevalent as the disease was, I didn’t find much in the popular medical literature about it. I did find a lot of information about lifestyle changes, suc

April 22, 2022 By: Katelyn Jackson Vascular Cures, an entrepreneurial, national healthcare non-profit, is looking for our next leader who will continue our mission of improving the lives of the millions of people living with vascular diseases. Our Chief Executive Officer Opportunity Profile is now live on LinkedIn and our website. The next CEO will champion patient-centered care and lead a passionate, collaborative organization committed to improving healthcare  for  patients

April 4, 2022 Vascular Cures is pleased to be bringing our community a Question & Answer piece featuring the expertise of one of our previous Wylie Scholars, Dr. Mohamed Zayed. We asked patients with a history of clotting to share some of the questions they have about blood clots. Dr. Zayed provides some insight and tackles the issues patients are most interested in hearing about below! Dr. Mohamed Zayed is a vascular surgery specialist at the Washington University School of

March 28, 2022 READ VASCULAR CURES PATIENT PARTNER LINDA’S STORY I  begin my story with a visit to my medical doctor with a warm spot near my ankle.  My doctor diagnosed it as gout and administered a course of steroids. This seemed to do the trick and soon I was back to my usual exercise routine, which included walking around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. One evening, several months later, I was walking at the Rose Bowl and was almost back to where my friends were wa

March 24, 2022 KNOW YOUR RISK, LOWER YOUR RISK Have you ever heard the advice to stand up and stretch your legs during a long plane ride? In the world of virtual working, standing up and stretching from time to time might just strike you as a way to keep from getting stiff or growing restless. But what if it could save your life? That’s right – on a long plane or car ride, stretching your legs could prevent a fatal blood clot, especially if you are at risk. Read more about bl

December 15, 2021 Patient Blog by Vascular Cures’ Patient Partner Steve H. on his experience with the benefits of walking for patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) I was first diagnosed with  Peripheral Artery Disease   about 14 years ago. My first symptom was that I couldn’t walk more than two blocks without getting pain in my lower calf muscles, forcing me to stop and start again. I traveled for work at the time. I experienced the same sensation in my calves when I

November 22, 2021 Patient Blog by Vascular Cures’ Patient Partner Mechket   G. During a sunny afternoon in December 2020, there was no better excuse to go shopping than Christmas, especially in the extravagant Malls of Dubai. I had plenty of time to spare, had a spirit of giving, and dreamed of finding that perfect gift for everyone I cared for. Suddenly, something was shifting inside me. My right foot didn’t respond anymore and a severe pain in my right thigh stopped me from