Kimberly Wells

A New Beat: Kim’s Journey to Healing

When Kim first saw the words “open heart surgery,” she handed the information packet back to the nurse. “I said, ‘I’m not going to need that,’” she recalls. But her heart had other plans—and so did her team at St. Elizabeth.

A Sound That Changed Everything

During a routine visit, Jennifer Maddox, APRN, a Primary Care provider at St. Elizabeth, placed a stethoscope on Kim’s chest and was concerned by what she was hearing. She immediately ordered an echocardiogram.

After Kim’s test results were reviewed by her cardiologist, she was referred to Dr. Mario Castillo Sang, a Cardiac Surgeon at St. Elizabeth. Kim waited nearly eight months before finally meeting with Dr. Castillo-Sang. “I was in denial for a long time,” she says. But when he explained what her heart was doing, everything changed.

“With mitral valve disease particularly, it’s very silent. It’s very slow moving,” explains Dr. Castillo-Sang. “Oftentimes patients may not have any symptoms.”

“My heart was only working at 45%, and all of the blood was coming out the top,” Kim recalls. “It’s such an emotional thing to talk about because it is your heart.”

With her daughter expecting her first child and a career change underway, Kim felt overwhelmed. But Dr. Castillo-Sang offered reassurance. “He said, ‘Don’t wait till you’re sick, Kim. Just do it.’ And I said, ‘Okay.’ And we did it. We just did it,” Kim recalls.

Surgery and Support

Kim underwent totally endoscopic minimally invasive mitral valve surgery. “It was really like walking into another realm of your life,” she says. She was especially grateful for the minimally invasive approach. “The healing process is so much quicker.”

She praised the care team’s compassion and coordination. “What they do and the integrity that they do it with is not purchased. It’s not bought. It is inside that person. They genuinely, authentically are giving that to you with nothing in return except for your better health,” she says.

“That’s one of the gems of getting care in your community—you’re part of that community. You’re not just patient number X,” says Dr. Castillo-Sang.

Healing Inside and Out

After surgery, Kim noticed an immediate difference. “I felt like I was whole again,” she says. “My heart used to beat so fast in my throat that I felt like I couldn’t swallow. The next day, I said, ‘Could that be gone?’”

But recovery wasn’t just physical. “I felt like an inanimate object for a long time,” shares Kim. “I couldn’t participate. I didn’t feel like myself.” Dr. Castillo-Sang reassures her: “You just went through open heart surgery. You didn’t get a haircut. You had a new grandchild. You changed careers. You had a lot on your plate.”

Cardiac rehab played a key role in her healing. “I couldn’t have healed without it,” she says. “It helped me get back my breath and my strength.”

A New Outlook

Today, Kim feels energized and grateful. “I get up at 7 a.m. now. I feel like I can absorb more life,” she says. “There’s a fog that’s been lifted.”

She also feels more in tune with her body. “Just because your heart is racing or you’re short of breath doesn’t mean it’s caffeine or stress,” she advises. “You need to be in tune with your body and get where you need to be.”

Kim’s message to others is clear: “Don’t wait. Seek counseling if you need to. Communicate with your doctors. It’s hard to come out with those vulnerable feelings, but the quicker you do it for yourself, the better off you are.”

To learn more about Heart Surgery at St. Elizabeth, visit our website or schedule a consultation with Dr. Castillo-Sang or another member of our expert cardiac surgery team by calling (859) 301-9010.