Remembering a life saved

Three Crosses Regional Hospital held a heart-warming reunion that brought together a woman who nearly died due to a heart issue and her care team. 

Georgiana Flowerman was playing a game of table tennis in May when she felt chest pain that was radiating out to her jaw and arm. Flowerman, a senior Olympic level power walker, knew that something was wrong.

“I had done one game of ping pong and I was feeling this pain in my chest. I was like ‘this is weird’ and I started to sweat profusely and I went and sat down which is weird,” Flowerman recalled at the reunion.

After a friend called 911, she was transported to Three Crosses and on the way EMS found the source of the issue.

“I remember really clearly that one of the first responders said something like, ‘oh there is something going on with your heart,’” Flowerman told the crew that took her to the hospital. “I don't know which one of you said it but it was really gentle and I felt like he was sorry that he had to tell me.”

Once in the hospital, interventional cardiologist Dr. Robert Graor and the rest of the team found the problem. Even though her arteries were clear, her left ventricle had a major issue. Normally this part of the heart should push out 60-70% of the blood, but Flowerman's was only pumping 10%. 

“That is incompatible with life,” Dr. Graor said. “We quickly moved to the Impella.”

The Impella is a small device that gets inserted in the heart through an artery. Once inside the heart, the device can help pump blood. This helped keep Flowerman alive and was instrumental in her recovery.

After evaluating her condition, the team at Three Crosses came to the conclusion that she most likely had a case of COVID cardiomyopathy — damage to the heart muscle stemming from COVID-19. 

“If you took a hundred people with cardiomyopathies with rather sudden onset like this, about a third of those people will get worse and eventually require a transplant or die, a third of the people stay the same as when you find them, this is rather gross numbers, and a third will get better over time," Dr. Graor said.

Flowerman fell into that last category. After being in the hospital for two weeks she recovered and was able to leave. 

“This morning I got to text with my daughter in Boston, I got to enjoy a cup of coffee that my husband brings me every morning, I got to watch the baby quail run across our driveway and I got to feel the cool air as I took my walk,” Flowerman said. “I am here in the world and all of these moments we have, they mean everything.” 

According to a press release, Flowerman is back to her active lifestyle, including power walking.