Judith's Heart Story
Jun 6, 2019Judith Ruiz, heart valve patient, Florida Medical Center
When Judith Ruiz turned 85 years old, she started having frequent chest pain, back pain and fatigue. “My son, Humberto, and my grandson, Felipe, noticed that I would break-out in sweats on a regular basis,” Judith said. “I even collapsed and fell to the ground a few times.”
She knew something was wrong, and decided to see her doctor, but after several tests were performed, she was given a clean bill of health. Still suffering, she wanted a second opinion, and she remembered that 30 years before, her husband had received open-heart surgery—and excellent care—at Florida Medical Center.
“I felt confident they would handle my case flawlessly,” Judith said. “And further testing revealed I had not only a heart murmur, but also scarring in my aortic valve.”
Judith had surgery to repair the problem and spent two weeks in the hospital. “The nurses in the Intensive Care Unit went above and beyond their professional duties to provide my family with the emotional support we desperately needed,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier with the way we were treated at Florida Medical Center.”
Afterwards, Judith worked diligently with her rehabilitation specialists so she could get back to her old routine.