Nancy was told she had no option but amputation because the doctor was not experienced in advanced cases of Peripheral Artery Disease.

So, her daughter called the Global PAD Association’s Leg Saver Hotline, which found her a doctor with more advanced limb salvage skills, who was able to get her just enough blood flow to improve her ability to walk and grow natural bypasses around her artery blockages.

Then I was able to get her educated on the power of walking as medicine.

Since working with me, the Global PAD Association founder, she has started walking with her daughter multiple times a day on the treadmill, reaching up to 10,000 steps.

She now wants to know if 10,000 steps is enough, why she has some good days and bad days when walking, and if that’s a sign something is wrong.

She joined our inaugural ASK KYM discussion to talk about how she walks to improve her circulation and her concerns about pushing too hard.

Check it out:

After watching Nancy’s story above, you might want to check out this video with Vascular Surgeon Anahita Dua explaining how to walk effectively to grow collateral vessels:

You can also download a full walking guide here: https://simplebooklet.com/paddyspostwalkingspecial

Here is a cliff notes version of how to walk: https://simplebooklet.com/walkingbrochureperipheralarte

Based on my experience traveling the world watching hundreds of doctors perform thousands of hours of procedures to treat Peripheral Artery Disease, as well as attending conferences across the globe throughout the year, I launched ASK KYM to share my perspective non-clinical perspective on care for PAD.

Disclaimer:

Ask Kym is a series featuring the founder of the Global PAD Association and real patients sharing their individual experiences and asking questions. Individual results may vary, patient testimonials are not claimed to represent typical results or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Kym is not a Doctor or Clinician so she is not offering medical advice. She is only speaking from her experience on the frontlines observing hundreds of doctors perform thousands of hours of procedures globally to treat blocked arteries in the legs and the heart. This series is for educational purposes only and any advice offered is not a substitute for medical advice from your own supervising physician. Do not act on any information provided in this series without the explicit consent from your healthcare team. For information on vascular diseases and real-time advocacy and support, go to http://www.PADhelp.org or call (415) 320-7138.

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