“ My doctor came by every day to see how I was doing . That left a great impression ... He was outstanding .”
-Emily Bolen
Her team at AdventHealth Redmond had told her to expect an inpatient stay lasting from five to seven days ; however , her recovery progressed rapidly enough for her to be discharged after only four . Among the milestones of her stay was walking 148 feet on day two .
“ They want you to get up and walk as soon as possible ,” she said . “ A hundred and forty-eight feet doesn ’ t sound like much , but when you have IVs in your neck , it ’ s a lot .”
Bolen offered high praise for the entire team she worked with at AdventHealth Redmond , from her surgeon to the nursing staff to the physical therapists .
“ My doctor came by every day to see how I was doing ,” she said . “ That left a great impression on me because sometimes , a doctor might just come by one or two times . He was outstanding .”
She also singled out one particular second-floor nurse , a fellow mom , who displayed great empathy during their interaction . “ I think she felt for me because I was a new mother ,” Bolen said .
In the weeks following her release from AdventHealth Redmond , she continued her recovery at home with the assistance of her husband , Chris , a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force . He was responsible for the care of both Emily and their newborn son , Crew , during that period .
“ It was difficult for him ,” she said . “ I needed help taking a shower , putting on clothes , going to the bathroom … But it got easier each day .”
As if giving birth and undergoing open-heart surgery within a span of weeks hadn ’ t presented enough challenges to Bolen , she then had to deal with Chris ’ s transfer to a new base in Colorado . The family moved west in March and is currently living in Aurora , a suburb of Denver . Emily works as a full-time mom to Crew and has had no ongoing symptoms other than some tachycardia .
“ They think that may be AFib [ atrial fibrillation ] now ,” she said . “ I haven ’ t seen the cardiologist on base yet . Other than that , I ’ m very fortunate to not have any complications .” She added that her AdventHealth Redmond team asked her to follow up with them once she had consulted with her new health care providers .
Although her aortic aneurysm was potentially life-threatening , Bolen said her ensuing diagnosis and surgery opened her eyes to the fact that life is short . It has also given her more confidence about being around to care for her young son in the years to come .
“ When you feel like something is wrong , don ’ t ever ignore it ,” she advised . “ Find another doctor ; get a second opinion .”
For more information about cardiology services at AdventHealth Redmond , please call 706-291-0291 .
18 | ADVENTHEALTH . COM | SUMMER 2022