ER Missed It Twice: She Couldn't Walk 20 Feet Without Tears | Camille's PAD Story

Podcasts > The Heart of Innovation

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Saturday, April 18, 2026

What if the pain you're told is "just a muscle cramp" is actually a life-altering vascular emergency?

In this high-impact episode of The Heart of Innovation, Kym McNicholas sits down with interventional cardiologist Dr. Hady Lichaa and his patient, Camille, to discuss a Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) diagnosis that was almost missed until it was too late.

Camille was a mom just trying to walk to her car after her son's baseball game, but the claudication pain was so severe it brought her to tears. Despite visiting the Emergency Room twice, she was sent home with muscle relaxers while her leg was actively dying.

In this episode, we unpack:

The ER Red Flags: Why leg pain is often misdiagnosed as muscle cramps or venous clots.
Arterial vs. Venous: The critical question a Nurse Practitioner asked that saved Camille's leg.
The Reality of Bypass Surgery: The complex journey of multiple surgeries and complications.
Smoking & Vascular Health: The honest truth about the role of smoking and the "Aha!" moment that led Camille to quit for good.
Limb Salvage: How to find the right specialist when you are weeks away from an amputation.

This is more than a patient story; it's a manual for self-advocacy. If you have leg cramping while walking, heavy legs, or non-healing wounds, do not wait.

RECLAIM YOUR HEALTH: 🚶 FREE WALKING PROGRAM: https://padhelp.org 📞 LEG SAVER HOTLINE: 1-833-PAD-LEGS (Speak to someone who understands) 👥 WARRIOR COMMUNITY: PADsupportGroup.org (12,000+ members) 📧 RESULTS REVIEW: Email your ABI or Ultrasound results to [email protected] for educational insight.

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. We do not diagnose; we help you understand terminology to have better conversations with your doctor.

#PAD #PeripheralArteryDisease #MedicalMisdiagnosis #LimbSalvage #VascularHealth #SaveMyPiggies #KymMcNicholas #DrHadyLichaa