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Dwayne

Dwayne

‘Amazing and compassionate staff’ at Christian Hospital care for SLCH employee’s heart

“It was the scariest time of my life hearing the doctor say, ‘You’ve had a heart attack,’” says Dwayne Ingram, St. Louis Children’s Hospital patient advocate coordinator.

Early in the morning on Aug. 5, Ingram says he couldn’t sleep because of pressure he was feeling on his chest. “I thought it was just heartburn so I took some Tums to see if that would help, and I went downstairs to watch TV so I wouldn’t disturb my wife while she was sleeping,” he says.

“I turned on a documentary on Netflix and was dozing off a little. I wasn’t completely asleep and could still hear the TV show that was on, and I heard a woman on the TV say, “It was like an elephant sitting on his chest.” I sat up right away and couldn’t get that thought out of my head because that was kind of how I was feeling. I wasn’t sure what she was referencing, but I thought to myself, ‘I need to wake up my wife.’”

Ingram went upstairs, woke up his wife and told her he thought he was having a heart attack.

Ingram’s wife, a pediatrician, shot up out of bed and started asking questions about his symptoms. Ingram told her about the chest pressure and that he was having cold sweats and felt extremely exhausted.

“Rather than call 911, we decided to drive to the hospital,” Ingram says. “We live in North County and as we were leaving the neighborhood, she asked me, ‘What hospital?’ As I was thinking about it, I remembered a time a good friend of mine told me about Christian Hospital and its focus on heart conditions — and I told her to take me there.”

Once they arrived in the emergency department, Ingram’s wife told the employee at the registration desk that her husband was experiencing chest pains and they immediately took him back to a room, hooked him up to an EKG monitor and drew blood a couple of times.

“There is an enzyme level in your blood that doctors look at to see if you have had or are experiencing a heart attack,” Ingram says. “A normal level is a 6. The first time my blood was drawn, this enzyme was at a 43 and the second time they took my blood, the enzyme level was at 73.

“Once the ER doctor and cardiologist saw both numbers, the cardiologist told me I had had a heart attack and this is the heart’s way of letting my body know something has happened,” Ingram says.

“From the ER, I was sent to the cardiac cath lab and was left in the arms of some amazing nurses. A dye was inserted in my veins to see if anything was blocked,” Ingram recalls. “My circumflex artery was 90% blocked and I had a stent put in that same day. The next day I was at home and about five days later back at work.”

Upon reflecting, Ingram says perhaps the signs were there, and he’s glad he paid attention. “A few days before I went to the hospital,” he says, “I noticed as I was walking into work at St. Louis Children’s Hospital that it was challenging for me to breathe with my mask on. I’ve been wearing a mask for over a year and never had a problem, and I thought to myself how odd that was. Now it all makes sense to me, and I’m glad I listened to what was going on with my body.

“It was a good thing I went to the hospital when I did, the doctors told me. I was lucky that there was no damage to my heart. I feel so good,” he says. “I’m breathing better and just feel really great.”

He’s also grateful for the quick and excellent care he received.

“From start to finish with my experience at Christian Hospital, everything was phenomenal — from entering the ER and how rapidly they got me to a room, the professionalism of the staff, to how smoothly everything went in the cardiac cath lab and how compassionate and kind everyone was including the nurses, patient care techs and physicians,” says Ingram. “Christian Hospital took the steering wheel and directed me out of this scary time in my life and gave me a second chance. I have four incredible children and I want to see my future grandchildren someday. I am so lucky I was at Christian Hospital with the staff’s attentive and wonderful care.

“I’ve seen the Christian Hospital logo countless times but what stood out to me this time around was the heart in the logo — and now I know why it’s there,” Ingram says. “The staff there are compassionate and take great care of all their patients, including taking care of me and my heart. I am so proud to be a BJC employee and to have had a wonderful experience at one of our many wonderful hospitals. Christian Hospital saved my life, and I am forever grateful.”

Chenitra

Chenitra

Chenitra Grimes-Washington returned with family members to thank the team who helped save her life.

Cheryl

Cheryl

In July 2021, Cheryl Koch, 74, of Florissant, Mo., was eating at a restaurant when she noticed her food wouldn’t go down. Concerned, she returned home. Her chest was tightening, and her blood pressure was alarmingly high. Her neighbor called 911, and the paramedics told her she needed to go to the emergency room (ER) right away.

James

James

James and his wife found themselves needing help when they suddenly became guardians for their four grandchildren. Christian Hospital’s Pathway to Health program helped them access care.

Vanessa

Vanessa

Caring staff at Christian Hospital eases anxiety.

Sherrie

Sherrie

Lifesaving experience changes perception of Christian Hospital.

Earl Berry

Earl Berry

"I was a little bit concerned because I didn’t know anybody else that had a valve inside of a valve, but each visit back to Dr. Ray’s office reassured me, as he said it was absolutely doable,” says Earl.

Steve

Steve

Steve Barnett believes in miracles. He was discharged from Christian Hospital on Dec. 1, 2021, after battling COVID-19 for four months in four different hospitals, including more than six weeks in one of those facilities intubated on a ventilator in a drug induced-coma.

Donta

Donta

After experiencing blurred vision at work followed by a restless night’s sleep like nothing he had ever known, along with abdominal pain and “feeling pretty much out of it” – Donta Moore, 34, of Florissant, Missouri, knew along with his wife’s insistence that he needed to get to Christian Hospital.

Norma

Norma

Norma’s experience changed everything she had ever thought about Christian Hospital.

Diane

Diane

Imagine being not being able to do all of the things you do on a regular basis — go to the grocery store, walk around the neighborhood, drive your car. Chronic pain made that Diane’s reality.

Valerie

Valerie

As supervisor of social services at the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, Valerie Valiant, 51, of Florissant, Mo., spends her days empowering individuals and families in the community to overcome barriers. However, it wasn’t until her own hospitalization in the midst of the pandemic that she could personally attest to the high level of care and expertise being offered right here in north St. Louis County.

Hamilton

Hamilton

Hamilton Terrell III had been dealing all day with some soreness in his in mouth when he experienced an unexpected surge of pain so intense that he couldn’t speak. He knew he needed to get help fast. 

Mike

Mike

Mike began feeling very sick late one night and his wife rushed him to nearby Christian Hospital. He credits his care team for saving his life and taking extra steps to find the cause of his illness.

Robbi

Robbi

GI Patient Finds Lifesaving Diagnosis at Christian Hospital

For nearly six months, Robbi Sanders, 40, of St. Louis, suffered from extreme stomach pain, resulting in dramatic weight loss and the inability to even leave her bed. The hospitals she visited couldn’t determine the cause of Robbi’s pain, prescribing her with antibiotics which provided her with only temporary relief.

Judy

Judy

Every day, Judy Rutledge and her dog walked four to five miles through her pastoral neighborhood in Forestell, Missouri. She had always found great joy in leading an active lifestyle. So when Judy began experiencing severe back pain, she was determined not to let it slow her down.

Dwayne

Dwayne

‘Amazing and compassionate staff’ at Christian Hospital care for SLCH employee’s heart.

Ron

Ron

Ron Komlos doesn’t think about lung cancer anymore since a robotic lung lobectomy determined he was cancer free. His mind has been set ever since on enjoying life thanks to the cardiothoracic team at Christian Hospital.

Lima

Lima

Lima was at a North County coffee shop when she suffered a health episode. She experienced the compassionate and expert care of the Christian Hospital Emergency Medical Services team.

Azizah

Azizah

“I am more than elated and happy that Christian Hospital has changed so much that I would recommend anybody go there,” says Azizah Nuri-El Minnis from Ferguson, Mo., who recently visited the hospital’s Breathing Center.

Lafayette

Lafayette

Lafayette Gatewood III, 56, of St. Louis, Mo., has been a high school teacher and football coach for 28 years. In July of 2019, Lafayette was on the football field at practice, like he is most days, when he developed a blister on his foot. With a history of diabetes and kidney failure, he became particularly worried when his foot swelled up.

Donna

Donna

An Innovative Treatment Bringing Relief for Chronic Knee Pain

Find a doctor or make an appointment: 800.392.0936
General Information: 314.653.5000
Christian Hospital
11133 Dunn Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63136


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