Heart Disease: Rogelio’s Story of Survival

Rogelio is optimistic and is thankful for his second chance at life.

Rogelio’s health took a turn when he could not walk very far without having breathing issues. He said, “I couldn’t walk from the door to my car because I couldn’t breathe well, so we went to Community Health Alliance.” His provider checked his vitals and told him his heart was not doing well and referred him to a cardiologist. The cardiologist confirmed he had heart issues and needed open-heart surgery. He went forward with the surgery. “If it wasn’t for the doctor here, I could have been dead,” said Rogelio.

Recovery was a challenging time for him and his family. Rogelio said it was like being a child again, and he had to relearn everything, especially when it came to his mobility. He was happy to have had his family by his side and supporting him through the whole process, but it took a toll on everyone, especially his wife, who aided in his care. He was unable to work for a year, but is slowly returning to work a couple of days a week.

Rogelio is optimistic and is thankful for his second chance at life. He sees his provider at Community Health Alliance’s Neil Road location every three months to make sure his health continues to improve. They consistently evaluate what is needed to rebuild and maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes nutrition guidance, regular access to our prescription food pantry as well as our low-cost pharmacies.

To make an appointment at Community Health Alliance, call (775) 329-6300 or pre-register online.