Testimonials
Even cancer can’t stop avid cyclist, Ernie Miller
Ernie Miller can’t remember a time in his life when he wasn’t riding a bike.
Now a young 79 years of age, he’s still at it. In recent years, he enjoyed taking long rides with his friends, taking the trails near his home in Collinsville to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and elsewhere, sometimes cycling more than 100 miles a day.
“It is something I’ve just always enjoyed, and it’s kept me in shape,” says Ernie.
Then, in February of this year, Ernie was forced to take a break.
“My doctor detected some cancer in my spine, above my tailbone on my sacrum,” he recalled.
After hearing the bad news, Ernie learned what his options were from Dr. Nicholas Poulos, a neurosurgeon. “Dr. Poulos told me that I could have surgery to remove the tumor,” Ernie says. “Or, if I chose not to have the surgery, I’d eventually lose control of my legs and internal organs.”
Ernie knew which choice sounded better to him. Soon he was admitted to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, where Dr. Poulos removed the tumor. Radiation treatment followed. “And now, it’s gone,” said Ernie.
Ernie and Almira, his wife of 56 years, were pleased not only with the outcome, but also with the care both received during his hospitalization. “They kept my wife informed during the surgery,” he recalled, “and just took really good care of us. We felt like we were in good hands.”
Following his surgery, Ernie stayed off of his bicycle for three months as he recuperated. But then this past summer, as he began feeling like his old self, he slowly eased back into his cycling routine. Today he is back up to riding 30 miles a day, several times a week.
“I’m just thankful everything has turned out as it has,” he says. “For someone my age, I’m doing very well.”
After a Massive heart attack, 44-year-old Connie Pritchett now has a new lease on life
Connie Pritchett was at Scott Air Force Base, organizing and taking photos at her boss’ farewell luncheon this past August 1, when she suddenly became overheated.
After cooling herself off, she thought she’d be just fine – until she started walking to her car after the luncheon. “I was feeling incredibly tired and drained, and I couldn’t catch my breath,” she recalled. Every step grew more difficult. By the time she arrived back at work, she was nauseated, vomiting and weak.
All this was unusual for Connie who, at age 44 and active in sports and church, considered herself to be in fairly good condition. “I had been feeling more tired than usual for a while,” she acknowledged, “but I thought it was my diabetes.”
But on this hot summer day, Connie felt weaker than ever before and thought she was having a heat stroke. Only later would she learn that she was in the middle of a massive heart attack.
“I had none of the ‘normal’ symptoms – the chest pain or numbness,” said Connie. “So the thought never passed my mind.”
Fortunately for Connie, a fast-thinking co-worker knew better than allow her to go home and rest, which was what Connie wanted to do. Instead, the co-worker called an ambulance.
Once stabilized in St. Elizabeth’s ER, Connie learned from the doctors that they’d found 100 percent blockage in one of her arteries and that she would need a stent to repair it. “I was told later that just 69 minutes had passed from the time I left the base, to the time they put the stent in,” Connie said. “They also told me that, had I waited 21 minutes longer, I might not be here to tell my story.”
Two weeks later, Connie was back at her job. Today, she says she feels better than she has in some time. “I have more energy, more stamina than before,” she said.
“I feel truly blessed to have had such great doctors and nurses taking care of me,” she said. “It was a frightening experience, and they did everything they could to keep me calm, explaining everything that was happening, and showing me the blockage on the monitor. They saved my life.”
Her advice to others? “Don’t wait if you start to have intense symptoms,” she said. “And be thankful we have a hospital like St. Elizabeth’s that can provide such great, lifesaving care in our community.”
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