Calvin Bowen has been happily driving trains for 38 years. But when his heart started beating irregularly, it almost derailed his career as an engineer with CSX Corporation.
“I was feeling weak and fatigued,” says the 65-year-old resident of St. Alban’s, W.Va. “You can’t drive a train very well when you’re half asleep. It took me a while to figure out what was wrong – that it was my heart.”
Mr. Bowen had developed a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. During atrial fibrillation, the heart beats chaotically and irregularly. This leads to poor blood flow to the body and causes heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness. The condition also increases a person’s risk of developing blood clots that may lead to stroke.
Under the guidance of his local cardiologist, Mr. Bowen underwent electrical cardioversion, a procedure that uses an electric current to reset the heart’s rhythm to its regular pattern. Unfortunately, the procedure failed to correct Mr. Bowen’s erratic heartbeat.
“When the electrical cardioversion didn’t work, my cardiologist suggested I go to Cleveland Clinic,” Mr. Bowen says. “He told me they have a whole wing of the hospital devoted to just atrial fibrillation. I figured, ‘Why not go to a place where they deal with this everyday?’”
He called Cleveland Clinic to discuss his problem. To his surprise, someone suggested that he use an online eCleveland Clinic program called MyConsult.
“They charge a fee to use the service, but it was a lot cheaper than traveling to Cleveland,” says Mr. Bowen. “So I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.”
Getting in Rhythm
MyConsult is an online second opinion service available for patients with life-threatening or life altering diagnoses.
MyConsult Remote Second Medical Opinion program is a sophisticated, web-based extension of Cleveland Clinic’s 80-plusyear role as one of America’s most respected referral institutions. The secure, online service provides remote second medical opinions from Cleveland Clinic specialists for more than 600 life-threatening and life-altering diagnoses.
Thanks to expert advice provided by Cleveland Clinic’s cardiology specialists via MyConsult, it was determined that Mr. Bowen should have a cardiac ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that involves destroying abnormal heart tissue with catheters heated with radio frequency energy.
“I’m in rhythm now,” Mr. Bowen says. “MyConsult worked real well for me. The MyConsult physician reported back to me and explained everything and sent information. I’d recommend MyConsult – especially for people who have a long-distance drive to Cleveland Clinic. It saves time and money and decreased my anxiety.”
“I was really impressed by Cleveland Clinic,” he adds. “Everyone was really helpful. There is a doctor in my area who does ablations, but I felt more comfortable coming to Cleveland Clinic, where they do ablations all the time.”
“My wife, Brenda, and our children are also happy with my outcome,” Mr. Bowen notes. “I plan to enjoy my job as a train engineer through the end of the year. Then I’ll retire and have fun hunting and fishing.”
Get Connected!
In addition to second opinions, MyConsult allows you to evaluate your eligibility for a particular procedure or treatment, or obtain a personal nutrition consultation. Connect to MyConsult.
