Work Leads to Life-Changing Cardiac Procedure for Local Project Manager
When Springfield-based Memorial Health senior project manager Chris Wiedel was tasked to help bring cardiac electrophysiologist Bernard Lim, MD, to Memorial Specialty Care at Decatur Memorial Hospital, he never thought Dr. Lim would soon improve his own personal cardiac health.
Wiedel had been experiencing random bouts of extreme fatigue and breathlessness. Walking across the hospital campus exhausted him. One week he would lift 180 pounds at the gym. The next, he could barely lift 50. Diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, he had his heart shocked back into rhythm twice, took medication and even had surgery scheduled. When his surgery was canceled unexpectedly, he started thinking about Dr. Lim, the new cardiologist he had been preparing for in Decatur.
“I was project manager for Dr. Lim’s arrival,” Wiedel said. “Space in the cardiac wing of DMH was remodeled and updated with new equipment. We also had to ensure we had procedures and billing correct. There were a lot of moving pieces with 12 to 15 pieces of equipment ordered, arrived, tested and prepared.”
Wiedel reached out to a colleague about Dr. Lim’s availability, and she set him up with an appointment within a couple of days. Dr. Lim sat down with Wiedel and went into very specific detail about his atrial fibrillation and what could be done to alleviate the symptoms. Immediately Wiedel saw firsthand why Memorial had gone to such lengths to recruit Dr. Lim.
“He was very approachable and spoke in terms that were easy to understand,” Wiedel said. “It was clear he wanted to make sure I was comfortable with the information and his plan for surgery. You can also tell this is what he loves doing, and that he is invested in the community. He is just a phenomenal human being.”
After successful surgery, Wiedel came away from his experience at DMH highly impressed with the facility and his level of care from the receptionist to the attending nurses to Dr. Lim’s expertise.
“Everyone on the team cares about you as a person; they want to see you better; and they knew you were there for a certain reason,” he said. “You felt welcomed and cared for at every level. You felt like it was a team of care.”
Today, Wiedel is off most of his medicines and back to a normal routine enjoying time with his wife Amanda and son Atticus. He’s also back in the gym several times a week, but his workout routine looks a little different thanks to some tweaks by Dr. Lim. Most importantly, he’s learned to pay attention to his body.
“Don’t wait if something feels off,” he said. “Go to your primary physician or urgent care and get a referral.”
Learn more about Memorial Specialty Care and Dr. Lim.
Four Ways Afib’s Heart Rhythm Disorder Affects Your Health
First-Of-Its-Kind Cardiac Procedure at Decatur Memorial Health