Massachusetts General Hospital

One Woman’s Happy Ending

Edie Sinagra Constantine My name is Edie Sinagra Constantine. In early 2008, I was transitioning from one position to another at Mass General while at the same time planning my wedding to Bill Constantine, a wonderful man who has worked at MGH for 37 years.

A physician I worked with invited me and two of my co-workers to lunch one day to celebrate these upcoming events. On the way back, we passed some members of the MGH Vascular Center staffing an information table in the main corridor. They were offering free carotid-artery screenings. The screening is a quick and easy method of evaluating a person’s risk for a stroke. They urged me to be screened, but I felt I was in great health: I exercise, my cholesterol is low and I don’t smoke. Plus, I was too busy right then to take a break for a screening.

But back at my desk, I couldn’t concentrate. I kept thinking about my mother who had died 15 years earlier from a stroke caused by blocked carotid arteries.

I had watched my mother suffer for a year after her stoke. This energetic and able-bodied woman was left with paralysis, short-term memory loss and a complete loss of independence. For several months, she was on a ventilator, unable to communicate. She went into a nursing home and died a year later. It was a very slow and painful way to say goodbye.

I remember thinking at the time: Why hadn’t we made sure to have her checked? She had been a chronic smoker. Maybe if she would have had a screening, she would still be here. I suddenly turned to my colleague and said, “I’m going to get screened.”

I anticipated a quick procedure and that I’d be back at my desk within minutes. But when the test was over, Irina Staroselskaya, the vascular technologist, put both her hands on mine and looked me in the eye. Gently but firmly, she said: “Call your primary care physician immediately.”

After a momentary bout of denial, I called my physician. The next day, she sent me to Warren 9 for a second test. As I waited, Irina paged my physician and a neurosurgeon. Fear started to set in. I called my future husband and asked him to come for support.

The ultrasound confirmed that I had a 90- to 99 percent blockage of my right carotid artery and I needed surgery right away. I explained that I was getting married tomorrow. The vascular surgeon assured me that it would be okay to wait until after the wedding, but that I should be aware of the symptoms of a stroke: changes in vision, speech or strength. If I experienced any of these symptoms, I was to go to the Emergency Department immediately.

The next day, Valentine’s Day, I married the man I loved, surrounded by my family and friends. Our honeymoon was postponed as I prepared for surgery a few days later. But two days before the scheduled surgery, I was driving on the highway to my daughter’s house when my vision became blurry. Was I having a stroke? I explained my symptoms to my daughter, Annemarie Tesora, RN, who is an emergency room nurse. She drove me immediately to the MGH Emergency Department. A few hours later, I was in surgery. And fortunately for me, 24 hours after that I was on my way home.

I think back to that day walking through the main corridor, and I’m so grateful I thought twice and took the extra five minutes to get the screening. If I hadn’t, I most likely wouldn’t be around today to appreciate my husband, my family, my grandchildren and my newest grandson, born just last year.

If you think you might be at risk for a stroke, please talk with your physician about undergoing a carotid artery screening. It could save your life. I am grateful that it saved mine.