I Feel Terrific!
“I feel terrific. I wasn’t feeling so good two weeks ago, but I am now,” Lawson tells Newsmax Health.
Lawson, 59, left Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, after receiving several stents implanted by renowned cardiologist Dr. Chauncey Crandall.
Crandall is chief of the hospital’s interventional cardiology department.
Lawson arrived in Florida earlier this month seeking a second opinion from Crandall after his cardiologist in Dallas told him that he needed coronary bypass surgery immediately.
He visited the doctor in Dallas because of a planned trip to Liberia, where he works with “The Last Well,” a non-profit organization that brings clean water to the people there.
Lawson was told that he had severe coronary heart disease and was in danger of suffering a heart attack unless he underwent a coronary bypass operation.
“I knew this meant chest opened, veins taken from my legs, and that I would need months of recuperation. As an athlete who is accustomed to using his body this meant that my whole life would change.”
Lawson told his predicament to a friend, who follows Crandall’s heart disease reveral program, which is outlined in his book “The Simple Heart Cure.”
The Importance Of A Second Opinion
“My friend told me that I had to get a second opinion and that only one from Dr. Crandall would do. I had to find out if I could be treated without having to undergo a bypass.”
Lawson called Crandall’s office and was told the cardiologist would be returning within a few days. Propelled by the urgency of the situation, he decided to fly immediately to Florida in hopes of seeing him instead of waiting to talk to him on the phone.
Crandall is known for advocating the use of minimally invasive techniques such as stenting instead of bypass surgery whenever possible, in his books and also on the Blog.
Lawson flew to Florida, met with Crandall, and immediately began undergoing a series of cardiac tests that showed that he indeed did have several cardiac blockages.
Over the next two weeks, Lawson underwent two procedures, during which Crandall implanted several stents.
It does not surprise Crandall that Lawson was told he needed a bypass, he says.
“Larsen’s case was very complicated case. He was very was fortunate that he was able to get a second opinion from an experienced cardiologist and I am delighted he is doing so well.”