Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder where normally round red blood cells are instead crescent-shaped (or ‘sickle-shaped’), is most often diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. Symptoms like jaundice (a yellowing of the skin), painful swelling of hands and feet and fussiness or extreme tiredness may appear as early as five or six months […]
Patient Stories
Patient stories: Her stomach pain was a warning sign for a heart condition
At 44 years old, Jenaya Lee was a devoted wife and mother with an active social life. She’d been struggling with ongoing severe stomach pains for weeks on end. Like many busy parents, she kept putting off a trip to the doctor, thinking that the issues with her stomach would clear up on their own. […]
Patient Stories: Incredible recovery after traumatic injuries
In this video, Sibley, his family and Chief of Acute Care Surgery Dr. Chris Watson discuss Sibley’s traumatic injuries, his recovery and how the trauma team at Richland Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center made the difference between life and death. “The drive down was bad,” said Dean Sibley, William Sibley’s father. “I was preparing myself […]
Patient Stories: How a primary care provider saved a life
Ernie Alessandrone moved to Travelers Rest, South Carolina, from his previous home state of Georgia and worked as an electrician. Diagnosed with congestive heart failure and hospitalized in 2019, Alessandrone recovered and began regular visits with primary care provider James Gettys, MD, at Travelers Rest Family Medicine. Alessandrone had returned to everyday life and hadn’t […]
Patient stories: A young stroke survivor starts over
“One night, I remember just waking up and saying, ‘Man, I have this terrible headache and it won’t go away. I think it’s bad enough that we need to go to the hospital,’” said de Affonesca. “And that is the last thing that I remember.” De Affonesca was helicoptered to Savannah, Georgia, for emergency brain […]
Treating treatment-resistant depression with ECT
In this video, real patients spoke about their experience with medication-resistant depression and how ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) changed their lives. The ECT Medical Director with Prisma Health, Dr. Adam Hart, explained how ECT works and how it is utilized by medical professionals. Dr. Hart and the patients offered answers on: For those who have tried […]