In our latest episode of “Save My Piggies,” we explored the remarkable journey of Veejay, a UK-based academic who transformed her peripheral arterial disease (PAD) diagnosis into an opportunity for personal growth and adventure. Joining me were Dr. John Phillips, interventional cardiologist, and our special guest co-host, Dr. Grigoros Korosoglou, an interventional angiologist from Germany and recipient of the Global PAD Association’s Global Interventional Angiologist of the Year 2025 award.

Veejay’s story begins like many PAD patients—with unexplained leg pain that doctors initially misdiagnosed. After a sedentary summer and return to her usual walking routine, she noticed severe cramping in her right leg that would force her to stop after just three minutes of walking. Rest would temporarily relieve the symptoms, allowing her to continue for another few minutes before the pain returned.

“I assumed I’d just pulled a muscle,” Veejay explained. “I started taking it easy for a couple of weeks and focused on swimming versus walking.”

When the symptoms persisted for a month, she sought medical help. The initial diagnoses ranged from sciatica to “worn out hip bone from too much walking.” X-rays showed no issues with her hip, and her foot was becoming numb, with pain in her lower back.

As a researcher by profession, Veejay took matters into her own hands. “I accidentally stumbled across a paper on intermittent claudication,” she shared. “I thought, what’s that? So I read more about it and found it was linked to peripheral artery disease.”

Despite being told she was “too young, too healthy, not overweight” to have PAD, Veejay persisted. When she asked her doctor to check for a pulse in her foot—a simple test she had read about—he discovered it was barely palpable. This led to an urgent referral to a vascular clinic, where an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test confirmed PAD. Her ABI at rest was 0.81, dropping to 0.51 after 10 minutes of exercise.

This scenario highlights a critical issue in PAD care: physicians often miss the signs because they don’t perform basic vascular assessments during exams. Dr. Korosoglou noted this is particularly problematic for patients without Veejay’s research background and self-advocacy skills.

The moment of diagnosis became Veejay’s turning point. Walking out of the hospital, she took out a cigarette—a lifelong habit—and had an epiphany. “If you don’t quit now, you’re never going to quit,” she told herself, throwing away her cigarettes. Three years later, she remains smoke-free.

Her vascular specialist advised delaying intervention, suggesting she try to manage with exercise before considering a stent. She was prescribed 80mg atorvastatin and 75mg clopidogrel to manage her condition medically, but received minimal guidance on exercise—a common gap in PAD care.

This lack of specific exercise guidance is something Dr. Korosoglou highlighted as a missed opportunity in PAD treatment. During our conversation, he emphasized the importance of structured exercise for patients like Veejay.

“We would advise the patients to do at least 40 minutes exercise and at least three times per week. And with PAD training, you also need to push the limits. You need to get the pain, the ischemic pain, and then go on as far as you can and push it every day if possible.”

This type of specific, evidence-based guidance is exactly what many PAD patients need but don’t receive in typical clinical encounters. Fortunately, Veejay found another source of essential information and support.

The true transformation began when Veejay discovered the Global PAD Association’s Facebook support group. “The group has been fantastic for me,” she said. “It’s been so informative not only on an emotional level but has supported me with knowledge.”

Initially worried about her prognosis after reading grim statistics online, the group showed her people living well with PAD decades after diagnosis. “Immediately I felt calmer after that, that actually this wasn’t the end,” she reflected.

What’s particularly noteworthy is how the support group changed Veejay’s perspective on walking through pain. While her doctor had simply said to “keep doing your exercise,” it was the PAD group that helped her understand why walking through claudication was beneficial rather than harmful.

“I found the PAD group and I was walking… But the minute the doctor said to me, no, it’s safe to walk. Just keep doing your exercise, whatever you’re doing… the pain became manageable then because it was good pain, it was productive pain,” Veejay explained. “Before I was diagnosed, I thought I mustn’t do anything because it’s hurting, I could be doing more damage. Once I was diagnosed, I knew then that the pain wasn’t a bad thing—it was a good thing and it was going to be productive.”

As a forensic psychologist, Veejay brought a unique perspective to her PAD journey. “One thing that I do in coaching with victims is that good things can come from something bad,” she explained. “You can develop strength that you didn’t know you had, resilience that you didn’t know you had.” This perspective helped her reframe the pain of claudication as productive rather than destructive.

This knowledge from the support group, combined with her professional understanding of resilience, empowered her to push through the discomfort. “The next day I went off walking for an hour and it hurt. But I think if you’re mentally able to prepare yourself for the pain you’re about to face and you know that it’s a good pain, then you can keep going.”

Within six months of consistent walking, Veejay regained her ability to walk without claudication pain. But her journey didn’t stop there. When she proudly shared her progress in the support group, Cathy, the UK Facebook Group Administrator, challenged her: “If it’s not hurting anymore, you need to go out there and find yourself a mountain.”

This suggestion catalyzed an extraordinary transformation. Veejay, who had never hiked up a mountain before, embraced the challenge. Within a year of her diagnosis, she conquered Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England.

“I got hooked,” she said. “I loved the views at the top. I loved the exhilaration that I felt. It was just such a wonderful feeling of achievement.”

Her passion for mountain climbing grew into an ambitious goal—completing the Wainwrights challenge, which involves summiting all 214 mountains in England’s Lake District. Eighteen months later, she earned her medal, having climbed most of them solo.

Instead of letting PAD limit her, Veejay used it as motivation to push her boundaries and discover new capabilities. Her experience offers valuable lessons for others with PAD. Her story demonstrates the importance of self-advocacy when seeking a diagnosis and the power of connecting with a supportive community that understands your condition. Her immediate cessation of smoking—throwing away her cigarettes the day of diagnosis—shows how a decisive mindset can overcome even longstanding habits when health is at stake.

Perhaps most importantly, Veejay’s journey from struggling to walk three minutes to conquering mountains represents the extraordinary potential for improvement with PAD through lifestyle modification and determination. She’s maintained her motivation by setting personal challenges, like her annual Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge—a 25-mile hike covering three mountains in under 12 hours.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that while PAD presents significant challenges, with proper management, support, and the right mindset, patients can not only maintain their quality of life but potentially discover new passions and capabilities they never knew they had.

If you or someone you know is struggling with PAD or leg pain that might indicate vascular issues, don’t wait. Call our Leg Saver Hotline at 1-833-PAD-LEGS or visit padhelp.org to submit a request for help. Join our Facebook support group to connect with others who understand what you’re experiencing and can help guide you through your PAD journey.

Disclaimer: This Video Series features physicians, clinicians and PAD-related organizations answering questions about Peripheral Artery Disease and other vascular and cardiovascular issues. Patients also share their individual experiences. Individual results may vary; patient testimonials are not claimed to represent typical results or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. The opinions shared are that of the physician and patient and not necessarily shared by or endorsed by the Global PAD Association. This series is for educational purposes only and any advice offered is not a substitute for medical advice from your own supervising physician. Do not act on any information provided in this series without the explicit consent from your healthcare team. Use this information for a more productive and satisfying conversation with your medical service providers. This series was made possible by a grant from Endologix. It features real stories from real patients who were compensated for their testimony. For information on PAD visit - PADhelp.org