By Kym McNicholas, CEO, Global PAD Association
The weather was quite the rollercoaster this week—going from 100 degrees yesterday to a chilly 50 today—but that didn’t stop me from hopping on my walking pad during our latest PAD Leg Saver Hotline podcast. I’m getting in extra steps “for those who tell me that they can’t take their steps today.”
This is what our PAD community is all about: supporting each other through both the struggles and triumphs of living with Peripheral Artery Disease. As Douglas Salisbury, our Global PAD Association Patient Warrior Task Force leader, perfectly summed up: “Everyone’s gotta remember one thing, whether you take five steps today or ten steps today, the importance of taking that step and creating collaterals is the ultimate goal that we really do try and achieve every day.”
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Our conversation revealed the incredible resilience shown by our PAD warriors. Thomas, who joined our live studio audience while dealing with severe claudication in both legs, shared how he refuses to let PAD define his life.
“It’s my escape from PAD,” Thomas explained about his regular gym visits. “When I’m there, I forget about it. If I’m standing pulling weights or pushing weights or lifting weights, my legs get so bad, but I don’t show it. I’ll just go sit down by another machine for like two, three minutes until it goes away.”
Thomas is pushing through these challenges while also recovering from shingles. Despite constant pain when moving, he maintains his independence—living alone, preparing his own meals, and continuing his fitness routine. “I’ll never give into this disease or give up to it,” he declared with conviction. “There’s no way.”
I shared with Thomas that Dr. Lily Johnston, a metabolic health and vascular surgeon, recently mentioned she wishes there were more studies on resistance training for PAD patients because she believes it can make a “huge difference.” Thomas’s experience validates this perfectly, showing how even when walking is challenging, other forms of exercise can still build strength and improve quality of life.
Taking Control: Marina’s Journey to SET
This spirit of taking control despite medical challenges was echoed in Marina’s story. After listening to our weekend podcast featuring doctors discussing supervised exercise therapy (SET), she took matters into her own hands.
“I was really inspired by it,” Marina told us. “I Googled, of course, and I found two areas that provide it not far from me, one in Raleigh and one in Chapel Hill where my doctor is. So I sent a request to my doctor, asked for a referral. They sent it right over Monday morning and they called me and they called me again today to start scheduling appointments.”
Marina’s story hits hard because her vascular surgeon had previously told her bypass surgery was her only option. When she called her doctor back to ask, “Can we try walking?” it was music to the physician’s ears. Now she’s enrolled in a comprehensive 12-week supervised exercise therapy program at UNC that addresses not just exercise, but diet and stress management as well.
Creating Collaterals and Building Community
These individual victories ripple through our community, inspiring others to take similar steps. Just like our friend Mike from Canada, who was struggling to walk just six months ago, fearing amputation. After committing to regular exercise, he’s not only completed his first 13K walk but is now line dancing with intricate moves that even some without PAD might find challenging!
Douglas and I joked about creating our own “PAD Line Dance” with moves spelling out P-A-D. As Douglas eloquently put it, “Think about what we go through dealing with PAD and how there are times we have to get out of that thinking and still enjoy life, still laugh… still tell jokes and still laugh at each other, still support each other and still live, even though we deal with what we deal with every day.”
This balance of acknowledging our challenges while refusing to be defined by them is what makes our community so special. We find joy in the journey, no matter how difficult the path.
Simple Strategies Making a Difference
Our conversation naturally flowed from these bigger victories to the simple, daily strategies that help PAD warriors manage their condition. These practical approaches are often the building blocks of those larger successes.
Beth, Douglas, and I talked about our special water bottles that help us stay hydrated. I showed off my bottle with measurement guides and a fruit infuser that lets me add lemons, blueberries, or strawberries for flavor. “It’s more fun with this,” I explained, “with having the measurements, and then also being able to put wonderful things in it.” Douglas nodded, adding that “plain water gets boring after a while,” which is why he uses a pitcher with a compartment for fruit.
The conversation then turned to foot exercises, with Alan proudly displaying his “yoga toes”—simple devices that help strengthen toes and improve circulation. “Your toes are the first to go,” Alan noted, showing us how easy they are to use for just 20 minutes each day. This sparked Douglas to demonstrate picking up towels with his toes, while Chris mentioned how she uses paper plates on the floor, moving her feet back and forth while watching TV. “It’s better than just letting them sit there and feel awful,” Chris explained.
These might seem like small actions, but they represent taking control where we can. I reminded everyone about proper walking technique—“heel-toing it” rather than walking flat-footed—to properly engage the calf muscle, which Douglas called our “second heart.” Every time you put your foot down and push forward, you’re compressing your calf, which helps pump blood back up to your heart.
Hope Through Innovation
From these simple home remedies, our discussion naturally progressed to the cutting-edge treatments offering new hope to PAD patients. Chris shared her experience with Dr. James Joye, a vascular surgeon in Salinas, California, and the inventor of the PTAB (Peripheral TransLuminal Arterial Bypass) or “detour system.” This minimally invasive bypass technique has helped patients who were told amputation was their only option.
“He is the inventor of what’s called the PTAB or the new detour system,” I explained. “It is the first ever minimally invasive bypass system.” The procedure is designed for patients who develop blockages in their thigh and knee area, especially those who aren’t candidates for traditional surgery.
When Chris mentioned having ultrasounds every 12 weeks to monitor her bypasses, I offered to text Dr. Joye since she was waiting for his call. This kind of personal connection highlights how our community bridges the gap between patients and innovative physicians.
Thomas, inspired by this discussion of medical advances, brought up the potential of future technologies, asking about AI and nanobots to clear arteries. “I want to be the first person for PAD with AI,” he said enthusiastically, explaining how he’s researching trials that might start next year. The conversation buzzed with excitement about these possibilities—robots operated remotely, nanobots clearing plaque from arteries—showing how hope for the future helps fuel our present-day determination.
But even with all these technological advancements, there’s a shared concern, perfectly summed up by Douglas: “I would be the only one… the electricity would go out or the internet would skip for a while.” We all had a good laugh as Douglas recounted his experience when a hospital-wide computer hack nearly delayed his open-heart surgery. Thankfully, he had brought a CD of his imaging, which saved the day! The nurses “had to go back the way it was 20 years ago with all these paperwork because the system went down right before I had open heart surgery.”
This story perfectly encapsulates our community’s approach to PAD—we embrace innovation while maintaining a healthy sense of humor and practical self-reliance. We hope for the best but prepare for challenges, knowing that sometimes the old ways still have value.
A Family That Walks Together
The best part of our PAD Leg Saver Hotline isn’t the tech or the science; it’s the community. We are a family, sharing stories, struggles, and solutions, and reminding each other to “do everything in your power” to stay healthy. We even find humor in the journey, joking about what music you definitely don’t want to hear in the operating room (hint: “Highway to Hell” is not on the preferred playlist).
Whether it’s Thomas pushing through pain at the gym, Marina advocating for herself with her doctor, Chris managing her PTAB follow-ups, or Douglas picking up towels with his toes, each person demonstrates the resilience that defines our community. We find hope not just in medical advances but in each other’s determination and spirit.
This discussion is just a small slice of what we talk about on our PAD Leg Saver Hotline. If you or someone you know is struggling with PAD, don’t face it alone. You can call our hotline at 1-833-PAD-LEGS or visit padhelp.org. You can also join our amazing support group at padsupportgroup.org.
Walking is medicine—but community might be the most powerful prescription of all.
For more information or to join our live studio audience for future discussions, email info@padhelp.org