When Jimmy Caddell turned 60, he celebrated, like so many of us do, with a big meal surrounded by family – nothing unusual for a man who loves good food and good company. But that night, something felt off. Lying flat in bed suddenly made it hard to breathe. His blood pressure spiked, and he ended up sleeping in a recliner just to catch his breath.

“I figured it had to be something with my lungs, heart, or circulation,” Jimmy recalled. “I’ve been a nurse my whole life, so I knew it wasn’t nothing, but I didn’t expect it to be what it was.”

Over the following week, his chest discomfort persisted. At first, it felt like a muscle twinge on the left side. Then the pain became constant. Though he didn’t have the telltale signs of a heart attack (no shortness of breath or radiating pain for example) Jimmy listened to his instincts and scheduled a visit with his primary care physician.

An EKG looked fine, but his doctor referred him to a cardiologist, who ordered an echocardiogram. The test revealed something serious: an ascending aortic aneurysm, measuring 4.2 centimeters and already putting pressure on his aortic valve. “It wasn’t something I’d ever thought about,” Jimmy said. “I learned that when the aorta starts to stretch, it can affect how the valve closes. That’s why I was having those strange symptoms after eating too much. It was changing the pressure in my heart.”

For the next three years, Jimmy monitored the aneurysm with annual echocardiograms. This spring, his latest scan showed it had grown to 5.0 centimeters, the threshold where surgery becomes strongly recommended. A CT scan confirmed it, and his cardiologist referred him to Dr. Kerendi and the rest of our team.

Meeting Dr. Kerendi

From the first appointment, Jimmy knew he felt confident in Dr. Kerendi’s expertise and calm demeanor. “He explained exactly what was happening inside my chest, what needed to be done, and why waiting longer would make surgery riskier,” Jimmy said. “He told me, ‘You’re as healthy as you’re going to be right now so let’s fix it while your body’s strong.’ ”

Dr. Kerendi performed an open repair of Jimmy’s ascending aortic aneurysm, replacing the damaged section and addressing the valve issue. The surgery required opening the chest, a complex procedure that Dr. Kerendi and the CTVS team perform routinely but never take lightly.

Jimmy spent four days in the ICU and one night in the step-down unit before heading home. “From the start, I was walking,” he said. “By day two or three, I was going up stairs. It wasn’t easy, but I knew the more I moved, the quicker I’d heal.”

Recovery and Gratitude

At eight weeks post-op, Jimmy was already 75 to 80 percent back to normal. By week nine, he felt even more like himself again, aside from some residual soreness near the incision. “I’m healing faster than most people,” he said. “For that, I’m grateful.”

Now, ten weeks out from surgery, Jimmy says he feels 100 percent. “I can walk hills again, play with the dog, and do everything I did before,” he said. “But I’m also more aware. I keep a closer eye on my blood pressure, and I don’t ignore what my body’s trying to tell me.”

A Message to Others

Jimmy shares his story because he wants others to pay attention to subtle warning signs. “You don’t have to have all the classic symptoms of heart trouble for something serious to be happening,” he said. “If you’re having trouble breathing, even after something as simple as a big meal, get it checked out.”

He also emphasizes how grateful he is for Dr. Kerendi and the CTVS team. “Dr. Kerendi told me the truth and what needed to happen, why it mattered, and what to expect. That gave me a type of peace.”

Looking back, Jimmy says he’s thankful for the combination of instinct, persistence, and expert care that saved his life. “I tell people all the time: listen to your body. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If something feels different, follow up. I did, and because of Dr. Kerendi and CTVS, I’m here to tell the story.”

Learn More

For questions about our vascular or cardiac services, please visit ctvstexas.com or call us at (512) 459-8753 to schedule an appointment.

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