At 57, retired English teacher Sandra Crowe thought she had a pretty good handle on her health. Living in Tyler, Texas with her husband Roderick, she stayed active, walking two to five miles several days a week and keeping up the kind of diet most doctors would applaud. So when she occasionally felt short of breath or unusually tired, she chalked it up to pulmonary hypertension—nothing she imagined would point to serious heart trouble.
That changed when she began the process of applying for a kidney transplant. Sandra had lived with Type 2 diabetes for years, and after a severe bout of COVID‑19 in 2020 left her hospitalized for 12 days, her kidneys took a major hit. By 2023, she had started dialysis and was working toward getting on the transplant list. As part of the evaluation, her care team wanted to make sure her heart was strong enough for surgery.
That precaution turned out to be lifesaving.
Coronary bypass surgery
Referred to cardiologist Frank Navetta, MD, Sandra underwent testing that revealed three blocked arteries—an issue she never suspected, despite her active lifestyle. Dr. Navetta quickly sent her to cardiovascular surgeon Stephen Phillips, MD, who confirmed she needed coronary bypass surgery. Not just to qualify for a kidney transplant, he told her, but for her survival.
Sandra remembers feeling surprisingly calm the day she arrived at UT Tyler for surgery. The nurses put her at ease, and Dr. Phillips—whom she describes as “comforting, like a father figure”—made her feel safe and supported. The surgery went smoothly, and she spent several weeks in rehab regaining strength through walking, leg lifts, and full‑body therapy.
Today, Sandra continues dialysis while waiting for a donor kidney. She’s already had one “practice run”—a kidney that didn’t pass final testing—but she remains optimistic and prepared for the next call. She’s back to walking about 30 minutes a day, whether on her home treadmill or during errands, and she sticks to the balanced, low‑salt diet she was already accustomed to.
Through it all, Sandra credits Dr. Navetta and Dr. Phillips not only for their medical expertise but for empowering her. Dr. Navetta, she says, taught her to advocate for herself—advice she now uses with every doctor she sees. “I’m really grateful,” she says. “I had no idea anything was wrong. They saved my life.”