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Gregory (Greg) Clawson was an average Joe living an active life in Ankeny, Iowa, until he was diagnosed with heart failure nearly 11 years ago.
“I owned my own business for over 40 years,” he said. “I retired and went on a trip with my wife of 53 years, Joyce, where I caught a bad virus.”
When he got home, Greg ended up in the MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center emergency department where physicians discovered that the virus had settled in his heart and was causing heart failure.
“The doctor said your heart is very, very weak,” he said. “My ejection fraction was down to 15. The entire staff in the emergency room saved my life that day. I am forever indebted to them for that.”
Afterwards, he followed up with MercyOne Iowa Heart Center and his MercyOne primary care physician for ongoing care and was placed on blood thinners to reduce his risk of heart attack and stroke.
“They are very proactive in their care,” said Greg. “I didn’t have anything major until early 2021.”
He bumped his leg on something and developed a slow bleed, which he was unaware of at the time.
“A week later, I was at a party for some of our friends, and I was standing when it felt like I got shot in the leg,” he recalls. “I told my wife there was really something wrong with my leg and that I needed to get to the MercyOne emergency room right away.”
The doctor in the emergency department quickly identified his condition as compartment syndrome which is usually caused by a traumatic injury like a car accident or a crushing injury to the leg.
“They had to do emergency surgery on my leg,” he said. “And as of today, I am 100 percent recovered.”
Because of his health history and risk for further complications, his care team determined it wasn’t safe for Gregg to be on blood thinners. The cardiologists at MercyOne Iowa Heart Center told him about a research trial where he could potentially get a device that would close off his left atrial appendage so he would no longer have to take blood thinners.
Gregg was enrolled in the CHAMPION-AF clinical trial and received the WATCHMAN™ device in August 2021.
“After the procedure, I went home and I couldn’t even tell I had anything done,” he said. “No pain, no discomfort. I was able to resume a normal lifestyle within a day.”
Gregg is now living his best live by walking five miles a day, spending time with his three daughters and five grandchildren and traveling.
“People that come in contact with me have no idea that I have some of the health issues that I have, and I give credit to MercyOne Iowa Heart and the care that I receive from them for that,” Gregg says. “We are very fortunate to have access to the care and the expertise of the doctors and medical staff at MercyOne Iowa Heart.”
