In October 2022, severe back pain sent then-55-year-old Joe Paradise rushing to the hospital, where doctors determined within minutes that he had suffered an aortic dissection. He said they warned him he might not survive. Paradise did survive, and nearly four years later he's sharing his story as Aortic Dissection Awareness Day is marked on Sept. 19.
Paradise described what happened to his body in stark terms, according to WSOC-TV. “I basically tore my artery from my carotid to my heart, and from my heart all the way to my groin,” he said. He recalled the pain as beyond description. “The pain was unimaginable, it really was,” Paradise said.
The aorta is the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the body, and an aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in its inner layer — a tear that can cause sudden death if it isn't quickly recognized and treated, according to UAB. Dr. Christopher Everett, a vascular surgeon with Piedmont Medical Network, treated Paradise, performing two life-saving procedures. Everett said tears like the one Paradise suffered typically develop after years of high blood pressure, which can cause a rip or tear in the inner lining of the artery.
Few Warning Signs, High Stakes
Part of what makes aortic dissection so dangerous, per the same account, is that there are few warning signs before it strikes. Everett encourages regular checkups and blood-pressure control as the best defense, and doctors recommend stopping smoking, since it can be a major contributor to heart damage. Risk factors also include uncontrollably high blood pressure, blunt trauma to the chest and age, according to UAB.
The condition's unpredictability was underscored this year when Sen. Lindsey Graham died from an aortic dissection in July, the same source reports. Everett said he hopes more people will learn about the risks of the condition, adding that awareness is one benefit that can come from tragic events like these.
Survivors Elsewhere Describe Similar Ordeals
Paradise's experience echoes accounts from other survivors nationally. Ryan Rodarmer experienced a type A aortic dissection in April 2019 after nearly 15 years of monitoring an enlarging aortic root, according to the Marfan Foundation. Rodarmer said his pain felt less like the ripping sensation often described and more like constant, unrelenting pressure in his back. The Marfan Foundation and six other North American nonprofits have united for the first time to promote awareness of aortic emergencies through a message known as S.T.A.T. — Suspect, Time, Aortic Imaging and Talk About It.
Diane Bishop's case was even more dire: she arrived at a local hospital with an aortic dissection in 2007 and was given less than a 1% chance of survival, per UAB. Bishop has since undergone two open-heart surgeries at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Survivors like Bishop can still live healthy lives by maintaining follow-up appointments, regular CT scans and blood-pressure monitoring, UAB notes.
Looking Ahead With Gratitude
For Paradise, survival has reshaped how he thinks about the years ahead. He said he is thankful for a new lease on life and tries not to take a single day for granted. “I take advantage of every day,” he said.
Paradise has goals tied to his family, including watching all of his daughters walk down the aisle — one has not yet done so — and hoping to see at least one grandchild born from each of them, according to WSOC-TV's report.
