Triple heart bypass patient unfurls Bear Down flag

ELGIN, Ill. – Advocate Health Care patient Gary Brown of East Dundee was recognized as a special guest of the Chicago Bears during Sunday’s Bear Down Flag Ceremony.

Brown helped unfurl the flag at Soldier Field before the Bears took on the New England Patriots.

Brown, a patient at the Cardiometabolic Clinic at Advocate Sherman Hospital, was referred to the clinic after he had triple bypass surgery more than two years ago. Since Brown started going to the clinic earlier this year, he no longer needs to take insulin or use a CPAP machine. He also started using his smart watch to monitor his sleep and found his sleep has improved.

The clinic offers patients with cardiovascular disease and pre-diabetes or diabetes a comprehensive approach to managing their conditions – with a number of specialties in one convenient location.

Patients who are referred to the clinic are seen by a multidisciplinary care team, which can include a cardiologist, dietitian/diabetes educator, health coach, pharmacist, medical weight management specialist, patient navigator and behavioral health professional.

According to the American Diabetes Association, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for people with diabetes and about two out of every three people who develop Type 2 diabetes will die from heart disease. People who have diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke compared to people who don’t.

The team at Sherman’s clinic helps work with patients to decrease these risks.

Brown said since visiting the clinic and the care he received there, he has more energy, fewer headaches and is experiencing less hip, joint and back pain.

“Going to the cardiometabolic clinic has been an amazing, life-changing experience,” Brown said. “The entire team has looked at everything, from nutrition, to physical activity, to what conditions I have, alternatives and what prescriptions I am taking. They have helped me through everything and made my health feel important.”