Linda Reagan

When Linda Reagan began experiencing pain in her legs, she attributed it to the amount of time she spends daily on her feet. After all, the avid gardener and entrepreneur has spent countless hours operating one of the busiest open-air produce markets in Tallahassee—Tomatoland.

Then the pain progressively got worse.

“I could hardly work,” said Reagan. “It hurt to sit. It hurt to stand. By the end of the day I couldn’t even bare the sensation of socks on my feet.”  

After putting up with the pain for nearly a year, Reagan made an appointment with interventional radiologist Timothy B. Daniel, MD.

“Dr. Daniel checked the blood flow in my legs,” said Reagan. “He told me I had blockages in my arteries—in not one, but both legs. I couldn’t believe artery pain could make me feel like that.”

Reagan’s arteries had become narrowed, and almost blocked, causing the blood flow to decrease. Her arteries could no longer deliver adequate blood flow to her feet, which ultimately lead to her tremendous discomfort.

Dr. Daniel recommended an arteriogram—an outpatient procedure where a small needle and catheter are inserted into the artery. A safe dye is then injected into the arteries and pictures are taken of the blood flowing down each leg. This provides a roadmap of all the normal and abnormal segments of arteries and allows the surgeon to identify the areas of concern.

In the catheterization lab at Archbold Memorial Hospital, Dr. Daniel determined Reagan’s areas of arterial blockage in her right leg and placed a tiny metal stent across the artery wall to prevent the artery from narrowing again. Reagan spent the night at Archbold, and the following day Dr. Daniel performed angioplasty on her left leg to open the artery. A stent was then placed in her left leg to improve the blood.

“I had immediate relief from the pain,” said Reagan. “Whether at work or at home in my garden— I’m always on feet. A quick recovery was important to me.”

 Reagan had the procedures on Wednesday and Thursday, and went back to work the following Monday without pain.

 “Dr. Daniel was great,” said Reagan. “I’ve never had a doctor tell me that he was there for me 24/7. Not only did he cure my pain, but he, his staff and the staff at the Loudermilk Heart and Vascular Center at Archbold put me at ease. They truly care about their patients, and that’s a wonderful feeling.”