All you need is love … and a good cardiologist

Some loves feel destined, the kind that quietly shape a lifetime together. Soulmates, if you still believe in that sort of thing. Mary Ann and Hance sure do. Married for nearly six decades, the couple has always moved through life side by side — including when they faced heart procedures in the same year.

When the Piersons retired in 2000, they decided to pursue a hobby of creating fused glass, an art form that involves melting pieces of glass together in a kiln, oven or furnace. The couple has made and sold thousands of handcrafted glass works of art.

When health challenges threatened to alter their day-to-day activities, the Piersons turned to the experts at NKC Health for help.

A safe alternative to blood thinners 

Both Mary Ann and Hance had been living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm condition that increases the risk of stroke. Like many, they managed it with blood thinners. But after years of frequent nosebleeds and careful living, Mary Ann started to worry about the risks that came with the medication.

“We felt trapped in a way; we had to be so cautious of even the smallest cuts. And when your hobby is working with glass, that’s not the best-case scenario,” Mary Ann says. “I can’t tell you how many times I had to go to the emergency room for something as simple as a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. It was frightening.” 

Hance’s cardiologist introduced him to something new, the WATCHMAN procedure, a minimally invasive implant designed to prevent strokes in people with AFib and help them stop taking blood thinners safely.

“Hance was managing AFib well, but blood thinners obviously do increase the risk of bleeding complications, and he was concerned about having to stay on this medication lifelong,” said Dr. Gimple, Hance’s primary cardiologist at NKC Health. “For patients like Hance, who have had bleeding complications, or are at high risk of bleeding complications, a WATCHMAN implant can solve the problem of reducing the risk of stroke without the need for lifelong blood thinner.”

“The WATCHMAN procedure offers patients with AFib a way to lower their stroke risk while reducing dependence on long-term blood thinners,” said Dr. Hahn, cardiologist at NKC Health, who performed Hance’s procedure. Hance had the procedure first and bounced back so well that Mary Ann had the procedure the following year.

“Many of the people we see, similar to the Piersons, try to manage life on long-term blood thinners and run into problems, said Dr. Chapman, cardiologist at NKC Health, who performed Mary Ann’s procedure. “For patients with AFib, the WATCHMAN gives them a better, and relatively new way to reduce stroke risk. Ten years ago, we didn’t have this option for patients.”

NKC Health was one of the first in the region to offer the WATCHMAN implant, helping people with AFib reduce their risk of stroke. With more than 500 procedures performed, we’re helping hundreds protect their hearts and live with greater freedom. 

Back to bliss

Today, the couple is thriving and grateful. “No more nosebleeds, no more worrying about cuts,” Hance said with a smile. “It’s just a relief.” That peace of mind has let the couple return to what they love: each other, of course, and creating fused-glass art. 

Mary Ann agrees. “I don’t even think about it anymore,” she said. “I just know I’m secure in doing what I’m doing, and we can focus on our time together.”

“The best part,” Mary Ann said, “is opening the kiln and seeing how it turned out. It’s a surprise every time.” 

Their fortune in life and health, they’ll tell you, comes down to teamwork. “That’s what we’re married for — to support each other,” Mary Ann said simply. “It’s been 59 years of complete support in everything we do.”

Their devotion to one another extends to their community and the care they’ve received. 

“Everyone at NKC Health was wonderful,” Mary Ann said. “They answered our questions, put us at ease, and treated us like family. We feel like it’s our hospital.”

“Care at NKC Health is different; we work together as providers, but we see heart care as a partnership with the patient," said Dr. Chapman. "We take the time to really listen and work alongside our patients and their loved ones, treating and empowering them to get back to what matters most for them.”

Advice from the heart

Mary Ann and Hance have spent years working with fragile glass. Life on blood thinners once felt much the same — delicate, like walking on eggshells. But after the WATCHMAN procedure, nothing holds them back. 

“So much stress is gone. Our life is brighter, and we can just live,” Mary Ann said.  “It can give you your life back and return you to the moments you’ve been missing.”

Learn more about the WATCHMAN procedure at nkchealth.org/Watchman.