TOWNLINE CLOSURE
REMAIN UNBEATEN Unbeaten Rams race to top of district with win over Creston/O-M football team on homecoming Friday. Read more about the game in SPORTS, page 6A. >>
The city of Creston has been notified that on Tuesday and Wednesday, Townline Street between Cedar Street and Ash Street will be closed for repairs to the railroad crossing. Drivers will need to find alternate routes during this time.
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Ruling the disease
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
Phil Price, lay minister at Plymouth Congregational Church, combats a grim prognosis with faith and the support of his family ■
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on lay minister Phil Price’s battle with Peripheral Arterial Disease.
“I couldn’t move part of my body – it went numb. Finally, I got myself pulled up out of bed. I was smacking my leg, and everything was prickly. I figured I tweaked my back.”
By KELSEY HAUGEN
CNA staff reporter khaugen@crestonnews.com
P
hil Price sits in his living room next to his favorite chair – the one he sat in when he retrained himself to walk – recalling the chain of events. Waking up in a state of paralysis. Learning both his carotid arteries were blocked. Suffering three strokes. Being told he had 30 days to live. All this happened shortly after Price lost five of the people closest to him, including his best friend and wife Diana. “The human part of me comes out, and I wonder, ‘Why, Lord? Why do I have to deal with all this? Death all around me – this is ridiculous,’” said Price, 58, lay minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Orient and former owner of Phil Price Construction. “I don’t want the spotlight, but I want hope for others. What difference is it if it’s PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease) and you’re given a terminal notice or stagefour cancer? It doesn’t matter the disease; it’s what happens to your mindset. That’s the challenge.” Now, both of Price’s carotid arteries and one of his back-up or “reserve” arteries are completely blocked. His other reserve artery, the only one left to deliver blood to his brain, is 50 percent blocked. Doctors don’t understand how Price is still alive, let alone functioning normally. Usually, blocked arteries are the result of a build-up of plaque, which is cholestorel, calcium and fibrous tissue. Price’s case is unusual. He has a build-up of calcium only. Usually, people with both carotid arteries blocked either cannot function properly or die from lack of blood flow to the brain. Again, Price’s case is unusual. Aside from
— Phil Price
hadn’t been noticed through all my physicals because I don’t have cholesterol issues, high blood pressure or any of the other symptoms.” Once the doctors found PAD in Price, he only had about 10 percent of the blood flow to his brain. “Your faith gets challenged,” he said. “I don’t understand it, but I believe and teach we all have a purpose in life. My perspective is I CNA photo by KELSEY HAUGEN Phil Price sits in his favorite chair at his house – the same chair he was sitting in when he trained himself have two choices: I can let this disto move his toes and ankle, which eventually led to him learning to walk again. Price was diagnosed with ease rule my life, or I can rule the Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) in September 2014. It has been more than a year since doctors discov- disease.” ered both of his carotid arteries were blocked and told him he had 30 days to live. A medical perspective on PAD According to the website of Dr. walking a bit ungracefully, he lives doctors discovered both of his ca- ering nerve cell fibers and may af- George Todd, who has performed a normal life. And it’s been more rotid arteries were fully blocked fect sensation. Usually, transverse more than 15,000 surgical operathan a year since he received the and one of his reserve arteries was myelitis is the result of a spinal in- tions and has made the annual “Top 30-day terminal notice. partially blocked. jury, so doctors couldn’t figure out Doctors in America” list 13 times “I’m an oddity, unexplainable, a “The specialists came out, and why Price developed it. The trans- since 2001, a patient may be able to weird duck,” Price said. “The spe- they said, ‘We’re sorry. There’s verse myelitis caused Price to lose live with 100 percent blockage of his cialists have no explanations, and nothing you can do. You have pain and temperature sensation in carotid arteries if his body develops the only one I’m going to fall back about 30 days left. You’re going to his left leg. Evenually, it spread a alternative ways of getting blood to his brain. on is my faith.” have a massive stroke, and you’re little to his right leg. Todd wrote on his website there The start of it all gone,’” Price said. Meanwhile, Price still couldn’t are four main arteries that supply On May 15, 2014, around 5:30 The 30-day notice drove him get his left leg to work. blood to the brain: the right internal a.m., Price awoke with the tingly crazy. He was counting down the The disease feeling of paralysis on the left, low- days. It wasn’t until September 2014 carotid artery, left internal carotid er quarter of his body. “Everything that went wrong, I that doctors discovered the expla- artery, right vertebral artery and left “I couldn’t move part of my was like, ‘Is this the start of it?’ I fi- nation for Price’s previously inex- vertebral artery. “All of these arteries usually body – it went numb,” he said. “Fi- nally thought, ‘Forget it. I’m going plicable issues. He was diagnosed nally, I got myself pulled up out of to mow my yard. If I die mowing with Peripheral Arterial Disease come together in a kind of ‘traffic circle’ at the center of the brain, bed. I was smacking my leg, and my yard, at least I’m doing some- (PAD). everything was prickly. I figured I thing.’ Why would you want to sit According to Web MD, PAD is called the Circle of Willis,” Todd tweaked my back.” around all day and think, ‘Am I a disease characterized by plaque wrote. “When one of the arteries It didn’t get better over the dying today?’ I never was one to build-up in the arteries that carry leading into the Circle of Willis gets weekend, so he went to see a doc- sit around; I’m not about to start,” blood to the brain, other organs and blocked, the other arteries usually tor in Creston the following Mon- he said. limbs. PAD is heriditary, and those enlarge over time to carry more day. He found out he had four It was determined Price’s pa- who have it are at much higher risk blood flow.” Once a carotid artery is combulges in his back and was sent to ralysis May 15 was due to a spinal of coronary artery disease, heart atDes Moines for back surgery. But cord stroke. tacks and strokes. Though PAD is pletely blocked, Todd wrote, surthe neurosurgeon in Des Moines His first diagnosis was trans- treatable, if it isn’t caught early on, it gery is almost never recommended, said it wasn’t his back. verse myelitis in his left leg, which becomes more dangerous with time. Neurologists performed several is an inflammation of the spinal “My (build-up) is mostly calcium, Please see PRICE, Page 2A tests on Price. On June 10, 2014, cord that targets the material cov- which is really weird,” Price said. “It
CHS queen:
Jessica Beatty was named 2015 Creston High School homecoming queen Friday in the CHS auditorium. Jessica is the daughter of Bob and Colleen Beatty and was escorted Friday by Cooper McDermott. See video from the coronation at www. crestonnews. com. She was crowned by 2014 homecoming queen Bree Daggett.
Contributed photo by TERRY FREEMAN
Hall of famers: Creston High School Principal Bill Messerole (right) stands with 2015 Creston High
School Hall of Fame inductees Larry Peterson (left) of the Creston News Advertiser and former CHS football coach and math teacher Dick Bergstrom (center) as they are introduced prior to Friday’s homecoming football game against Glenwood. FYI: A distinguished alumnus was also selected by the Hall of Fame committee to be inducted this year. However, that graduate was not able to attend the ceremony because of a schedule conflict. For more on the game see Page 6.
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Volume 132 No. 85
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46TH ANNUAL MADISON COUNTY
COVERED BRIDGE FESTIVAL
October 10 & 11, 2015
* Live Music * Covered Bridge Tours * Arts & Crafts * Parade * Craft Beer Garden & Wine Sampling www.MCCoveredBridgeFestival.org