Lori Bell set sail again following a 69-day hospitalization
When a progressive eye disorder called keratoconus sent Lori Bell on a gradual path toward becoming legally blind, she and her husband, Don, made a pledge.
The avid travelers would expedite their efforts to see it all—by boat.
Lori, a 66-year-old retired nurse, and Don, a retired member of the Air Force, love to take cruises. They introduced the thrill to their adult son and daughter. Since 2018, the Bell family completed multiple voyages together.
Then a medical emergency interrupted.
A dizzy feeling
A trip to a regional Emergency Department in October 2023 with what Lori assumed to be dizziness caused by dehydration turned into something much more serious.
Her heart was failing. She needed multiple stents—but first she would have to be stabilized enough to receive them. The longest, hardest trip of Lori’s life was underway.
Lori was transferred to Missouri Baptist Medical Center, where doctors found a 90% blockage in her left main coronary artery and a 95% blockage in her left anterior descending artery, which is known as the “widow maker.”
Before stents could be placed, Lori experienced cardiac arrest, requiring 40 minutes of CPR and controlled electric shocks to revive her. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and a small heart pump temporarily took over for Lori’s heart, pumping blood for her so she could stay alive.
Lori was unresponsive for weeks, forcing Don and his children to have hard conversations about how to best honor Lori's wishes if her condition did not improve.
“We didn’t want to paint Lori in a corner,” Don says. “I knew she would not want to be bedridden for the rest of her life.”
A question answered
It was during this uncertain time when Don says he sat by Lori’s side and asked his wife for a sign.
“I said, ‘Lori, can you squeeze my hand?’ Don says. “And she squeezed my hand. She responded.”
Linda Schulte, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, became an encouraging presence to the Bells throughout Lori’s recovery
“Give it time,” Don recalls Dr. Schulte advising the family. “It takes time.”
“She became my hero,” Lori says of Dr. Schulte. “And she still is.”
Slowly but surely, Lori started getting better. Her heart stabilized enough to receive multiple stents. She was able to transition off machine assistance as she gained strength. Her progress allowed her to move from the Intensive Care Unit to Long-Term Acute Care.
Through it all, Lori and Don leaned on a care team headlined by Dr. Schulte, BJC Medical Group cardiologist Bradley Witbrodt, MD, and BJC Medical Group interventional cardiologist Adam Shpigel, MD.
Each played a pivotal role in Lori’s journey from near-death experience to resilient recovery.
“What I want to stress is, I’m here because of them,” Lori says. “They could have given up on me, and I would have been gone. But they let me keep going, and I’m back to pretty much me. I’m so grateful to the entire staff.”
A special trip
After 69 days at MoBap, Lori returned home in January 2024. Precautionary checks of her heart since then have raised no concerns with her doctors.
A big test came in May 2024, when Lori and Don boarded their first cruise together since Lori’s emergency. Together, they soaked up the Caribbean sun.
Since then, they have been to Barcelona, Morocco, and the Bahamas. Recently, they joined their children on another Caribbean tour. Portugal and England are in their upcoming plans, as their 43rd wedding anniversary nears.
Lori sets sail with a thankful heart, and a message to anyone who senses something isn’t quite right.
“Before I retired, I was a registered nurse, so I was not the best at acknowledging I needed to go to the doctor,” she says. “Go to the doctor and get checked. Don’t wonder. Don’t wait. Even if you don’t know what’s wrong, if you suspect anything, go in and let the doctors look. To everyone who reads this, please go get checked.”
For more information on our Heart Center in St. Louis or to schedule an appointment at MoBap, please call 314-996-5433 or 800-392-0936.
Don and Lori Bell pose for a photo during a cruise ship adventure in 2024