Seventy-six-year-old Lindsey King is spending his time as a school crossing guard in South Holland, Illinois. He made a “safe crossing” of his own recently—one that had nothing to do with cars, streets or youngsters toting lunch boxes. He discovered that he had a life-threatening blockage in a neck artery. Thanks to his wife, a screening and quick action by his doctors, King has made a life-prolonging transition. With his dangerous condition corrected, he now keeps physically active and follows a healthful diet.
It all started with a Life Line Screening flier that came in the newspaper. King’s wife Margaret, also 76, picked up the flier and handed it to her husband. “She insisted that I go take this screening—that’s where it started. I give her full credit for that,” says King, who retired after 25 years of working with high-pressure boilers for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in Chicago.
The Kings got screenings at the local community center for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and for carotid artery blockage. “They pulled me aside after the screening was over,” King recalls. “It showed a buildup of plaque in my carotid artery. Life Line Screening recommended that I immediately contact my doctor to verify this condition, which I did—and it was verified. I had surgery the following week. The doctor said I could have had a stroke.”
Margaret also found that she had PAD, and subsequently had surgery in her right leg.
In his new life, King exercises—on his feet as a crossing guard and when he walks his dog Pepper, a miniature schnauzer. He changed his diet, too. He gave up the beloved sausage biscuits offered by his local fast-food restaurant. He also gave up gravy, most red meat and other fatty foods. Now he eats fish, chicken, rice, and lots of fruits and vegetables.
“I feel great, but I just have to watch my diet,” he says. “We’ve all got to go someday, but we want to be on this Earth as long as possible. I mention to friends that that’s what saved my life—Life Line Screening—and I recommend it to them. Life Line Screening is a Godsend.”
