Veteran needed claims help. A ‘ticking time bomb’ was found and defused.
As a retired Navy submarine officer, John Sullivan is used to traveling undetected while at sea. But when a silent killer was found in his chest, the longtime sailor was knocked off his keel.
Doctors discovered an aortic aneurism and congenital heart defect after DAV benefits advocate Jeremy Yost encouraged John to include a heart condition with his Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claim.
Jeremy discovered a doctor’s note of an irregular heartbeat tucked away in John’s dental records.
John attended medical exams for his VA claim, and since he included a cardiac condition—on the advice of his DAV benefits advocate—an ultrasound of his heart was ordered. That’s when he first realized what was lurking on his largest blood vessel.
A cardiologist later confirmed the aneurism and a missing aortic valve. As an avid runner who completed five ultramarathons, John was stunned.
“They said I was at a very high risk of sudden death,” said John, who retired in 2021 after 25 years of service. “It was very confusing because I’ve had zero issues with my heart my entire life, my entire career.”
For four months, John plunged into a “deep funk.” Going from an athlete with superhuman strength to worrying about a life-threatening rupture at any time weighed on him heavily. But what began as shock turned into curiosity about living with an aneurism and receiving treatment.
John is now under the care of a cardiologist and has seen two surgeons. Ultimately, physicians recommended the Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation’s top cardiac surgery centers, to repair his aorta and repair or replace his aortic valve.
Learning to cope and live with the diagnoses has been an adjustment. John still runs, since it keeps his blood pressure low—a concern for a potentially bursting aneurism—but is taking a hiatus from trekking longer distances.
Although his initial claim did not yield a service-connected disability for his aorta, it identified a life-threatening medical condition—one John never thought was there.
“I am very thankful and very grateful that I met Jeremy,” said John. “Not only did he save my life, but he had everything ready when I walked into his office.”
“[John] wants to try to get a more normal lifestyle,” added Jeremy. “And he can’t really do that when he has a ticking time bomb in his chest.”
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