A routine heart checkup turned into a life-altering medical crisis for a San Diego mother who ultimately lost both arms and both legs after doctors discovered a deadly tear in the main artery leading from her heart.
Leslie Caoili, 41, of Spring Valley, went in for a checkup in May when doctors found she was suffering from a Type A aortic dissection, a dangerous tear in the aorta that can quickly become fatal.
Her husband, Amery Lee Caoili, said doctors told the family she may have had only hours left to live.
“She probably had maybe hours left to live,” he told ABC 10News.
Leslie, a mother of two daughters and a competitive strength athlete, required emergency surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass and major reconstruction of her aorta.
Her family initially hoped the surgery would mark the end of the nightmare.
Instead, the weeks that followed brought a devastating new complication.
According to her husband, Leslie lost blood circulation to her hands and feet after the operation.
“We didn’t really know how her body was gonna respond to the initial surgery, but she ended up losing blood flow to her hands and her feet,” he said.
By the end of the first month, the damage had become severe.
“Her hands and her feet were blackened and shriveled,” he said.
With no improvement in circulation, doctors were forced to amputate both of Leslie’s hands at the mid-forearm as well as both of her legs.
The ordeal has kept her hospitalized for months.
Before the medical crisis, Leslie was known as a competitive strength athlete and had competed throughout the San Diego area.
Now, she is preparing for an entirely different challenge as she gets ready to leave the hospital and return home.
Her family is thrilled that she will soon be discharged, but their house is not currently equipped for her new needs.
Amery is now asking skilled volunteers to help make the home more accessible before Leslie returns.
The family says they are looking for help from electricians, HVAC technicians, roofers, flooring installers, painters and others who may be able to assist with a major renovation.
“She just wants to come home to her family and her kids and her dog and me and wants to get back to living life as normal as we can make it for her,” Amery said.
The family has also launched a GoFundMe to help cover expenses connected to Leslie’s recovery and the work needed on the home.
Despite everything she has endured, Leslie’s loved ones say the focus now is on getting her back under the same roof with her husband, daughters and dog as she begins adjusting to life after the amputations.
