Jayne's Story

Cardiologist Sherry Megalla, MD and grateful patient Jayne Dickie

When Jayne Dickie, a 70-year-old grandmother of 11 from Merrick, breast cancer survivor and self-confessed “gym rat,” was diagnosed with advanced coronary artery disease and told she needed to undergo a triple bypass heart surgery to fix the arteries, she thought, “This can’t be happening to me.”

After an initial consultation with Dr. Sherry Megalla, a Mount Sinai South Nassau cardiologist based in Bellmore, she was referred to cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Robin Varghese, Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“I was the worst patient and completely in denial about my diagnosis. I tried to run out of the exam room until Dr. Varghese walked in. He had a halo over his head and was so reassuring. He told me I would be back on my feet in two weeks.”

Days later, Jayne was at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in Manhattan where Dr. Varghese performed the surgery. As predicted, Jayne’s recovery was uneventful. Today she is living her life to the fullest, chasing after her youngest grandson.

“Dr. Megalla, Dr. Varghese, they saved my life,” she says.

Now, Jayne has regular appointments with Dr. Megalla on Long Island, close to home. She urges women to not take their heart health for granted. “Just as we make time for our mammograms, PAP smears, manicures and pedicures, we must make time for our heart.”