I had a heart attack in May. I didn't recognize the arm pain symptoms, namely the pain in both arms. Prior to the pain I felt in my arms, I started feeling pain in my left calf muscle after walking short distances. My advice is to not ignore the pain in your limbs or other unexplained pain in other parts of your body.

Four years ago the doctor advised my mother to have bypass surgery, and she refused out of fear. She tried to change her bad habit (smoking, sneaking one here and there) until March of 2007 when her right leg was amputated. Eventually, the bypass was performed. Now it's March of 2009 and the peripheral vascular bypass has failed and infected. The threat of another bypass and amputation are close at hand.

My symptoms of peripheral vascular disease first started with cold, numb feet and then swelling of my feet only. Then the swelling went away, and my feet only hurt when they got cold. Then they just got cold and numb until I got them warm, and then my feet went back to normal.

My dad has recently been diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease. He is in so much pain constantly. He quickly developed blisters on his toe. I praise the Lord for helping us find help. He is having hyperbaric treatments, 30 dives. He "dives" in the chamber at the hospital for two hours, five days a week. He has had six treatments now, and we are seeing some results. We are told to give it four weeks. Medicare is covering his treatments. It is upsetting that more doctors do not know of this and can help people save their limbs and their lives in many of the cases if they do not wait until the limbs start turning black.

I have been diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease. This disease has ruined my life and has caused my family much grief. I will likely lose my leg from this, if not my life, and want to tell everyone that if you are ever diagnosed with this disease, please do not wait and go to the doctor right away. I am only 24, and it has ruined my dreams and my wishes for a bright future. I hope and pray that this is not passed to my children. I do not wish this disease upon any human. I have been through seven surgeries in the past year. My experience with this has been hard and truly unbelievable. I never thought this would happen to me, but now I hope I can stop it from happening to anyone else.

I am a 56 yea old woman. I have had 18 angioplasties, and 1 bypass on my legs. I've always had pain in my calves, when I knew my arteries were plugged. Four months ago I developed an ulcer on my middle toe on my left leg. Both legs are plugged up. When I had my last angioplasty, 3 doctors told me they won't touch me anymore, as I have nothing to attach anything to anymore. My podiatrist sent me to another doctor in Sarasota, and he said he can help me. On July 6,2011, I had an angiogram on both legs. On July 18th, I will find out my options. Please pray for me.

I never had claudication in the calves. I had severe foot pain in bed, and pain in one buttock when walking. I had 2 bypasses and three angioplasties but ended up with an amputation. I have scleroderma which affected the lining of the vessels. My diagnosis was PVD exacerbated by scleroderma.

My husband was first diagnosed with this disease about 11 years ago. He is a non-stop smoker. He has had a below knee amputation. His other leg has been stinted and by-passed so many times. He had a deep ulcer this year and the surgeon made an incision from his groin to his ankle in order to by-pass blockages. He's now on Coumadin and we hope he will have a better quality of life.