For retired grandfather Ed Langevin, life was good. He spent plenty of time with his grandkids. He went to church regularly. And he loved the simple things, like a bowl of pasta or a sub from his favorite deli.
But in February 2024, everything changed. Every meal left Langevin with heartburn. He could barely eat, and even a little bit of food made him feel full. While he used to regularly eat a whole sub, now a quarter of the sandwich left him feeling full and kept him from eating for days. He was often nauseous, and he became afraid of eating because of the pain food caused him. He lost 20 pounds in three months.
“I didn’t think I was going to make it, to be honest,” Langevin told CBS News. “I just wasn’t feeling good at all. I’d be laying out in the sunroom on the couch most of the day.”
Langevin struggled to learn what was wrong with him. His general doctor “did all sorts of tests,” Langevin said, including checking his liver and pancreas. Finally, in May 2024, a stomach scan revealed that he had an unusual condition called mesenteric ischemia. His doctor said he’d only seen it once before. Langevin had never heard of it and researching the condition filled him with fear.
“I made the bad decision of going on Google and checking this out, and oh my gosh, I thought I had only a few years left by the way those articles were,” he said.
The specialist that his primary care physician sent him to see set him straight.
“He said, ‘Don’t ever look at that stuff, just don’t,'” Langevin said. “He said, ‘We’re going to get you through it.'”
What is mesenteric ischemia?
Mesenteric ischemia occurs when narrowed or blocked arteries restrict blood flow to the small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. There are two forms of mesenteric ischemia: Acute and chronic. Acute mesenteric ischemia occurs suddenly and is often caused by a blood clot, according to the Mayo Clinic. Chronic mesenteric ischemia builds up over time and usually occurs when fatty deposits build up in the arteries.
A chronic case of the condition can become acute if left untreated, the Mayo Clinic said. The condition can cause pain, malnutrition and potentially fatal complications, including intestinal damage and organ failure.
An abdominal scan shows the blockage in Ed Langevin’s superior mesenteric artery. / Credit: Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital
Langevin had the latter form of the disease, said Dr. Gabriel Wallace, the director of vascular surgery at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital. Langevin’s condition was “pretty extreme,” Wallace said. Patients like Langevin tend to be miserable by the time they are diagnosed, Wallace said.
“They can’t eat, they lose weight, they start becoming malnourished, and there’s a real psychiatric or psychologic detriment,” Wallace said. “The psychological toll of not being able to eat, the disruption of your normal life, the pain, the fear of eating, it totally wrecks people.”
Treating mesenteric ischemia
While mesenteric ischemia is dangerous and unpleasant, it’s not difficult to treat, Wallace said. He performed a minimally invasive procedure on Langevin in June 2024, placing a stent in the superior mesenteric artery. The stent holds the artery open and allows blood to flow normally.
The surgery took less than an hour, Wallace said. Langevin was sent home the same day. He was also placed on antiplatelet medication, Wallace said. Langevin said that when he returned for his two-week check-up, he was able to eat an entire sub sandwich without any discomfort first.
The stent placed in Ed Langevin’s superior mesenteric artery. / Credit: Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital
For about a year, everything went well. In March 2025, Langevin began feeling bloating and discomfort after eating again. He returned to Wallace. A scan found that some scarring from the first surgery was compressing the stent. Wallace said it was not an uncommon complication and he performed a second procedure that extended the stent. Langevin will continue to receive regular follow-up care to ensure that the condition is correctly managed.
Getting back to normal
Now, about six months out from his follow-up surgery, Langevin is back to his old self. Steaks, pasta and sandwiches are back on the menu. He has gained back most of the weight he lost and is back to spending plenty of time with his grandkids. He and his wife are planning to travel to Rome in November as part of a pilgrimage with his local church.
“I’m doing really good. I’m feeling normal,” Langevin said.
Ed Langevin and his wife at an area restaurant. / Credit: Ed Langevin
Langevin told CBS News that he hopes his story reminds others of the importance of advocating for themselves in a healthcare setting.
“Just don’t give up,” Langevin said. If you find a doctor that’s given up on you, find another one, but just don’t give up.”
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