For Adam Highfill, a weekend getaway with his wife, Darcy, was supposed to be a chance to celebrate their anniversary.
Instead, it became another frightening chapter in a health journey that had followed him for years.
On their way home from Waco, Texas, Adam began feeling sick. By the time their flight was underway, he was vomiting uncontrollably. Darcy knew something was seriously wrong.
As soon as they landed, she drove him straight to the emergency room.
What followed was an experience that would change Adam's life and give him a new appreciation for the power of diagnostic imaging.
"You're young, you think you're invincible, and all of a sudden you're in an ER," Adam recalls.
Years of Pain Without Answers
Adam's health struggles began when he was just 19 or 20 years old. Seemingly out of nowhere, he would experience episodes of severe abdominal pain.
"I would describe it like somebody had a knife in my gut," he remembers.
Because the episodes were occasional and he otherwise felt healthy, Adam didn't think much of them. He learned to live with the discomfort, unaware that something more serious was happening inside his body. Years later, during one of his first dates with Darcy, the pain returned. They had been celebrating a birthday when Adam suddenly became so sick that their evening ended at urgent care. Both assumed it was food poisoning.
After receiving medication and resting, Adam was sent home. But the pain kept coming back.
Eventually, his primary care physician referred him to a gastrointestinal specialist who recommended diagnostic imaging. For the first time, Adam began getting answers. He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the digestive tract.
Adam eventually underwent surgery and, for a while, felt better. But the relief didn't last. His symptoms gradually returned, setting the stage for another medical emergency.
The CT Scan That Saved His Life
In 2019, during that anniversary trip with Darcy, Adam's Crohn's disease led to a serious complication.
At the emergency room, doctors performed a CT scan that revealed a severe narrowing of the intestine that required immediate surgical intervention.
Adam was rushed into surgery.
Although the procedure initially appeared successful, his recovery took a frightening turn. Over the next several days, his condition deteriorated. Fluids were accumulating in his stomach, and his body wasn't processing them as expected.
Darcy could see that something wasn't right.
"He was not progressing. He was not getting better. There was something that was wrong," she recalls.
Determined to get answers, Darcy repeatedly pleaded with his medical team to perform another CT scan.
Eventually, doctors ordered an emergency CT scan. The images revealed that Adam's stomach had become severely distended. According to Adam, it had expanded to three times its normal size. The scan provided critical information about what was happening inside his body when his symptoms alone couldn't explain the severity of the situation.
For Adam and Darcy, that moment reinforced just how important timely diagnostic imaging can be.
From Fear to Confidence: The Importance of Regular Imaging
Living with Crohn's disease has meant years of medical appointments, surgeries, and uncertainty for Adam.
When he was younger, the thought of undergoing regular colonoscopies and follow-up CT scans made him uncomfortable. He worried about what doctors might discover and what another abnormal result could mean for his future.
For years, each examination brought another complication, from inflammation to scarring.
But as Adam grew older, his perspective began to change.
Rather than viewing medical imaging as something to fear, he began to see it as an important part of managing his condition.
Today, Adam advocates for regular monitoring and following his care team's recommendations. For someone living with a chronic condition like Crohn's disease, appropriate diagnostic imaging can help physicians evaluate complications, assess changes, and make informed treatment decisions.
For Adam, staying proactive means having a better understanding of his health instead of waiting until symptoms become severe enough to require another surgery. That change in perspective has made a meaningful difference in his life.
Darcy sees it, too."He is healthy, he is strong, he's doing what he's called to do now," she shares. "It's improved his quality of life, and honestly, it has just given him his life back."
A Life Changed by the Power of Imaging
At 42, Adam sees his health differently than he did two decades ago.
The uncertainty that once surrounded his medical appointments has gradually given way to a sense of confidence. He still understands the seriousness of Crohn's disease, but he no longer approaches every examination expecting the worst.
Instead, regular monitoring gives him an opportunity to understand where things stand and work with his physicians to manage his health.
The experience has also changed what Adam values most. After years of pain, surgeries, and frightening moments in the hospital, being healthy enough to enjoy life with his family means more than ever.
"Now I go into those optimistic," Adam says of his regular examinations, "and I come out with knowing I'm good."
For Adam, the value of diagnostic imaging goes far beyond the images themselves. It's about the answers those images provide, the reassurance that comes from understanding his health, and the opportunity to keep living the life he loves.
Take the Next Step Toward Better Health
Adam's story is a reminder of how important it is to listen to your body, take persistent symptoms seriously, and seek appropriate medical care.
Diagnostic imaging, including CT scans, gives physicians a detailed look inside the body, helping them identify conditions, evaluate complications, and make informed decisions about treatment.
We're committed to improving lives through unmistakable quality and spectacular service. Our advanced diagnostic imaging services and compassionate care teams help patients get the information they need to make confident decisions about their health.
If your physician has recommended a CT scan or another diagnostic imaging exam, don't put off getting the answers you need.
Take the next step in your care and ask your doctor to send you to a center near you.