For years, Chase Faulkenberry, 29, wasn’t overly concerned about the unusually large veins on his legs. He wore pants in his job as a custodian and simply avoided wearing shorts outside of work.

“For four to five years, I never wore shorts anywhere,” he recalled. “I wouldn’t even swim. I wouldn’t get in a pool.”

His condition became more than cosmetic in 2024, when he noticed his legs started to feel “super heavy, just aching – they almost felt like they were going to bust.”

The Ruby, SC native visited a vein center, but those doctors, said Chase, “kind of shrugged me off.”

“I still did things, but it was a lot harder,” Chase explained. “I was pretty much in constant pain, walking around, doing normal stuff, especially at work, where I’m always on my feet.”

Things got worse. While attending a football game with friends, Chase felt pain in his left knee and noticed a large bump under his kneecap. His primary care doctor referred him to an Orthopedic specialist, who, after an MRI was taken, told him the good news – that his knee was fine – and the bad news, that his varicose veins needed treatment.

Chase was referred to Dr. Philip Chaipis, who played a key role in establishing the Vein Clinic at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in 2024. He is also a part of the Carolina Pines Medical Group General Surgery team.

Dr. Chaipis performed four procedures – two on each leg – one using radiofrequency ablations and one using chemical ablations to basically remove the damaged veins and their tributaries and redirect blood flow to healthier veins.

Within a couple of weeks, Chase said his left leg was much better, and his right leg felt 100% better.

“It changed my life,” said Chase. “My quality of life is so much better. I knew going into it that I would still have problems because he explained it to me. He told me upfront that this might not be a permanent thing, that it is something we will have to work on, and I’ll have issues the rest of my life. But compared to where I was, it’s way, way, way better – it really changed my life.”

Chase pointed out that his positive experience wasn’t just the incredible outcome – his overall experience at Carolina Pines was exceptional.

“They were amazing,” he said. “Every single person that I encountered – from the woman at the desk to the people that did my ultrasounds to the nurses that were in there when I was doing my procedures – was top-notch.

“And Dr. Chaipis – I am eternally grateful to him. What someone else didn’t think was serious or didn’t want to help me with, he assured me from my first visit that he was going to do everything he could to help me. He made me feel like he really cared about me and my well-being. I just can’t stress that enough – he’s awesome, a great guy.”

Today, Chase is living life mostly pain-free in his legs – and even wearing shorts. And that gets to the other reason he wanted to share his story.

He notes that up until 2024, he simply lived with varicose veins because he was mistakenly under the impression that he couldn’t have anything done for it. The perceived stigma of varicose veins, being something that only older people get, kept Chase from seeking appropriate care.

“I’d like to stress that just because something happens to you that people have stigmatized that it only happens to older people – just because you are young – doesn’t mean you have to live like that,” he said. “That was kind of my way of thinking, and I should have probably gotten help sooner. I was younger and [varicose veins] were not typical for a young person.”

Chase’s story is a reminder that you don’t have to live with pain or stigma – help is available, and healing is possible.

If you would like to learn more about the Vein Clinic at Carolina Pines, visit cprmc.com/services/vein-clinic. 

About Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center

As part of the ScionHealth network of hospitals, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center (CPRMC) provides high-quality healthcare services to the people of several counties in northeastern South Carolina. Patients have come to rely on our experienced, skilled staff and physicians to provide them with the highest level of care and compassion. Through the facilities on our campus, including a 116-bed acute care hospital and an adjoining medical office building, we provide comprehensive services with two things in mind: the care and comfort of our patients. Learn more about CPRMC at www.cprmc.com/about.