As American Heart Month comes to a close, we’re sharing a success story from the Heart Lung Vascular Institute’s cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Michael, a lifelong resident of Knoxville, lives with his wife and daughter and serves as a magistrate in the Knox County judicial system. He described himself as dedicated to a healthy lifestyle – eating right, exercising frequently and keeping his weight down, along with check-ups with his primary care physician every six months.
But during a work-out at the gym in September 2022, he felt something wasn’t right. “My breathing wasn’t normal. I felt like I was going to throw up, and then I thought maybe it was just heartburn,” he said. As the discomfort eased a bit, he drove home, took an antacid and called his wife. After talking to him for a few minutes, she said, “You don’t sound like yourself, I’m calling an ambulance.” Later, she admitted that she knew something was wrong when he didn’t argue with her.
The ambulance arrived in just a few minutes, and the EMTs told Michael that he was actively having a heart attack. They rushed him to the emergency department, where the medical team quickly performed a heart catheter procedure. There, he received the unthinkable news. The blockage in his heart was in an area where a stent was not possible, and they would have to perform open heart surgery. The next morning.
“That night, I was just in shock. Total shock. I coudn’t believe that it happened to me. I’m sure they talked to me about the surgery, recovery and rehab, but I’m not sure I heard any of what they were saying,” Michael said. “I was just completely zoned out.”
The medical team performed a single bypass open heart surgery the next day, After six more days in the hospital, Michael was released to go home with new restrictions and medications, as well as a lengthy recovery plan.
As Michael’s cardiac rehab program began, he said, “It was comforting to be get back in the gym again, this time, with a heart monitor and nurses guiding me along the way.” Still tentative and weak from the surgery, the rehab team worked to rebuild his strength so he could resume his normal, day-to-day activities.
“It built my confidence,” Michael said. “I did 36 sessions, and it was a great experience. The staff was really good and worked with me personally. I credit them with getting me back to the point I was before.”
It’s been five months since Michael’s heart attack, causing a considerable amount of personal reflection. “It can happen to anybody,” he said. “Now, I want to live my life. Of course, I want to be careful, do the right things, eat right. But I want to go back to racing, camping and traveling abroad. I want to do all the stuff I dreamed of.”
We are honored to be a part of Michael’s recovery process, and we hope his story inspires hope and courage in others who have experienced cardiac issues. Talk to your doctor about your heart health, and learn more about how you can reduce the risk of heart disease.