1989
Right before my 24th birthday, my younger sister called in the early morning to let me know our father had suffered a heart attack. Shortly after, she called again letting me know he passed away. He was 53 years old.
I had spoken to my dad the evening before, and then twelve hours later, he was gone.
His own father had suffered a heart attack and passed just five years earlier, but he was in his 70s. My father didn’t smoke or drink, he kept a healthy weight, diet, and positive mindset. With those factors in mind, it didn’t feel like my dad was at a high risk.
After his death, my attention changed to my own health and risk factors. It was easy to make the connection from my grandfather’s death to my father’s and then face questions of my own mortality.
I began scheduling an annual physical with my primary care provider and have continued that consistently for over 35 years. For many years, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were normal, and my testing was routine. My doctor recommended tests (echocardiogram, calcium score, stress test, etc.) at appropriate intervals to proactively manage my healthcare.
I was very consistent with this schedule, maintained a healthy diet, did not consume alcohol, and led an active lifestyle.
February 2022
I had my annual physical and reviewed the blood work results with my doctor. Everything looked great. Later, the cardiologist in my family reviewed the data and affirmed the results.
May 2022
I did a 25-minute yoga session and hopped on a stationary bike for cardio. Within a short time, I started to feel tight in my chest. I got off the bike, sat down and composed an email to my wife. I documented my symptoms in case I was lying on the floor when she returned. The discomfort went away within a few minutes.
I thought it was surely a fluke. Over the next few days, the pain came back a couple of times, and I assumed it was heartburn related to the spicy food I’d eaten. My mind never considered that I was having real cardiac issues. After I had chest tightness a few times, I had a remote consultation with my doctor. She prescribed a stronger antacid via remote and asked me to get a nuclear stress test.
I just had a physical 9 week earlier, excellent blood pressure reading and decent cholesterol levels. Moreover, I have been tested twice a year for nearly 20 years! There’s no way it could have been a cardiac issue so suddenly, right?
Over the next two weeks, I had additional episodes of chest pain and continued taking antacids in response. On May 24, I went to see my primary care doctor in person as my chest pain episodes had not subsided. She reminded me to get a nuclear stress test, but again I did not act upon this direction. I was certain I had a complicated case of heartburn and needed a GI doctor to help me.
June 2022
I finally had a GI consultation. The doctor was struck by a comment that I also had pain radiate through my left bicep. He asked if I’d had a nuclear stress test, and I responded that my doctor had recommended it weeks earlier but that it was not necessary for heartburn. His reply was that if I went to get that test and it came back negative, then he would gladly perform the colonoscopy that I was requesting. I booked it for July 13, more than 10 weeks after my initial chest pain.
July 2022
Between each portion of the test, I sat in the waiting room with others who were in their own stages of various testing. I watched as the technician came to the room for multiple individuals and said, “Everything is good, you are free to go.”
The technician told me the doctor would like to speak to me about my results. The cardiologist explained he’d seen abnormalities in my test results and that I needed a catheterization completed as soon as possible.
During the drive home from the test, I called my wife and explained the next step. I told her that I’d argued with the doctor about heartburn, but we agreed to follow the doctor’s advice.
On July 18, my wife and I went to the hospital for the catheterization, expecting it to be an in and out process. After the test was completed, the surgeon explained that he did not place any stents. That’s great news, we thought. The surgeon gently and patiently took the conversation to the point where it finally became obvious, I would need cardiac bypass surgery.
My wife and I were both stunned. We finally understood the gravity of the situation.
On July 27, 2022, I had quintuple bypass surgery. Over the years, I’d heard terms like double or triple or quadruple bypass surgery, but it was the first time I’d ever heard quintuple.
Now
Post-op, my medical maintenance now included follow-up check-ins and cardiac rehab, and twice-yearly visits with my cardiologist (the same one I argued with about heartburn).
I had a false sense of security and was complacent. I thought I knew what I was doing and I was wrong. I had more than 25 individual episodes of chest pain. Any one of these events could have led to a heart attack.
My hope is that my story encourages others to listen to their own heart and the medical experts earlier than I did.