Heart Disease/Stroke

Jose had no idea that he had high blood pressure and had not been to the doctor for many years as he didn’t have health insurance and was employed in a job that kept him very active and so he thought he was very fit. His wife finally made him an appointment after learning that several other members of Jose’s family had heart disease – his sister had suffered a stroke and a brother had had a sudden heart attack.  During his appointment, the nurse took his blood pressure and found that it was very high.  The test was repeated later in the visit and Jose’s blood pressure reading was still too high.  When he shared this family history with his doctor, Jose was referred for some follow-up tests.

“It was a shock when I was told that I had three blockages in my arteries that could have caused me to have a heart attack or a stroke at any time.  The doctors put stents in my arteries and put me on medication to reduce my blood pressure.  My doctor also recommended that I join a wellness class so I could make my diet more healthy and lower in fat and salt.  I didn’t like the idea of this but my wife wanted me to go, so eventually, I did.  There were other guys in the class and my wife came along too – my class is now online which is great.  My wife has been learning new ways to cook our favorite dishes so that they are healthy but still taste good. I have two grandchildren and so I’m glad that I have another chance at living a healthy life.”

Jose is now monitored by his doctor and, with the help of his family, he has made a lot of little changes in his lifestyle.

Beatriz was 43 and busy with her family of three and a demanding job. She had recently got braces on her teeth as she couldn’t afford to do this when she was a teenager so when she began to have pain in her jaw she thought would mention it to her dentist at her next visit.  A few days later, the pain began to get worse and she felt the pain also in her shoulder and thought she must have been grinding her teeth as she slept.  She called her dentist to make an appointment and she was told to go to the emergency room.  Shortly afterward, Beatriz was told that she had suffered a heart attack.

“I couldn’t believe it and thought they must have made a mistake because I didn’t have any chest pain.  I learned that sometimes the symptoms of heart attacks in women can be different from men.  I stayed in the hospital for a week and then when I was released, I started rehab to help me get better.  I had been very stressed in my job and wasn’t taking good care of myself – my heart attack was my wake-up call.  My doctors have been wonderful and I now make time to eat healthy food and get some exercise.  I also stopped smoking – I have kids and want to be a better role model for them.  If you are reading my story, I hope you will take advantage of the resources that are out there that can help you so you don’t wake up one day to find you have had a heart attack like I did.  I feel proud of myself and feel better than I have in years.”