Hoping that a little activity might help, he walked into his kitchen to make dinner. But as he pulled out some salmon from the fridge, the feeling worsened, and his arms started to feel heavy, too. George — who has a family history of heart problems—became worried. A few minutes later, he and his wife, Kathleen, were on their way to the nearest emergency department to seek help.
Preliminary tests showed that George had experienced a heart attack. The emergency department staff provided initial treatment, and later that that night George was transferred to Reid Health for further care. “What really impressed me at Reid is how attentive the staff was,” said George, who is 68. “Whenever anybody—a doctor or nurse or a housekeeper—came into my room, they would ask ‘is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?’ They were so friendly and willing to help me in any way they could. I felt great about that.”
George underwent a cardiac catheterization at Reid Health, which showed that one of his arteries was almost completely blocked. Zulfiqar Mirza, M.D., a Reid Heart & Vascular Center interventional cardiologist, placed a stent to open up the artery, and George was discharged from the hospital the next day.
About 10 days later, he went to see Reid Health cardiologist Henry Chong, M.D., at Bethel Cardiology in Greenville. “I really like Dr. Chong—he’s very patient oriented,” George said. “He told me what had happened to my heart, what to expect from treatment, and what to watch for. I feel like he is a partner with me in my recovery.”
George completed cardiac rehabilitation therapy and is taking medications to prevent future heart problems. With hobbies that include fishing and cooking nutritious meals, he has a good chance of staying healthy for a long time to come!
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