David's Story: "I Owe This Hospital My Life"

Theresa’s fears were confirmed – the cadiologist on call told her that her husband was having a massive heart attack.

“They took me back immediately and 8 or 9 people started working on me,” said David. “That’s when my wife put her hands on Dr. Byrnes’ shoulders and pleaded with him not to let me die.”

Luke Byrnes, MD with Catawba Valley Cardiology quickly began cardiac catheterization and implanted a stent in David’s heart to bypass the blocked artery. David immediately felt better, was admitted overnight and discharged the next day.

“I owe Dr. Byrnes and this hospital my life,” said David. “Heart attacks run in my family. My mother’s first heart attack happened when she was only 48. But, with two grown daughters and two grandsons, I have a lot of living left to do.”

David, who smoked for more than 40 years, quit smoking, started exercising and says that he, “doesn’t eat as many biscuits and gravy!” As a Vietnam Veteran himself, he actively volunteers with Foothills Homeless Veteran Stand Down and the Unifour Veterans Helping Veterans charities to help homeless veterans find housing, food, clothing, footwear and medical attention. “I tell all the veterans: if you want professional care and care from professionals who care, CVMC is the place to go.”

 CVMC Chest Pain CenterLearn more about the CVMC Chest Pain Center, fully accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) with PCI, the abbreviated term for emergency balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. This protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether or not they are having a coronary event.

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