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.”
Learn 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.