Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Nick Anthony is thankful to be alive. The 45-year-old resident of St. Petersburg has a family history of heart disease. Over the past 18 months, he lost 130 pounds while focusing on a healthy lifestyle. He started to see a primary doctor, who suggested he have a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score test because of his family history of heart disease.
“I took the calcium test and I received a phone call from my doctor the next morning,” explained Nick. “He said the score was concerning, and that I needed to see a cardiologist. A ‘bad score’ is 400, and my score was 2,100.”
Nick was able to get an appointment within a few days to see David C Buck, DO, FACC, a cardiologist with Bradenton Cardiology Center. He ordered a CT scan of the heart, which revealed blockages in the left anterior descending artery. “The only symptom that I was experiencing at the time was a slight tightness in my chest, but I never thought that this was anything serious,” Nick said. “I thought I was just sore from working out.”
He went to the emergency department at Manatee Memorial Hospital and underwent a cardiac catheterization. Initially, Nick was told that he needed to have one stent put in, but he ended up having four. “It turned out I had an 80% blockage in the LAD artery, which is [called] the widow maker, and a 95% blockage in another artery.”
They inserted the stents through his femoral artery, and he was awake during the procedure, but did not feel a thing. He even joked with the staff that it was easier than having a root canal.
“I went back to my hospital room and recovered for a few hours. I also had an echocardiogram and EKG to confirm that everything looked good,” Nick added. “I went home in a few hours.”
Nick rested for two weeks, with no lifting or strenuous workouts. He was able to do a few short walks each day until he could resume normal activities. After a follow-up with Dr. Buck, he was able to return to work and began working out again.
“Since then, I have ridden my bike 30 miles with no problem. I even lost 15 more pounds during this time,” said Nick. “The scariest part is before all of this happened, I felt great, and I didn’t realize that there was anything wrong. Now that they have cleared the blockages, I feel even better.”
In retrospect, Nick can’t help but think that if he didn’t originally change his lifestyle, start losing weight and looking out for his health, he may have had a cardiac event. “A month before this, I was traveling in Portugal and Africa. I was hiking mountains and was on an airplane for a lengthy period of time,” he said. “What if something happened then?”
Nick added, “I have never really been to the hospital before, but I have no complaints. Everyone at Manatee Memorial made me feel safe and I was never scared while I was there. All the staff members were in a good, positive mood and I had the feeling that I could sit back and relax, and that they were going to take care of me.”
Although he lives in St. Petersburg, Nick said he would want to go to Manatee Memorial Hospital again if anything were to happen. “I had top-notch care, and I am so surprised at the procedures they can do,” he said.
Because of his experience, Nick has encouraged his friends to get tested, and many say they are going to. “It’s better to find out in the doctor’s office than to wait and have something bad happen,” he said. “Get tested!”
To celebrate his new-found heart health, Nick will be participating in the American Heart Association’s Suncoast Heart Walk with a team from Manatee Memorial Hospital on November 18 at Rossi Park along the Bradenton Riverwalk.
To make an appointment with Bradenton Cardiology Center, please call 941-748-2277.
Bradenton Cardiology Center
941-748-2277
bradentoncardiology.com
Physicians are on the medical staff of Manatee Memorial Hospital, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Manatee Memorial Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.
