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askAAMC.org «
5
ANATOMY
OF
HEART
ATTACK
SYMPTOMS
MAKE THE CALL NOW
Don’t wait more than five minutes to call
911
if you think you are or
someone else is having a heart attack. Fast action can save lives.
In the catheterization lab, Father Jim
received an emergency angioplasty.
During the procedure, a balloon-tipped
tube is threaded into the blocked artery
and then inflated. He also received a
stent, a tiny wire-meshed tube that holds
the artery open.
Father Jim says he feels incredibly
lucky. The intervention saved his life, and
the care that followed as he recovered
at AAMC was compassionate and
professional.
“Anything I needed, they were right
there to help me,” he says.
The doctor-patient partnership
Father Jim says what has really stuck with
him is the way Dr. Reineck and fellow
cardiologist Jerry Segal, MD, interacted
with him, “as an equal.”
“So often doctors are in and out, but
Dr. Reineck and Dr. Segal really took
time with me,” Father Jim says. “It wasn’t
just business—it was genuine care.”
For her part, Dr. Reineck says she works
hard to create a partnership between
doctor and patient. “If you respect
A free
Heart Attack and Recovery
booklet can help you stay informed. Visit
askAAMC.org/Magazine
or call
443-481-5555
.
Head:
Light-headedness or
sudden dizziness
Chest:
Pain, pressure,
fullness or squeezing in
the middle of the chest
that lasts more than a few
minutes or comes and goes
Skin:
Cold sweat
Arm(s), back, jaw, neck,
shoulder(s):
Pain or
discomfort
Lungs:
Shortness of
breath, with or without
chest discomfort
Stomach:
Nausea or
discomfort
patients, they are more likely to value the
information you provide,” she says. “For
instance, if you help patients understand
why the medication is important, they are
much more likely to take it.”
It’s worked for Father Jim. Despite
eating well and exercising regularly, he
admits he had one serious vice before
his heart attack—cigarettes. “I’d been a
smoker since I was 17.”
But no longer. “I’m a reformed smoker
now,” he says.
Father Jim is also participating in
AAMC’s cardiac rehabilitation program,
which offers medically supervised exercise
and counseling.
Now, Father Jim is again at work at
St. Joseph, easing back into normal life.
He says perhaps his biggest challenge
these days is learning to let people take
care of him instead of always taking care
of others.
“I have a long life ahead,” he says. “I’m
confident of that.”
And he adds happily, “I also expect
to have a long relationship with
my cardiologist.”
Caution: Heart at work
Caring for your heart’s plumbing,
electricity and fuel system
Thursday, Feb. 19, 6pm
Join our hosts John Martin, MD, and
Briana Walton, MD, along with their
special guests for lively conversation and
insight on keeping your heart in top-notch
condition. Free.
Plumbing:
Tips for keeping the
“pipes,” your arteries, clean.
Electricity:
The importance of heart
rhythm and rate.
Fuel:
Managing stress and creating
life balance for improved health and
well-being.
Register online at
AAMCdocsTALK.com
or
call
443-481-5555
.