KH . ORG 7 thrombectomy, placing a catheter in Michael’s left artery to open it up. Dr. Jenkins was then able to successfully remove a blood clot, the cause of Michael’s heart attack. “In Michael’s case, the clot became lodged in the artery, split off and then moved, blocking the ends of two other arteries,” said Dr. Jenkins. “Most of the clot came out during the thrombectomy. Once the clot was cleared, Michael’s chest pain went away, his EKG went back to normal and his heart damage was minimal.” ‘We’re really lucky’ Michael’s recovery after his heart attack has gone smoothly. He spent three days in the hospital and rested at home for the next two weeks. After the Fourth of July, nearly a month after his heart attack, he started to feel back to normal. “We’re really lucky to have been at Kootenai Health,” said Michael. Michael and his family had always led an active and healthy lifestyle, and this scare led them to finely tune those healthy lifestyle choices even further. He has reduced his stress, bumped up his activity level and adheres to an even more healthy diet. They took CPR classes and purchased an at-home AED (automated external defibrillator) kit. Jenny also keeps CPR masks with her in case of an emergency. “I’ve let a lot of things go the last couple of weeks that would have normally made me angry,” said Michael. “Life happens. Jenny and I are tracking what we eat. She teaches exercise classes, so she’s already doing a lot of cardio. I’ve started riding my bike even more.” While a nutritious diet and regular physical activity are key to optimal heart health, Dr. Jenkins stressed the importance for everyone—even those as young as 20 to 50—to monitor their blood pressure and cholesterol and be open with their primary care physicians about a family history of heart conditions. Michael’s father had died due to a combination of health issues, but it was discovered after he’d passed that he’d had an enlarged heart. “Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a health scare for young people to take their heart health seriously,” said Dr. Jenkins. “If there’s a family history of heart conditions, young people should not wait until their first heart attack to be on top of their heart health.” Phenomenal care Jenny will never forget the kindness the entire medical staff showed her and her family on that day. “The whole team at Kootenai was phenomenal in how they took care of everything,” said Jenny. “Volunteers even brought our 8-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, a coloring book while we were with Mike in his room.” Jenny is convinced that the swift actions of Kootenai Health’s emergency team saved Michael’s life. “I’ve never seen a group of people work so quickly in complete unison,” said Jenny. “It was a beautiful thing.” Heart care close to home Kootenai Heart Clinics are located in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Sandpoint and Lewiston, plus in satellite locations across northern Idaho and in Libby, Montana. Visit KH.org/heart-services/kootenai-heart-clinics for details. TIPS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART We can all take key preventive steps to make sure our hearts are in tip-top shape at any age. Avoid smoking. Smoking accelerates the risk for vascular diseases because it damages key heart and blood vessels. Manage your weight. As a person’s body weight increases or they become overweight, they are much more likely to develop conditions like diabetes that affect the heart. Adopt a heart-healthy diet. Limit fatty red meat and replace it with lean meat whenever possible. Be sure to include fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid overconsuming sugary soft drinks and alcohol. Maintain an exercise routine. Regular physical activity helps lower blood pressure while increasing high-density lipoprotein, or HDL (“good” cholesterol). Exercise also helps reduce stress hormones that can strain the heart. Discuss family history of heart conditions with your primary care physician. “People should be very aware of their family’s history of heart disease and whether they have a chance of inheriting the same genes that produce heart disease in their relatives,” said Ronald Jenkins, M.D.
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