Personal Stories Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Dennis’s Story

When Dennis's family doctor asked Dennis how he was feeling during a routine exam, the 54-year-old nonsmoker from Maryland mentioned he'd been feeling tired and sluggish. Unknowingly, this remark may have saved his life.

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Larry’s Story

Last October, Larry and his wife, Jill, were in Utah visiting friends when their lives took a sudden turn for the worse. Larry is a lifelong competitive swimmer — a former world record holder in the 50 to 54 age group — so when his friend invited him for a run, Larry readily accepted. A short time later, he experienced chest pain, nausea, and weakness.

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Johnny’s Story

Johnny began noticing that he felt pretty tired at the end of the workday, but he thought this was just a sign of getting older. He still enjoyed playing golf and working in his yard at his North Carolina home, but he just didn't seem to have the same stamina he once did.

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Dante’s Story

When Dante decided to sit out on a Father's Day golf game, his wife knew something was wrong. "For him not to go play golf — that's the end of the world," Ruth says. The next day, Dante's cardiologist performed a diagnostic cardiac catheterization, which confirmed that Dante had numerous blockages in his coronary arteries.

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Ron’s Story

"I woke up in the middle of the night and felt a tingling in my right leg," Ron says. I got out of bed and decided to walk it off because it was tingling quite a bit, like when your foot goes to sleep." When Ron's arm also started going numb, his wife Sandy called an ambulance.

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Millie’s Story

"Lady, you're in trouble," the doctor told Millie. Then he explained that Millie had coronary artery disease — narrowing of the arteries in her heart. Millie was active and enjoyed golf, bowling, cooking, playing cards, and family activities. Unfortunately, she also had a family history of heart disease.

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Pat’s Story

Pat noticed a "tightness" in her chest one day and felt more tired than usual. She had even stopped taking her daily walk around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. Looking back, Pat says that her body was telling her that something was wrong.

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