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A heart in trouble
Bill’s granddaughters are the center of
his world. He lovingly and proudly
calls them “my girls.” You’ll find
him on the bleachers at their softball
games or chauffeuring them to friends’
homes and softball practices. And
they genuinely enjoy accompanying
him on his errands. After all, as past
president of the Ennis Chamber of
Commerce for 10 years, Bill knows
quite a few people. Each visit to the
grocery store is a social event in itself.
That morning two summers ago,
the granddaughters were off to school
already. It was his daughter who
found him ailing.
“I have hurtin’ in my chest,” Bill
told her. “It’s heading down my left
arm, and something isn’t right.”
At a nearby hospital, Bill learned
that he was having a massive heart
attack and needed to go to the
“heart hospital.”
“Which one is that?” Bill asked.
The answer: “Methodist Mansfield
Medical Center.”
Specialty heart care
With Methodist Mansfield nationally
recognized for its heart attack care by
the American Heart Association and
the Society of Cardiovascular Patient
Care, Bill was in more than capable
hands, including those of cardiothoracic
surgeon John Jay, MD, FACS, who
serves on the hospital’s medical staff.
“Methodist Mansfield is the only
hospital in that area that can take
care of heart attacks and do heart
surgeries and other procedures,”
Dr. Jay says. “In an urgent situation,
everyone a patient encounters
at Methodist Mansfield has the
experience and knowledge to provide
the appropriate care.”
For Bill, that first encounter
was with cardiologist James
Richardson, MD. The buildup in
Bill’s arteries was too hardened for
Dr. Richardson to perform a standard
emergency angioplasty procedure
to open the arteries and restore
blood flow to the heart. He called
in Dr. Jay for an open heart surgery
consult, and two days later, Dr. Jay
performed a successful double-bypass
procedure on Bill.
“I asked Dr. Jay about my
prognosis, if I would die in the next
six months,” Bill recalls. “He said:
‘No, you’re fine. You have two arteries
doing their jobs now. Before you
had nothing.’”
Bill was impressed at the quality
of his care. Nothing failed to make a
positive impression, including the way
the hospital staff accommodated his
granddaughters, who stayed with him
often during his 12-day stay.
“I’ve never been anywhere in my
life that I was treated better,” Bill says.
“And I’ve even had lunch at the White
House with President Kennedy.”
Still in the game
Today, Bill is taking his heart health
more seriously than ever. Most
significant, his 55-year, two-pack-a-
day smoking habit came to an end.
He also hasn’t had a piece of bacon in
a year, but the sacrifices seem small
compared to the big reward of being
there for his family.
“Life is great,” he says. “I’ve
got my girls.”
GIRLS
Winter 2015-2016
SHINE
31
Bundle up for your heart
When the weather outside is frightful,
staying by that fire can be pretty
delightful, especially for your heart.
Here’s why:
In cold weather, your body
has to exert more energy to do just about
anything — including maintain a healthy
blood pressure. That added stress can
raise your blood pressure and possibly
lead to a heart attack.
What to do:
First, make sure you’re
managing any chronic conditions, like
heart disease or diabetes. Also, make a
plan of action with your physician.
Last, learn to monitor your blood
pressure. If it goes up during physical
activity, it’s something that you shouldn’t
be doing. And if you experience chest
pain, seek medical attention immediately.
“I’ve never been
anywhere in my life that
I was treated better. And
I’ve even had lunch at
the White House with
President Kennedy.”
— Bill Sanders
WHO’S CARING
FOR YOUR HEART?
Find a physician to
check in on your
heart health at
Answers2.orgor
214-947-6296
.