Two Women, Most Influential in His Life, Also Saved His Life
Patient: He was in his early middle age, resting in his hospital bed after his angioplasty and stenting.
Diagnosis: Resting ECG and Echo were normal, but a Treadmill Test provoked high BP and chest pain at Stage 2, leading to an Angiogram that revealed a life-threatening major block in the most vital artery.
Patient's Story
He was in his early middle age, resting in his hospital bed after his angioplasty and stenting. 10 years earlier his mother foresaw his medical future and insisted he stop smoking, he did! Recently, while working abroad, he noticed central chest pain on exertion. Gradually, it became worse, and he noticed that chest pain was provoked by less and less exertion. He consulted; a resting ECG and Echo were done, and he was told there was nothing to worry about.
His wife, a teacher, insisted that he does a Treadmill Test, which is a Stress ECG. He could not go past even Stage 2; BP rose high and chest pain manifested. Next step was the Angiogram. He had the most ominous finding: A major block in the most vital artery to the heart.
Outcome
Even though his initial tests looked perfectly normal, he actually had a very dangerous, life-threatening blockage in his most important artery. But because they caught it just in time, the angioplasty and stenting worked perfectly. He thus avoided the high risk of a sudden heart attack and recovered well from the intervention.
Conclusion
A timely intervention saved his life. The two women in his life thus became his guardian angels!
A very old proverb applies here: “A stitch in time saves nine!"
