9 Years from Heart Attack, a Whole New Person

[dkschmidt]

Memorial Day 2008. The pain in my chest took me to the ground. I rolled over on my back and hoped it would subside. After a few minutes it did and I resumed walking the yard. Seconds later I doubled over with pain in the chest and my back. What was going on? After a visit to the nearby emergency room, they put me in an ambulance and sent me to another hospital (being Memorial Day weekend they didn’t have staff to take care of me). I was rushed into emergency surgery and the doctor told me what would happen. “We have to go in and see what is going on in your heart. It looks like you are having a cardiac event”. Afterwards they told me, “You had a blockage in your LAD (lower arterial descending artery) also called the ‘Widowmaker’. We put in a stent.” I was now classified with coronary artery disease at age 49. Later I found out how lucky I was. 90% of people who have a heart attack in the LAD don’t make it off the operating table. I was part of a lucky 10%. I was told I would be on the heart medication the rest of my life. My cardiologist would see me once a year, give me a stress test and say see you again next year. He said I could eat 4 eggs a week and to stick to lean meats. He didn’t say anything about altering my diet any more than that. I decided to take matters into my own hands with the help of a wonderful general practitioner. My research lead me to Dr. Esselstyn’s work, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. I thought that it was too extreme to give up all the food I enjoyed. I would just cut back on meat and that would be good enough. A year later I had a scare which sent me back into the operating room. They did another angiogram but decided that I only had 60% blockages and we would just have to watch and see how it goes. They said I needed to have 70% blockages to warrant another stent. Not very reassuring. After that my wife and I worked hard to change to a Whole Food Plant Based diet with no oil (WFPBNO). Eight years later I am off of all medications, even a daily aspirin, and I am over 60 pounds lighter. I feel like I have found the fountain of youth. I am the leanest I have been since high school and I have the energy of a teenager. I ran my first half marathon in January beating out many others half my age. Needless to say, I will be eating this way for the rest of my life. I hope to live to 100!

[anne57]

...

[calvin]

Let's see.

born______________________~1959
graduate highschool age 18__~1977
1st warning age 49_________~2008
2nd warning age 50________~2009
Back to healthy age 58_____~2017

So ~8yr of WFPBNO to lose ~60lbs and repair. On SAD, you gained at the rate of ~2 lbs/yr over a ~30yr period.

Wild ride! You've done well. Congratulations!

"Permission to eat 4eggs/week and stick to lean meat." A recipe for surgery.

I wonder, if that cardiologist gets a warning, will he demonstrate the willingness and capacity to do what you have done?

[Timaca]

Awesome story! Good for you! Congratulations!

[Kaye]

Thank you for sharing - very inspiring. I wish you continued good health and happiness.

[Acura]

Very inspiring! sounds like my own story except I was 41 when I had a heart attack. What else have you changed besides diet?

[pundit999]

Great story.
Mine could have been similar to yours but luckily I did not have a heart attack.
I started on this way of eating after a heart related episode on an elliptical when I was 48. Five year later, little sign of heart disease.
Thanks for sharing.

[Yomom]

I loved reading your post. Thanks so much for sharing. I always wish that my Dad who died age 49 of a heart attack in his sleep, had known about this way of eating. Bravo to you!

[f1jim]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I know it will be the motivation someone needs to follow in your footsteps. We never encourage anyone to do anything with their health strictly based on anecdotal evidence but this kind of experience combined with a study of the medical and geographic literature is compelling. Your experience isn't unique and should be the expected outcome for those adopting this diet and attempting to regain their health.
We hope you continue to be a presence here and continue to help those with questions about this way of eating.
f1jim