James Arrived “Scared” to Cardiac Rehab – but Left Triumphantly

6/11/2025

James was loving his active life in the Del Webb community after 41 years in the candy business.

“It was a very sweet career,” he quips, “but I was so happy to retire here in Arizona.”

When James started to notice symptoms of breathlessness and heart palpitations, he chalked it up to allergies – after all, many of his friends had mentioned how common allergies were in the Southwest.

But his symptoms worsened. One night, James fell unconscious in his evening chair.

“It was like someone flicked off a light switch,” he remembers.

Then it happened again, this time as James was relaxing in his courtyard. Soon thereafter, he found himself recovering at Northwest Medical Center. He’d had two minor heart attacks resulting from a 90% blockage in his left anterior descending artery, or LAD – the largest artery that supplies blood to the heart – and a 45% blockage in another artery.

After completing his inpatient recovery, James opened the door to Northwest Medical Center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation gym to begin the first of 36 sessions designed to help heal his cardiovascular system.

“I came in scared,” he remembers. “But the nurses here are the most phenomenal healthcare workers I’ve ever met. They care, they’re kind, and I knew they had my best interests at heart.”

On the day James graduated from rehab, he was 14 pounds lighter and looking forward to getting back to spending time with his family and friends.

Congratulations to James on taking fear in hand and emerging victoriously – and deep gratitude to each and every Northwest Healthcare provider who guided him every step of the way!

For more about the ways Northwest Healthcare is committed to keeping our community’s hearts healthy, visit https://www.healthiertucson.com/cardiac-care.

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