Thanks to Lifesaving Care at Northwest Medical Center, Manny is Back on the Road After Heart Attack
1/31/2025
Manuel (“Manny”), a custom car professional with a love for road trips, was having a pleasant Thanksgiving Day in his backyard when, he says, he felt the “first hit” of his sudden heart attack.
“It felt like something was stuck in my throat; like I was having some acid reflux,” he remembers. “I went inside to get some water when the second hit came – like an elephant on my chest. I was sweating. My jaw was locked and my teeth were hurting.”
Manny couldn’t really breathe or talk, but he managed to drive himself to the Northwest Medical Center emergency room
“I’d been there before for smaller issues – they figured out what was wrong and got me in and out – and didn’t want to go anywhere else,” he says. “When I walked in, they knew instantly I was having a heart attack.”
The next few minutes are a blur for Manny, but he knows the NMC teams worked fast.
“My clothes flew off,” he remembers. “I didn’t have a pulse, so they shocked me. Then, they went through my groin with a stent to clear the blockage, which was at a hundred percent. As soon as they hit that blockage, I could breathe again. I woke up in the ICU, where the nurses took great care of me.”
As it turned out, this wasn’t Manny’s first heart attack – it was only the first he knew about. Doctors at NMC determined that he’d already had several “silent heart attacks.”
Patients like Manny go to the cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) after emergency-response and interventional treatment in the ER and the cardiac catheterization (“cath”) Lab. The specially-trained, highly-skilled CVICU team cares for these critical patients and helps them recover after their emergency intervention.
After discharge from the hospital, patients go to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, where the team focuses on exercise and heart health education. This valuable resource is designed to improve heart health and help prevent future heart attacks.
After Manny completes all his sessions of cardiac rehab, he looks forward to getting back on the road – although not on his way to the emergency department.
Congratulations to Manny – and heartfelt thanks to each and every person who saved his life and is helping him recover!
What is a “silent heart attack”?
A “silent heart attack” – which Manny experienced several times before the heart attack that landed him in the emergency room for lifesaving care – can be even more deadly than an obvious heart attack. Some studies suggest that this kind of heart attack is more common in women than in men.
“Silent” means a heart attack with very subtle symptoms. A person having a silent heart attack may attribute his or her symptoms to something minor (such as indigestion or fatigue) or overlook them entirely.
Other symptoms of a silent heart attack include:
- Pain, pressure, or soreness (like a strained muscle) in the chest, jaw, upper back, or arms. The pain may come and go.
- Sudden shortness of breath while doing an everyday task.
- Sudden sweating – especially when not active.
- Stomach trouble, including heartburn, nausea or vomiting.
- A sensation of tightness in your neck or throat.
- Lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting.
- Important: An overpowering “sense of doom.” If you have a strong feeling that something is very wrong, especially if that feeling is accompanied by any of these symptoms, call 911 for an ambulance. When you get to the hospital, make it clear that you suspect you are having a heart attack, not an anxiety attack. Advocate for yourself – and, if possible, bring a friend or family member to advocate for you.
American Heart Month is celebrated in February – a great time to learn more about heart disease and the steps you can take to prevent it. 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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