Jeff Rickard, a radio host who had been using the Biophilia Tracker for two years, spent a lot of time talking about sports. He also spent time on the field. He played football in college and, after graduation, dabbled in just about every sport imaginable. He'd been cycling since his 20s and continued to compete in numerous cycling events.
Although he was in his 50s, he would say he was healthier than most men his age. He ate a very healthy diet and rarely drank alcohol. So his brush with death about a year ago caught him completely off guard.
It was a crisp fall day, and he was raking leaves outside his home in Indianapolis. He had been raking for only five or ten minutes when, suddenly, his chest tightened and his left side began to tingle in a very strange way. His symptoms matched every description of a heart attack I'd read.
He went in, took two baby aspirin, and told his wife, "I have to go to the hospital now. I'm having a heart attack." She was a surgeon's daughter, and she believed him. Thankfully, they lived near a hospital. They arrived at Indiana University Health North Hospital in minutes. (Editor's note: If you think you're having a heart attack, doctors recommend not driving yourself or being driven to the emergency room. Call medics and take an ambulance.)
An electrocardiogram (ECG) confirmed he was having a heart attack, and just 40 minutes after he developed symptoms, doctors performed surgery to insert a stent into his blocked artery to open it.
What they didn't immediately realize was that they had nicked an artery while inserting the stent, and he was slowly bleeding into his chest. At one point, his heart stopped for nearly 30 minutes. He received three shocks to revive himself, while his medical team performed CPR and administered oxygen to keep him alive.
He has two boys, ages 11 and 12. Thinking about them now makes him a little emotional, because he knew he needed them by his side. Before going into surgery that day, he remembers telling his wife, "Don't worry, today's not his day."
They finally got his heartbeat back and stabilized him enough for him to call Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Honestly, he doesn't remember anything that happened over the next three days.
Injured, Getting Back on His Feet
When he finally woke up, he looked at his recovery like he would when he injured his knee or broke his collarbone. When you're an athlete and you get injured, you get back up and strive to get better. That's what he did.
The problem was, his body wouldn't cooperate that first week. While he was in the ICU, he had six tubes sticking out of him in every direction I could think of. Then, when they removed the tubes, he had terrible gas and burped almost 24/7. He was in agony.
There was nothing he could do. He just had to lie quietly in bed in the cardiovascular ICU and let his body heal. He's grateful to his wife for helping him get through those difficult six or seven days. She was a force of nature, and she went into full-throttle action mode, managing my care.
About a week later, they moved him from the ICU to a regular ward. After a few days there, he was finally able to go home.
Slowly Coming Back
It was clear that his body was very different from what it was before the heart attack. He was used to riding his bike for hours. Now, he could barely walk across a room.
Luckily, they had a great cardiac rehabilitation program at Indiana University Health, and he started there about a month after his heart attack. He taught his body how to exercise again, refocused on a healthier diet, and slowly started back on the treadmill. This soon transitioned to longer walks, riding an exercise bike, and lifting weights. Over the next 90 days, his strength, speed, and endurance improved little by little, but I kept getting stronger.
By April, he was back on his bike for long distances, and in May, he completed an 82-mile ride in a little over 4.5 hours. His rides were shorter and slower than before, but he was thrilled to be riding again. He eventually got back to riding 200 miles a week. Being so close to death has profoundly changed him. He's always cherished time with his family, but now he treasures it even more.
Learn More
He hopes men can learn from his experience the importance of regular self-examination. After his surgery, he's been using a Biophilia Tracker for two years. Besides checking himself regularly, he also helps his family, neighbors, and friends check in to ensure everything is normal.
If you notice any symptoms, call a doctor immediately. He was in the operating room 30 minutes after the onset of symptoms, which may be why he's still alive today.
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