The Beat Goes On ... and On ... and On

At the time, Simon Kizito was a 39-year-old who watched what he ate and exercised regularly. When he felt light-headed at the gym, it didn’t occur to him that he could be having a heart attack. But he was.

“I couldn’t get my words out,” said Kizito, a chemical engineer who lives in Simpsonville. “I was feeling a lot of pain in my arm and realized something big was going on.”

Fortunately, a gym staffer called 911 immediately. Within minutes, Kitzio was on his way to receiving a stent at Greenville Memorial Hospital (GMH), flagship facility of Prisma Health–Upstate, formerly Greenville Health System (GHS).

Although the Chest Pain Center is located at Greenville Memorial Hospital, it reaches out to include any facility where treatment begins. “The ER, an EMS company, another hospital, transfer center or urgent care center are examples,” said Christina Freeman, BSN, RN, regional STEMI coordinator. “We sometimes have patients coming from North Carolina and Georgia.”

Craig Hudak, MD, medical director of the center, pointed out that its mission is to care for the spectrum of chest pain. “On one end, you have a STEMI, a true medical emergency. On the other end, there may be chest discomfort that has nothing to do with the heart but needs to be treated.”

Call 911—don’t delay! Educating the community about getting help quickly is key.

Craig Hudak, MD, is part of the interdisciplinary team that delivers high-quality care at GHS’ Chest Pain Center.

“We can do our job when patients come to us,” stated Dr. Hudak. “We can’t if they sit at home and wait. Patients need to know when to come in.”

Many patients hesitate to call 911 because they want to deny having a heart attack or will be embarrassed if it is a false alarm. “We have to overcome that natural human inertia and not wanting to get other people involved,” Dr. Hudak noted.

Kizito is glad he was in a public place and surrounded by people with medical knowledge when he had his heart attack. “I feel very fortunate,” he said. “I was five miles from the hospital.”

The quick call to EMS meant he had an IV right away, and he began to feel better almost immediately. A mobile EKG unit found a blockage, and he was whisked to GMH so quickly that he wasn’t able to call his wife before getting his stent. “She is still upset with me,” Kizito recalled with a laugh.

He was surprised to learn that not only can younger people with no risk factors have a heart attack, but also that chest pain is not necessarily the warning sign. “I was light-headed and had a funny feeling,” he said. “It was just shortness of breath that wouldn’t go away.”

“Not everyone will have a textbook presentation,” Dr. Hudak explained. “It might be pressure, tightness or heartburn. Pain may be radiating to the arms or jaw. Any of these ought to get your attention. And women may just experience extreme fatigue or nausea.”

Patients often try to drive themselves to the doctor’s office or hospital, which Dr. Hudak discourages. “Get EMS to where you are,” he emphasized. “Calling 911 starts the diagnosis and treatment process.”

“The staff at GHS took excellent care of me, and the cardiology team I worked with has been very good at keeping up with me and answering my questions,” Kizito remarked.

“I have a lot of motivation to stay healthy. It’s become a way of life.” — Simon Kizito

It’s been years since Kizito experienced his heart attack, and he’s done everything he can to prevent one from happening again, including improving his diet, reducing stress and stepping up his exercise. He participated in a rehab program soon after discharge and takes medication to manage blood pressure and cholesterol.