5 minute read
In A Heartbeat
In A Heartbeat
When an active man discovered he had heart disease, Missouri Heart Center was there to help.
At 50, Andre Grinston exercised regularly, ran 20-25 miles a week, ate a healthy diet, and regularly got his recommended health screenings. He believed he was healthy.
In October 2023, Andre was at a preventative screening when a nurse told him he was in atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Not knowing what that meant, the nurse explained that Andre’s heart was beating abnormally. AFib is caused by extremely fast and irregular heartbeats.
From that appointment, Andre was referred to a cardiologist.
After first meeting with a cardiologist in Jefferson City, Andre wanted a second opinion. He contacted his primary care doctor who referred him to Missouri Heart Center where he met cardiologist Martin Tibuakuu, MD.
Upon meeting Dr. Tibuakuu for the first time, Andre soon learned the severity of his heart condition that previously was unknown to him. He had no symptoms and no other underlying issues. He kept an active, healthy lifestyle.
Andre learned that, on top of having AFib, he also had an abnormal ejection fraction and was going into congestive heart failure. Ejection fraction is the measurement of your heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to your body. In a healthy heart, the ejection fraction is around 55 percent – Andre’s ejection fraction was 20 to 30 percent. Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that occurs when the heart can’t pump blood as efficiently as it should.
During Andre’s first appointment with Dr. Tibuakuu, he learned he would need to have a cardioversion and begin a regimen of medications, followed by an ablation.
Cardioversion is a procedure used to convert arrhythmia to a normal rate using electricity or medication. A cardiac ablation uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart that block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat. To date, Andre has undergone three cardioversions and one ablation.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of arrhythmia, or abnormal heartbeat. Afib is caused by extremely fast and irregular beats from the upper chambers of the heart. A normal healthy heartbeat involves a regular contraction of the heart muscle.
Cardioversion is a procedure used to convert arrhythmia to a normal rate using electricity or medication.
Cardiac ablation uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart that block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.
Ejection fraction is the measurement of your heart’s ability to pump oxygen rich blood to your body. In a healthy heart, the ejection fraction is around 55%.
Congestive heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as efficiently as it should. Heart failure can occur if the heart cannot pump (systolic) or fill (diastolic) adequately.
“When I first met Dr. T, I trusted him. He was very straightforward. I was worried because I had never been in the hospital and had never had illness like this before. When Dr. T explained the seriousness of my situation, he mentioned it was comparable to someone who might have cancer, and that really resonated with me,” Andre said.
One of the confusing aspects for Andre was that he could still carry on with his daily activities without any symptoms, which didn’t line up with the concerning picture they had painted of his heart.
Due to the severity of the impact that the three conditions had on his heart, each was treated individually. Because Andre had no underlying health issues, treatment became challenging: some medications typically prescribed for severe cardiac conditions were not suitable for him.
“I’m just really appreciative of Dr. Tibuakuu for his knowledge and his ability, and also his caring and thoughtfulness in delivering the information to me. He made sure my wife and I understood. If she wasn’t able to come to an appointment with me, he would call her and share the information with her,” Andre said.
Andre’s father had AFib, but Andre had no clue that he had it too because he never showed any symptoms. Symptoms of AFib can include extreme exhaustion, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or feeling butterflies in your chest.
If I could get a message out to anyone, especially men, it’s take care of yourself,” Andre said. “Go to the doctor regularly and get your screenings.
Andre is still running. He’s increased the number of miles he runs each week because he knows weight loss is good for AFib.
“I’ve intentionally orchestrated my life and taken care of myself in case there may be some type of cancer in my genetics, but still to this day, I have no symptoms,” Andre said.
Andre and his wife have been married for 25 years and have three daughters. In his free time, Andre is a pastor in the Jefferson City area and enjoys volunteering as a way to give back. He volunteers with several organizations, and mentors older men who are making a transition in their life.
Throughout the challenging times he had this year, Andre’s family has been a great support system. “Sometimes we don’t realize the severity of what we go through, but it’s a lot better when you have the support of the people around you,” Andre said.
By Erin Wegner
