Bange, a sales representative for Matlock Electric Motors in Norwood, was driving through downtown Hamilton on March 15 when he experienced chest pains.
Must have been something he ate for lunch, Bange thought. Damn heartburn.
But, as he said: “This wasn’t something I felt before.”
For a second, he considered driving home, lying down until the pain subsided.
Instead, he called his wife of 37 years, Peggy, and told her to meet him at Kettering Health Hamilton.
Minutes after entering the emergency room, Bange said a “swarm of people” were running tests to determine the cause of the chest pains.
“I was at the right place to be,” he said about going directly to the Hamilton hospital, located a short drive from his residence. “I was out over my skis. I had no clue.”
His wife quickly learned that “something was really wrong.”
What was thought to be heartburn was a heart attack.
The next morning, Bange, 66, had an angioplasty procedure with a stent inserted.
His recovery included wearing a life vest that served as a defibrillator and three months of cardiac rehabilitation.
Bange said his father had triple bypass surgery, but he’s the first of seven children to be diagnosed with heart disease.
“It’s a weird banner to carry,” he said, managing a chuckle.
Given a second chance, he has made lifestyle changes, losing 15 pounds. He exercises more often, and the “fast-food addict” has improved his diet. That’s difficult for a salesman constantly on the road.
“We know our next meal is on every corner,” he said.
Now, he does a better job of meal preparation. He called it “the new routine.”
His wife said she’s “so happy he’s taking it seriously.”
She recently looked at a picture of her husband that was taken around Christmas. That was her husband before the heart attack.
“Totally different person” is how she described him today.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, and smoking all elevate your chances of having a heart attack, said Kettering Health Cardiologist Dr. Harvey Hahn.
He said most of these can be improved through lifestyle choices. Working with your primary care provider to maintain optimal health can yield positive benefits in heart function, overall health, and life expectancy, he said.
Bange often thinks back to that Friday night four months ago. The one that changed – and extended – his life forever.
He’s looking forward to spending more time with his three grown children and watching his five grandchildren grow up.
He remembers a conversation he had with a physician. He was told there’s a 40% percent chance his heart attack could have been fatal.
“It does hit home,” he said of his possible outcome. “I dodged the bullet thanks to the efforts of the hospital, the luck of the draw, the grace of God or whatever you want to call it.”
HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS
The most common symptom of a heart attack is angina, which is significant chest pain or a feeling of heaviness on the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
Other common symptoms of a heart attack include cold sweat, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
Abnormal symptoms of a heart attack include excessive fatigue, fainting, and nausea which are easy to miss because they can be attributed to other ailments.
Commonly overlooked symptoms in women include indigestion, fatigue, lower chest and upper abdomen pain, upper back pressure, and shortness of breath.
SOURCE: Kettering Health Hamilton
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