Their compassionate clockwork saved my ticker

Take me to Mountain View Hospital: Their compassionate clockwork saved my ticker

Patrick Mahoney pedaled up the mountain’s rough terrain, inhaling sage and listening to crickets chirp. As an avid bike rider and runner, Patrick finds great joy in daily exercise. This time though, the familiar 2-hour bicycle route came with a strange new sensation — a dull ache tensed deep in the muscles of his left chest.

“I kept checking my pulse, and it seemed normal,” Patrick said. “I’d get off my bike and walk a bit, and the ache would ease off. When I started riding again, the feeling came back.”

By the time Patrick returned home and rested, he decided to seek medical attention for the persistent discomfort. His wife, Rita, drove him from their home in Mammoth to Mountain View Hospital’s Emergency Room. There, fast-acting professionals performed an echocardiogram and drew his blood to measure cardiac enzymes and a common protein that indicates damage to the heart.

“When I got in the hospital, it was amazing. They sensed the seriousness of my situation. After the second blood draw, they told me I was having a widowmaker heart attack. I had between a 6 and 10 percent chance of survival, but the nurses and doctors gave me such a feeling of peace that I didn’t worry about it.”

Like clockwork: Time and precision count when repairing tickers

Although the Emergency Room and Cardiac Cath Lab team members at Mountain View Hospital remained calm, they worked with speed, precision and fervor. With a 100 percent blockage within a left coronary artery and other blockages in other arteries, Patrick needed three stents to restore proper blood flow to his heart.

“They had all the right people in the right place at the right time, and they were fighting for my life,” Patrick said. “It’s like the old pendulum clocks. Inside the clock are hundreds of gears, sprockets, springs and screws working together. Within the hospital, everybody had a job and everybody did what they were supposed to — so I was delivered care just like clockwork.”

A healing heart thrives with compassionate healthcare

After the procedure, Patrick spent few more days in Mountain View Hospital recovering. He said the cleanliness, organization and compassionate communication throughout his stay made a big impact on his recovery.

“They didn’t treat me like business or like I’m a number, they treated me like a member of their family. Whether they were people in the lab, kitchen, or administration, they’d ask how I was doing. They were all good, genuine people. That’s why I recommend Mountain View Hospital!”

Patrick continues to visit the hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation department three times a week as he strengthens his heart. He also recently returned to his mountain bike riding route, though he makes sure his heart rate stays within guidelines established by his physicians.

“Part of my heart died because of the heart attack, but because of my long-standing history of exercise, other parts of my heart took over. Plus, as I continue eating right and exercising over time, I’m rebuilding strength and my heart is healing. I feel very blessed. I’m so thankful for Mountain View Hospital’s dedicated team members,” Patrick said.