LITTLE ROCK, Ark.– February is Heart Month and doctors at Baptist Health Hospital want you to be aware of the signs and symptoms of heart disease. One Stuttgart man found out about his heart condition unexpectedly.
“Really, we stumbled upon it,” says Marion McCollum, heart patient.
Marion McCollum was experiencing back problems and had to get an MRI. When the images came back, his doctor instead found white spots around Marion’s heart and he needed to see a cardiologist fast.
“I had no symptoms, that’s the bad part about the whole thing. And he said, ‘you had no symptoms?’ And I said ‘no.’ He said ‘you’re a walking time bomb,'” says McCollum.
Baptist Health Cardiologist Scott Davis says while the 78-year-old didn’t show any symptoms, Heart Month is a good reminder for everyone to listen to their body.
“He had blockage in all three of the major heart arteries. Fortunately, we were able to open up each of those three arteries with stints,” says Scott Davis, Baptist Health Cardiologist.
Some symptoms include, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness to name a few. If you have underlying blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and family history of heart disease, Doctor Davis suggests seeing your doctor.
“We have the Bheart Healthy screening program which is designed to identify folks at risk to get you “a” aware and “b” plugged in to see us so that we can better manage your risk,” says Dr. Davis.
Now, Marion is taking medication to keep his heart healthy. He’s still working and likes to keep busy. While he admits he thought he was doing all the right things, he encourages you to get your heart checked.
“I was lucky you know. God taken care of me,” says McCollum.
If you’re interested in the BHeart Healthy Screening, visit https://www.baptist-health.com/services/heart-health/bheart-healthy-screening/
