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"The surgeon at Heart Center of the Rockies performed my heart surgery with both compassion and professionalism. The heart team was accessible and answered all of my questions. They were so kind and knowledgeable, which gave me a lot of confidence in them. There just isn't a bad apple in the bunch. The cardiac rehabilitation specialists kept me on track and taught me how to exercise right.
"Today, I feel great. I no longer have to pace myself and I'm back working in the woods."
Richard's advice to others
- Take care of yourself, exercise and eat right.
- If doctor prescribes cardiac rehabilitation, do it. It makes all the difference in the world.
- Get an annual check-up and get screened for heart disease.
More about Richard
In 2003, Richard retired from his computer programming job in St. Louis, Mo. He and his wife bought a ponderosa pine tree farm in Rist Canyon, just outside of Fort Collins. There, he was spending his retirement working harder than ever before but enjoying work like never before.
Richard began to notice that he was pacing himself as he was working. He was experiencing increased fatigue. Over the course of a day, he began to feel pain in his chest that caused him to go to the emergency room at Poudre Valley Hospital.
While undergoing a stress test, he passed out. It was later discovered that the arteries in his heart were 90 percent blocked. Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Michael Stanton was called in to perform heart surgery on Richard.
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