It was August 21, 2019 and Martin planned to help his brother move their father into a retirement home before heading to Montreal to join his wife for a vacation. At 2:10 a.m. he was awakened by what felt like a bandage being ripped off his chest, followed immediately by a pounding headache like nothing he’d experienced before. Martin pushed through the day with just a few acetaminophen tablets before his brother convinced him to seek medical care, heading to Oakville Hospital because it was new and close to home.
Now 7 p.m., staff in the Emergency Department noted his blood pressure was extremely high. An abnormal blood test was followed by a chest scan that showed a dark cloudiness covering his heart. Oakville staff were now liaising urgently with Trillium Health Partners’ regional Cardiac Health Program: “We can’t help you here, you’re having a heart attack and need emergency cardiac care,” he was told, “and you need to call your wife right away.”
Martin realized it was serious as the ambulance sped to Mississauga Hospital with the siren blaring. At Trillium Health Partners medical staff realized Martin was experiencing an aortic dissection, a rare and life-threatening tear in the main artery exiting the heart. He was then whisked into an operating room full of gowned staff and approached by a woman in a mask, “I’m Dr. Ting Zhang, you need emergency surgery now.” After she explained the procedure he was put under for the complex 11-hour operation.
He then found himself in the ICU, groggy and confused. “Am I dying?” he asked and his nurse replied, “No, you’re out of danger” and he fell back asleep. When he woke again, he turned his head and there was his wife, sitting beside him. He was not in pain but extremely weak with blurry eyesight. As a person who took pride in his health – he ran every day – he was embarrassed to be there, struggling to take a few steps in his walker. After five days he was moved to a large private room with a huge window looking out on beautiful trees where his wife was able to work while he recovered.
Dr. Zhang came every day to see how he was doing and he could tell when she was near by the distinct sound of her clogs in the hallway. One day, as she turned to leave, he blurted out, “Thank you for saving my life.” She stopped. “It was my pleasure.”
Eventually he could walk longer distances, mastering the entire loop around the hospital wing. Despite his progress, he was scared to go home. Martin left the hospital on September 2, and had a nightmare on his first night. He began rehab therapy in Oakville, which led to a session with a dietician who asked him how he was sleeping. Martin lost it, all his emotions tumbling out. “I don’t sleep, I wake up every night around 2:10 a.m. and re-live the whole thing frame by frame. I have flashbacks during the day. I’m a zombie.” She suggested a social worker but he refused.
“I don’t know how long it took me to realize I had an issue. Our high rise was near a fire station and every time I heard the siren I had anxiety attacks. The beeping in the elevator reminded me of the monitoring equipment in hospital. TV shows could set me off and my heart would pound and I’d struggle to breathe.” Eventually Martin went to a psychologist and was diagnosed with PTSD. He started with three sessions a week, which tapered down over time, as he learned to recognize the triggers and manage them better. They also moved, no longer living near the fire station, and he’s leading a quiet life in retirement with his wife, who is also retired, with a new appreciation for the importance of both physical and mental health.
“As a former project manager, I was blown away by how many people came together to save my life, along with all the equipment and other resources. I benefited from the generosity of donors to Trillium Health Partners, so I’m leaving a gift in my Will to support both cardiac and mental health care. It’s a way to thank Dr. Zhang and all those who helped me – they’re my angels.”
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