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Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at

PeaceHealth Medical Group–Lakefront

A simple screening can detect heart

conditions such as hypertrophic

cardiomyopathy, the most common

cause of sudden death in athletes.

A donation of $25 to Spencer’s

HeartStrong Foundation is welcomed

at the event.

Online registration is required at

stopyouthsca.org .

Revving up

heart health

K IM CARROL L ,

a vibrant 49-year-old, is the

picture of health. She watches her diet and enjoys a

variety of exercises—walking; running; boot camp;

yoga; Zumba; and keeping up with her sons, ages 14

and 20. She’s the last person anyone would expect

to have a major health challenge, especially a heart

attack.

That’s why it came as such a surprise when

her heartburn turned out to be a heart attack.

Kim and her husband, Jerry, came home from a

Harley Davidson Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota,

after having fun and eating some not-so-healthy

foods. That night she began to experience a burning

sensation and thought it was heartburn.

It didn’t go away. After three days, she called her

PeaceHealth provider, Simon Lai, MD, and talked

with the clinic nurse, who thought she might be

having a heart attack and recommended she take

an aspirin and get to the emergency department.

Thinking it was still heartburn and the pain would go

away, she didn’t take the aspirin or go to the ED.

The next morning, she felt pretty good, went into

the kitchen, and…bam! Her whole chest felt like it

was on fire, and she felt a burning pressure radiating

Chi-Gang Yen, MD

Cardiology

PeaceHealth Medical Group

1615 Delaware St.

Longview, WA

360-414-2730

up to her throat and down her arms. She couldn’t

take the pain one more day and went to the ED at

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center.

The diagnosis was heart attack, and Kim was

prepared for surgery with PeaceHealth cardiologist

Chi-Gang Yen, MD, who performed an angioplasty,

putting a stent in her artery to improve blood flow to

her heart.

After healing from surgery, Kim closely followed

the program set up for her. This included cardiac

rehab at PeaceHealth St. John three times a week.

In a few months, Kim was able to return to her

exercise classes. She also changed to a Mediterranean-

P A T I E N T P R O F I L E

style diet and limited red meat.

“Know your numbers,” says Kim. “Know what your

cholesterol is, and listen to your doctors!”

She’s grateful for the care she received at PeaceHealth

St. John and looks forward to many more years sharing

her life’s journey with her husband and their sons.

Free Teen Heart

Screening

Keep your beat.

peacehealth.org/heart

SJL

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