health

A hospital worker felt healthy. Then he had 3 heart attacks in 4 days: "What have I done to myself?"

Tommy Bell knew he hadn't always had the best diet, but when he started working at a Florida hospital over 10 years ago, he learned a lot about how nutrition contributes to health and started eating better.

A hospital worker felt healthy. Then he had 3 heart attacks in 4 days: "What have I done to myself?"

TL;DR

  • Tommy Bell, 62, experienced three heart attacks within four days after a stent procedure.
  • A blood clot formed after his initial surgery, a rare complication affecting 0.5-1% of stent patients.
  • Calcification around his heart limited the stent's expansion, increasing clot risk.
  • Bell underwent intracoronary lithotripsy to break up calcium and received a second stent.
  • He was overwhelmed by the support from his hospital colleagues.
  • Bell is now making significant dietary changes, focusing on leaner meats and salads, and works with the hospital's dietary team.
  • He reflects that past dietary choices, though seemingly overcome, likely contributed to his condition.