Shanna M 00:11
It's time to be well with your health. Welcome to the Adventist HealthCare & You podcast. I'm Shanna

Nimeet K 00:15
and I'm Nimeet.

Shanna M 00:16
How are you doing Nimeet?

Nimeet K 00:17
I'm doing great. I'm excited.

Shanna M 00:18
Good. Me too. We have another very special guest with us today, Mr. Joel Shuler, a heart attack survivor. Welcome!

Joel S 00:27
Thank you, Shanna and Nimeet, excited to be with you here today.

Shanna M 00:30
Thank you. We are too. We don't often get to have actual patients on our podcast, and we love to hear stories direct from you and your experience, and it's just really wonderful to have you today. So, thank you for giving up your time to come in and share your story with our listeners.

Joel S 00:50
Thank you for the opportunity!

Nimeet K 00:50
Yeah, I think I'm excited about today's podcast, because just listening from our patients is so valuable, you know, just making the impact we're making in your lives, you know, I think it's still available to have that insight. So, you know, with that, why don't you start telling us about yourself?

Joel S 01:05
Well, again, like I said, thank you for the opportunity today. And just to introduce myself, I am Joel Shuler. I am a resident here in Maryland. I live in Silver Spring Olney area with my wife, Corinne and son, Ethan, and we've been here about 12 years now.

Shanna M 01:20
Oh, you count. Yep, you're a Marylander.

Nimeet K 01:23
I've been here for 12 years too. So

Joel S 01:24
Yeah. So, love the area. This is where I my wife and I first started dating. And we started dating back in 2011 when I moved here, and we got married a year later, and now today, we have a family and enjoying life there.

Shanna M 01:42
Good! Alright. You're here today to share a story about something that happened to you. It was a couple years ago. Do you mind just kind of telling us what happened for you?

Joel S 01:52
Well, first of all, I'll share that I am a believer and I person of faith. My family is a person of faith, and always believe that I’d be here for a long time to share time with my family and my kids. Back in March of 2022, I woke up about 5:30 in the morning, and I had a really, really sharp pain in my left arm. It was a pain that resembled a really severe cramp. And I sat up in the bed, and I thought it was a cramp, so I thought eventually it would subside and I'll go back to sleep at least a few more minutes. It didn't subside. It continued severely. And my wife woke up, and she noticed that I was also sitting up in bed. She asked me if I was okay, and I said, no something, I think I have a cramp. And she said, well, if it's not sub siding, why don't you take a Motrin? So, I went downstairs and took a Motrin, and I kind of just sit there on the sofa and it still wasn't going away. And she shortly after, she followed me down there, and she became very concerned, because this had never happened before, and she, at that time, she knows I'm really, I resist going to the hospital.

Shanna M 03:15
Well, you don't think it's, I can take it.

Nimeet K 03:17
Many of us do, right? Unfortunately.

Joel S 03:19
I resist just going to the hospital. I don't like being in the hospital, but she said, hey, I’m calling the ambulance. And I share with her, I don't think it's necessarily, I think it's a cramp. She goes, no way, I'm calling the ambulance or I'm driving you. And I'm like, okay, let's get in the car and drive there. We got there, and we walked in, and then they did the triage. And part of the triage, they took a EKG, just based on what I was describing. And then they had me go up to the front desk and start to register. But no sooner than I was up there, they called me back again and said, hey, we need to do the EKG again. And so, I went back again, and within a few minutes, there was they were rolling a wheelchair up, and they were saying, hey, you're having a heart attack, and we need to prep you for surgery. And, of course, emotional my wife finding this out.

Nimeet K 04:13
That’s not something you want to hear.

Joel S 04:14
Not wanting to hear this. And, of course, me, all kinds of thoughts running through my head. Just background on me. I'm an avid runner, distance runner. I ran multiple marathons. I run at least a half marathon every year. So, I run pretty regular, and I'm active. I had just run a half marathon in January. So, and I eat, in my mind, I eat pretty well, relatively healthy, relatively healthy. So never in my mind I thought I would be in that type of circumstance. So, we go upstairs, and we're in the room where they're getting ready to perform the procedure, and I’m told I had two blockages. One was at 100% and another one was at 95%, they were going to take care of one at that moment. But they were going to do two at the same time, so the 100% blockage is where they're going to start. Keep in mind, I've never been in a hospital on the operating table.

Shanna M 05:08
It's all new.

Joel S 05:09
So, everything coming to my mind, are they going to put me to sleep? Am I going to wake up? I just don't know.

Nimeet K 05:16
And what's going to happen to my family.

Joel S 05:18
and I'm just looking, remembering my whole time, saying goodbye to my son, and the nurse said on the first floor is hey, just anything you want to say to him before he goes up. This is serious, and it just replayed through my mind. But the stuff there was really freely I just still remember that day. They were very joyful. They were playing music in there, which is kind of it. Just remind me of an episode of House that I watched, but they were they, they prepped me. They told me what to expect. They didn't put me to sleep. They just did some local anesthesia, and they went in in my growing area, and just within a matter of a minute or so after they insert the stent that the pain start to subside immediately, just I felt a relief of pressure. It was, it was very it was, it was just so rapid. And then that was only the first part. They said they would do the other, the other procedure a different day. But later that afternoon, the doctor came in and said, we can't do it here, but we have an opening over at Adventist Health in White Oak, which is where they transferred me, and they were able to take care of the next procedure that afternoon. So, I ended up getting the next procedure that afternoon, and the 95% blockage was clear, so I ended up getting two stents. And so thankful for doctors and the amazing technology, because of everything I've seen on TV, I just imagined that they were going to put me on the table, and they were going to cut open my chest. Yeah, had no idea that technology was so amazing, where they could just use the technology guide something through your groin or guide something through your arm, because I had my second stint come through my right wrist, yeah, which was, it was amazing, and the doctors are so skilled. So, I'm thankful today that it was just amazing staff and just informative all the way.

Nimeet K 07:14
I just want to thank you for sharing this. I think it's just so brave to share that your experiences just living through that. You know, I know it happened two years ago, but still, just walking through those, like, those memories kind of come back, and, you know, you're feeling those same emotions. So just, just thank you for sharing that.

Shanna M 07:28
And very relatable to, you know, my wife made me go and

Nimeet K 07:34
And kudos to your wife.

Shanna M 07:35
I know, yeah.

Nimeet K 07:37
And then kudos to her,

Shanna M 07:38
The thoughts and, you know, the experiences at both places that you know, had to kind of go through and experience and meet different staff members, and it can be so confusing too at the same time, because never, it's not what you think it's, you know, it's not what it's on TV sometimes.

Joel S 07:58
Yes, indeed, and one of the things that I just remember coming out of it, they encouraged me, make sure you do cardio rehab. And in my mind, I said, why I work out every day? Make sure you do cardio, cardio rehab. So, I did that. I did six weeks of cardio rehab because I had this huge ambition that I was going to run the Maryland marathon, which it took me three, four years to register for. It's a lottery system. So, you put your name in the hat every year, and that happened to be the same year I got selected. Oh,

Shanna M 08:27
So, you, you had your heart attack in early 2022.

Joel S 08:31
In March of 2022.

Shanna M 08:32
March of 2022, and then when was the race?

Joel S 08:35
The Berlin marathon was in September of 2022.

Shanna M 08:38
Okay, so you had a lot to get ready for.

Nimeet K 08:40
Were you able to make it?

Shanna M 08:41
Yeah?

Joel S 08:42
Well, first I went through cardio rehab, and then I had to wait to July to do a stress test, which was that final, hey, you can run now. So, I started training around the end of July, so I had about a month and a half of training, and I did make it. I did make it.

Shanna M 08:58
That’s awesome. That's amazing. Yeah, and you had cardiac rehab with Adventist HealthCare, correct?

Joel S 09:03
With Adventist at the White Oak facility. Awesome staff there. It was very family like, and beautiful facility, by the way. I was there three days a week for six weeks.

Shanna M 09:15
And you ran. How did you do? How'd you do?

Joel S 09:17
I finished.

Shanna M 09:18
How did it feel? You finished. How'd you feel afterwards?

Joel S 09:22
Just overwhelmed. That’s one of my life joys. Is one of my escapes I call it, is to just run and distance running. And I have this goal where I want to run all six majors, and that was number four of the six. So just to be back out there, to be running 26.2 miles, and be able to stand up at the end and just reflect on how the year became.

Shanna M 09:49
How far you came. That's amazing.

Joel S 09:50
Yeah.

Nimeet K 09:51
Did you think before March 2022, that you were ever have a heart attack? Or what was your thought process like before considering how healthy you were? And you know, the lifestyle you had, and now, how has that changed after the heart attacks? Of what things do you have in mind now, and what advice would you give somebody else?

Joel S 10:06
That's a great question Nimeet. I would say, never in my mind had I thought of, that I had a heart attack. And the only person in my family that I knew had a heart attack before was my mom's brother, so he's the only person I knew that had one, and I thought I was doing all the right things, not just because I don't want to have a heart attack, but I just like to be active, like to stay in shape. But now it's, I will say, the anxiety, even after you're done with the surgery and all the rehab, just the thought of, hey, that pain returning, and then you're not being able to do anything about it. There's still some anxious moments there.

Nimeet K 10:45
I mean, any discomfort, or, yeah, even a slight pain. You know, have that impact. Because you're like, oh, what if it is another heart attack. What if I'm just not realizing it?

Joel S 10:54
Yes, and the way I approach it is, just mentally, just control what I can control. I try to eat, as well as I can, I keep up my exercise. Added some more

Nimeet K 11:08
Great fit, by the way.

Joel S 11:09
Three years later, almost because that was 2022, I wasn't doing strength training, so some of the same exercises I learned from cardio rehab, I still do those two days a week. So, I incorporated strength training into my exercise regimen in addition to cardio. But one of the things that is really, really for me, I want to be around. My son is 10 now, and I there's days I just go through this process of just thinking how what life would be in his life be without me. So one of the things that keeps me going and focused on just living healthy and just conveying to my family members, right, even my wife, she was pre diabetic, right, sharing with her some of my lessons that I learned, and just trying to like overall, just make sure we're just staying healthy as a family.

Shanna M 12:00
Healthy as you can be? Yeah, healthy families. I have a 10-year-old too. I can they're such at that age, they're so they're just so ready for the world. And they're like sponges, right? They just pick up everything, and you realize at that point when they start to talk back to you. I don't mean talk back in a bad way. Just mean, like, have conversations.

Joel S 12:21
It's okay to say it. Sometimes it’s in a bad way.

Shanna M 12:23
I just mean, you know when they really there's they have personalities, and they're becoming people, and you realize how much influence you have over them. And I can, I can feel that from you, and know that experience, and know how important it was at that time and then moving forward too for you. So, thanks for sharing that.

Joel S 12:45
Thank you, Shanna.

Shanna M 12:46
That’s very relatable. And I think we all feel that way sometimes.

Nimeet K 12:49
Yep, absolutely.

Joel S 12:50
Yeah. That's great to hear.

Shanna M 12:52
Yeah. Had you ever heard of cardiac rehab before? And even knew it was something that was there for after a heart attack, yeah, the concept of it, yeah.

Joel S 13:02
Not at all. I heard a heart attack before. Never heard of cardiac rehab. Never knew, besides what I saw on television, what it involved. So, it was all new to me.

Shanna M 13:14
Yeah, and how important was that program for you afterwards, and getting you to your goal?

Joel S 13:21
the validation of that program was critically important. I don't think I would have been able to just mentally prepare for my goal of even just running a marathon, right? Because even after that program, I went out and, like Nimeet said earlier, just the slightest pain or uncomfortable feeling when I was running. It just made me nervous. So, I couldn't imagine if I hadn't gone through that cardiac rehab program feeling as confident about going through my training, because, as you might imagine, even through training, right? You're running 10, 12, 16, 18 miles, just on weekends alone.

Nimeet K 13:59
That’s a lot of miles, you know?

Shanna M 14:03
Well, how are you how are you feeling today?

Joel S 14:06
I'm feeling excellent. I'll say that right in this is even with the schedule that keep today, right? I work for a small business, and we have a small executive team that I'm a part of, and we're trying to grow this business, and we've been in business for four years now, and it's demanding. It requires a lot of hours, but what I've been through has taught me to also set boundaries. I've set boundaries when it comes to turning things off at a certain time and knowing my limits in terms of, hey, I'm gonna get at least seven hours of sleep, right? and I'm gonna at least have a decent breakfast, and I'm not gonna rush through lunch and things like that.

Shanna M 14:41
Good, at the beginning, I said, You're a heart attack survivor. We talk about cancer survivors, and we don't often think about it from a heart attack standpoint, but you are a survivor. You went through something that was life changing and continues to impact your life in some form or fashion. So, you are a survivor. For

Joel S 15:03
For you to put it in those terms, Shanna, I don't even think about it that way, thinking about it being a survivor in a way that I, there's a chance I could not be here today if I, one, had not listened to my wife, and two, if we didn't have such excellent care and facilities and tools that we have today.

Shanna M 15:24
That’s awesome. Why is it important for you to share your story like you took some time to come in today, you've shared your story through Adventist HealthCare in the past. Why is that important for you?

Joel S 15:35
It’s so important because I have family members that struggle with things like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, obesity, right? And it's important for me that family members one know my story, and know that it is real, right? Once you're there, you're there, right? There's no going back, no going back, and there are things that we can control, right? I advocate for healthy living, I advocate for just being an example for my family members and whoever, matter of fact, would listen right if there's a wider audience that my story helps and just to know that, hey, you may not have a history of obesity or high cholesterol, but you may have something in your DNA or that might affect this, right? But just let them know that, hey, you can get through it, right? We do have the services. And then just, I think one of the things I share, even with my siblings, my brother a lot, is, hey, make sure you're going to the doctor getting the annual checkup, because you never know, right? If you're, if you're getting those checks, it might be a heart attack or it might be something else. So that's, that's why it's super important for me.

Shanna M 16:50
That’s, I love, that you know can see your doctor pay attention, even though you had nothing prior and didn't think that you know the fact that you got to the hospital fast. Yes, you're what you and your wife paid attention to that, and it was, and that is so important. So, whether your story encourages someone to go to the doctor more regularly, or reminds them, hey, if I'm having those symptoms, I need to get to the hospital quick. Either way, it's so important.

Nimeet K 17:22
I also like the fact that, you know, even after the heart attack, going through your procedures, you didn't give up, right? You had this race at the end of the year, and you were like, you know what? I'm gonna make it, because these are the steps I need to do, and I will make it. You know, I love that part of it. You know, after surgery and after the hospital stay, what happens? You don't just stop living. You continue your life. You get motivated even more, if anything. But I think, you know, that's such an important thing. You continue, continue with life.

Shanna M 17:49
Yeah, you show you've that. You show that there, it doesn't stop. You know, and you don't have to change. You can still do the things that you love. That’s wonderful.

Joel S 17:58
I think it’s important for everyone to find that whatever is going to drive you, because I think if I hadn't run that, then I would have still had that mental

Nimeet K 18:04
Exactly.

Shanna M 18:06
Yeah, are you keeping up with your appointments and all of that?

Joel S 18:09
I am, I am I at this point, with my cardiologist, I'm meeting at least one time a year, and then with my primary care provider, I'm meeting one time a year as well learn, and I am quick, right? A couple of months ago, I happened to have a similar feeling, and it turned out not to be a heart attack, but I went to the hospital, so I've learned to listen to my body and react appropriately.

Nimeet K 18:35
Yeah, and have you had any races over the past few years?

Shanna M 18:38
Yeah, let's talk about what's next.

Joel S 18:42
So, I love racing. So, October, I did the army 10-miler, that was special to me. That was my first long distance run back in 2008 so I hadn't run it in a few years, so I ran that one. Earlier this year, I did the Miami half marathon. And I have a group of friends that normally go with that one once a year, and I tried to get in Tokyo again. Didn't get selected, unfortunately, for Tokyo this time, but Sydney's out there. Sydney, Australia, just got added as a seventh. I'm looking at maybe possibly trying to do that one for 2025

Shanna M 19:14
All right, you got to share some pictures if you go. We want to see you running that one and getting across the finish line.

Joel S 19:19
I love to see that too.

Shanna M 19:20
Yeah. All right. Is there any other questions? Nimeet.

Nimeet K 19:24
No.

Shanna M 19:25
Joel, is there anything else you'd like to share?

Joel S 19:27
I just want to thank you both for what you're doing in terms of recruiting, advocating, the philanthropy that you're doing here at Adventist Health. A lot of folks like me before having a heart attack, we just don't realize all these things are going on. And sometimes it seems like it's in the background, right? But you're doing all this to help people like me that get in these, these, these moments where we need the medical care and then we still have to recover as well from it. So, thank you so much.

Shanna M 19:53
Yeah, raising that, yeah, raising awareness. And you know, Nimeet behind the scenes brings in all those great people that, and nurses that you experienced when you came into Adventist HealthCare, at rehabilitation and at White Oak. So, thank you for saying that. Thank you for sharing that we're always love to hear about the good experiences. So, thank you.

Joel S 20:14
Thank you.

Shanna M 20:15
All right. Well, thank you to Joel one more time to learn more about Adventist Healthcare's heart care services, and if you'd like to find a physician visit TrustedHeartCare.com. You can also be a part of the lifesaving care at Adventist HealthCare through generous donations, when you give, we are able to help more people through services like the cardiac rehabilitation program, new equipment and other services that help our community. We'll include a link in today's show notes if you'd like to donate today. Let us know if you like the podcast by leaving a review, or you can email Podcast@AdventistHealthCare.com and let us know what healthcare topics you want to know more about. Don't forget to subscribe so you can get all of our new episodes. Thank you and be well you.