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Cardiology

Heartfelt Advice

Take time to take care of yourself

At the suggestion of gery at the Frances Martin North Hospital. “It was a very emo-
his physician, Rob Lord Langford Heart Center at tional experience for me to see the care
jumped on a treadmill Cleveland Clinic. “I could and the spirit that not only took care of
for a routine stress test have gone anywhere, but I me, but all the other patients during my
on June 7, 2019. The fol- didn't hesitate to have it here, hospital stay.”
lowing day, the President because I knew we had as Months after surgery, Lord is thirty
of Cleveland Clinic fine a team as anywhere in pounds lighter, walking up to three miles a
Martin Health under- the country.” day and relishing the idea of watching his
went open-heart surgery. A year before Cleveland grandchildren grow. He says he can’t over-
He had no symptoms Clinic and Martin Health state the importance of the support he
and in fact felt good dur- System began integrating in received while recovering, from his wife,
ing the stress test 2019, the two healthcare daughters, family members and friends.
requested by his cardiol- systems had established a He’s also eager to share lessons learned
ogist, Joseph Gage, M.D. Robert L. Lord Jr. cardiac affiliation to share from his medical emergency. “My health
However, results sig- best practices in cardiology had deteriorated and I did not know it,
naled the need for a cardiac catheteriza- and heart surgery. because it was so slow, so gradual.”
tion, which revealed a blockage in the As part of that initial affiliation, cardio- His advice is twofold. First, establish a Mak ing
left anterior descending artery, often thoracic surgeon Edward Savage, M.D., relationship with a physician. “My physi-
Te T echn ol ogy
referred to as the widowmaker. was brought in from Cleveland Clinic cian looked at my chart and realized that
Stephen McIntyre, M.D. performed the Florida as Medical Director of I had not had a stress test in quite a long W o rk f o r Y o You
u!
catheterization and advised Lord and his Cardiovascular Surgical Services. Less time.” He’s also advocating personal
wife, Bethany of the results. “Because of than a year later, Lord entrusted Dr. responsibility. “I got so busy, I didn't take
the location of the blockage, the right Savage with his own life. “The care I care of myself, so I’ve changed that and I
answer for me was to have open heart received was phenomenal. Dr. Savage is hope my story will motivate others to do
surgery. And they wanted to do that the obviously a very skilled physician, but he that too.”
following morning.” In a matter of also communicated so well with me. The V IS IT OU R WEB SI T E AT
hours, Lord’s world had been turned same was true of his staff.”
et
upside down. There was also tremendous satisfaction To find out more about the Frances w w w .d sign ag e.ne
One certainty amid the emotional for Lord, in what he calls, “the remark- Langford Heart Center at Cleveland Clinic
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stress was that he would have heart sur- able care” he received at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, visit martinhealth.org/heart. (305 ) 3 61 0623 3

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