It was just an ordinary Monday in February of 2014 for Mike Wilks; he went
out to lunch with a friend. Wilks typical diet, at that time, commonly
consisted of fried foods and after consuming a high-fat, high-calorie lunch
he felt the typical heartburn that he associated with acid reflux. However,
by the next day the "heartburn" was still with him and now he was
considering a visit to the emergency room.
"I had been to the ER before with heartburn and received a treatment I call
a cocktail for my hiatal hernia," said Wilks. But before going to the
hospital Wilks decided to take a family members medicine since he was out of
medication for indigestion. "I took a nitroglycerin pill, although I truly
did not believe I was having a heart attack," said Wilks. "However, it did
relief the pressure in my chest." With the pressure relieved Wilks decided
to skip going to the emergency room.
Later that night the heartburn returned along with a new symptom, now his
jaw was hurting on both sides. "Looking back I realize I was not thinking
clearly, but I do remember telling myself that if the pain was still there
in the morning I would go to the ER for treatment of acid reflux," said
Wilks.
That Wednesday morning Wilks headed to the hospital in Fort Payne, but on
the way he had to pull over on the side of the road for a few minutes
because the pressure was so painful and his breathing was now labored. Wilks
said, "I began praying and asking God to help me make it to the hospital."
Upon arriving at the hospital all of the reserved parking for heart attack
patients was filled and Wilks had to park far away from the entrance. Wilks
said thankfully there was a nurse in the parking lot who assisted him into
the hospital, where triage quickly placed him in an exam room. "When the
doctor said it was a heart attack, I protested and said it was just my usual
acid reflux," said Wilks.
Wilks received a quadruple bypass operation and that experience he says
completely changed the way he lives his life now. At the time of the heart
attack, he was approximately 30 pounds overweight, he has now changed his
eating habits; lowering his sodium, salt, and fat intake and has reduced his
weight.
Putting a stop to his sedentary lifestyle was also a change. "I enjoyed
playing video games which required no activity to speak of," said Wilks. He
also quit smoking. The doctor prescribed six months of cardio rehab and
after finishing rehab he decided he would not return to his recliner, but
instead go to a gym.
These days Wilks can be found at Body Vision, in Rainsville, taking water
aerobics and walking the tread mill and at the Wills Valley Rec Center
taking dance and other exercise classes. "Keeping busy is the key both
mentally and physically to achieving a healthy lifestyle," said Wilks.
Wilks' annual checkups have been good and his plans are to continue staying
active as he approaches his mid-60s. His advice is to never ignore the
warning signs of a heart attack.