June 22, 2017 - the day of my
-Heart Attack- Second Life
Happy Anniversary, dear friends and colleagues. It is 2026 and I trust you and your loved ones are keeping safe and well in these changing times.
It has now been 9+ years since my heart attack. On Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 1:30 pm, after finishing the company 5K in Redwood Shores, I was heading back to work from the company fitness center when a soft plaque ruptured in my left anterior descending (LAD) artery creating a clot causing a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) - often called a widowmaker heart attack. I was among the fortunate few who survived (the survival rate is 2%) for many reasons:
- Eugene A., a San Francisco Fire Department firefighter who happened to be in the gym working out, and Yvette M., the company health and safety coordinator, who was coordinating the 5k run, both of whom responded immediately by administering CPR and AED to to try and resuscitate me and restore sinus rhythm to my heart.
- The company Real Estate and Facilities team that had placed an AED in the company gym and other facilities and buildings.
- The paramedics who arrived within 5 minutes and got me to the Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City.
- The doctors, surgeons, nurses and medical staff at Kaiser that operated on me immediately to ensure my complete recovery.
I shall forever be grateful to these individuals who saved my life and to my friends, family and company colleagues who supported my family during my recovery. I am especially grateful to my wife, Sowmya, and my two boys, Vikshar and Vibhav, who supported me during my recovery that year that allowed me to return to my new normal life.
For the record, I have been a lifelong non-smoking vegetarian, who went on regular hikes to Mission Peak, climbed 8 floors to my office daily, passed a stress test in November the year before and was on statins and aspirin for the last 10 years prior to the heart attack.
The American Heart Association is doing its part funding cardiac research leading to better diagnostic and prevention, public policy to promote cardiac health and public education which has resulted in defibrillators in public places and CPR certifications, which saved my life on June 22, 2017.
I have been a grateful supporter and donor ever since. Won't you consider donating to this worthy cause?
Thank you in advance for your support and keep safe and well.
Live long and prosper.
---Jagan