Joel Perelmutter
In December 2005, at the age of forty-two, I bent down to pick something up from the floor at my father’s house and experienced a sharp pain my chest followed by a tingling sensation in my arms. I knew I was having a heart attack.
After driving myself home my wife called 911 and an ambulance arrived. After being taken to the Queensway Carleton Hospital I was brought to the Ottawa Heart Institute where I received a life-saving STEMI procedure. The procedure was painless and Dr. Lemay allowed me to watch the progress on an overhead monitor. I could feel myself getting better immediately as the pain just melted away.
It was a life-changing moment for me. I’d always been very results-driven and work-oriented and this episode made me realize that I needed to direct more attention to the most important thing in my life, my family. With the help of the Heart Institute I changed my habits- quitting smoking, eating healthier, and beginning a fitness program that specifically addressed my condition and physical abilities.
I’ve kept up these habits since then and have lost forty pounds in the process. Most importantly, though, is that my priorities are now in the right place and I lead a healthier, and happier life every day. Life just doesn’t get any better.
