Licking Memorial Health Systems
Jim Abbott was always fairly active: a multi-sport coach and referee, he was far from a couch potato.
Then, without warning, while mowing the lawn on July 1, 2015, Abbott collapsed, and everything went dark.
His dogs surrounded him and began to bark, exciting his neighbor’s dogs as well. Hearing the commotion, the neighbor’s 13-year-old daughter saw Abbott lying motionless in the grass, and alerted her father, who called a retired nurse who lived down the street. The neighbors performed CPR on Abbott for eight minutes while the ambulance arrived. Medics used an automated external defibrillator (AED) on him three times.
Licking Memorial Health Systems
Abbott was rushed to Licking Memorial Hospital in Newark, where cardiologist Dr. Hassan Rajjoub was on call. Rajjoub fixed Abbott with a tube, stabilized him and had him flown to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. He was put into a medically-induced coma, and his body temperature was lowered substantially so his heart wouldn’t have to pump as hard. On July 6, Abbott awoke from his coma.
“Here’s the funny part: I love the Fourth of July,” says Abbott. “I woke up and I looked up – I have things sticking in me – and I look at this monitor, and it says July 6. The first thing that crossed my mind was, ‘Oh crap, I missed the Fourth of July.’”
After the initial disappointment upon realizing he’d missed his favorite holiday, Abbott was informed he had a long road to recovery. Three of his arteries were 100 percent clogged, and another was 60 percent clogged. On top of that, he had contracted pneumonia while in the coma.
“Dr. Rajjoub talked to my wife after he got me stabilized. He said, ‘I don’t know how he’s still alive.’” - Jim Abbott
With Abbott awake, it was time to hit the ground running. On July 10, he would need to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. He would get out of the hospital on July 14 and begin a 12-week fitness program to strengthen his heart and body. The program focused on cardio exercises and aimed to get Abbott’s heart healthy again as well as prevent future cardiac events. The plan was not just to get him back to where he was prior to the heart attack; it was to get him better than he was before.
Abbott has a family history of cardiac events. His father had triple bypass surgery in 1996, and his grandfather had died of heart-related problems. As a result, it was vital that Abbott make a major life change. He needed to quit smoking and start a lifelong journey of cardio exercise. Up for the challenge, Abbott committed.
“I haven’t smoked a cigarette since the day it happened,” he says. “I told my wife that whatever directions the doctor gives me, we’ll follow them to a T. He’s recuperated more cardiac patients than I ever have.”
Knowing the 12-week program was just the beginning, Abbott and his wife, Vickie, joined a gym. It was time to make exercise a priority.
Even before he became a cardiologist, Rajjoub was no stranger to cardiac events. He had family members in their 40s die of heart troubles and a long list of physicians in his extended family, so Rajjoub figured he could do no better than to become a cardiologist. Now, he focuses on preventive measures for his patients.
“Most of the patients I deal with are people who have had heart attacks,” says Rajjoub. “It’s really important to tell them what to do to prevent the second heart attack: Lifestyle modification like diet, smoking cessation, checking their blood pressure and exercise is a big part of it.”
Abbott was no different, and now that he was out of the hospital and the Licking Memorial program, he had to rely on himself for motivation to get to the gym and to stay away from cigarettes. After seeing how quickly he began to make progress and get his life back on track, Abbott stuck with it. His biggest goal was to get back to refereeing.
“Right after it happened, my sole purpose and drive was (that) I want to start refereeing basketball this year,” Abbott says. “In November, when the season started, I was on the court with no problems at all.”
Rajjoub says the biggest key to regaining normalcy after a cardiac event is not to overdo workouts, which can result in injury. The key to sticking with it is choosing a workout that works for the patient. If he or she hates running, for example, trying to run every day isn’t sustainable.
“It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be something specific; a fast-paced walk for 20 minutes a day,” Rajjoub says.
“Whatever motivates you. Join a hiking group, go with a team, start playing basketball again. For the heart, you don’t need much exercise. Whatever gets your heart rate up.” - Dr. Hassan Rajjoub
Due to his dedication to recovery, Abbott has gotten his life back to normal in less than two years’ time. After a heart attack that almost took his life, his health is even better.
“I feel so much better. I can go out and walk two miles, and run up and down a basketball court all day long,” says Abbott. “I went back to mowing the grass. I told my neighbor, ‘I’m not mowing the grass unless I know you’re home.’”
Amanda DePerro is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
