A Healthy Heart

Columbia, SC
April 12, 2013

97 Year-Old Heart Attack Survivor Beating the Odds

When you walk through the door of the Providence Hospitals Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation facility, the rhythmic hum of treadmills and bikes greets you immediately. But unlike a typical workout facility, most of these participants have experienced a cardiac event such as bypass surgery, a heart attack, or heart catheterization.

Such is the case for Buck Fagan. Buck is 97 years young, and has been coming to cardiac rehab since his first heart attack 13 years ago. He attends workouts religiously three times a week.

Buck grew up in Winnsboro, SC during the difficult years of the Depression. This is a boom time compared to 1935, he explains. He served in the 9th Air Force during World War II and then started a mercantile business which would support his family for 50 years.

Buck is no stranger to an active lifestyle. He has played golf most of his life, is a member of a bowling league, and when weather permits, enjoys tending to his vegetable garden.

He also has a family history of heart disease―his father died at the age of 58 from a heart attack, and he lost his mother when she was just 48 years old to high blood pressure. In addition to his family’s medical history, Buck smoked for 25 years before his first cardiac event.

During a routine eye exam, Buck started to feel nauseous. At the time, he didn’t realize that he was experiencing a heart attack, but his physician called an ambulance and he was admitted to Providence, where he underwent a catheterization and received a stent. A repeat attack kept him in the hospital for two weeks.

Following his release from the hospital, Buck made cardiac rehab a part of his routine. I started coming because my doctor recommended it. 90 days were paid by Medicare, but I just kept on coming.

Nationally certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the trained staff at Providence Hospitals encourages lifestyle changes in program participants by providing heart-related education and nutrition information, building confidence and supervising exercise programs. The staff consists of registered nurses, exercise physiologists, respiratory therapists, a registered dietitian, vocation rehabilitation counselor, diabetes educator, and is under the medical direction of a cardiologist.The staff is superb, Buck says. We are kind of like a family.

Buck’s cardiologist, Dr. William W. Stuck, who practices with Columbia Heart, agrees that Buck’s dedication to a healthy lifestyle has truly made a difference. Dr. Stuck explains, When it comes to heart disease, prevention is always best. Patients can control many factors such as diet, exercise and management of contributing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. But Buck Fagan is living proof that a heart attack can actually serve as a wake-up call for many people who improve their quality of life after a cardiac event through their commitment to a healthier lifestyle.   

What keeps Buck coming back week after week, year after year? I knew that if I obligated myself, then I’d do it. I’m sort of a self-motivator that way.  He adds, If I had advice for a new patient, I’d tell them that they have to determine that they want it. You get out of it what you put into it.

For more information about Providence Hospitals Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, please call 803-256-5463.

About Providence Hospitals

Providence Hospitals is the Midlands leading provider of cardiovascular and orthopaedics services.  Providence is composed of two hospitals, thirteen physician practices, a network of rehabilitation centers, three sleep centers, a school of cardiac diagnostics and is an accredited chest pain center. In total, Providence employs more than 2,000 dedicated staff. 

Founded in 1938 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine, Providence is known state wide for outstanding clinical quality and compassionate care. The Providence open heart surgery program has ranked consistently in the top 10% of open heart programs for the past four and one-half years.  Both the orthopaedics and cardiac services have received the South Carolina Blue Cross center of distinction designation. 

For more information visit our web site at www.providencehospitals.com or Like us on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/providencehospitals 

About Providence Heart & Vascular Institute

Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, often called South Carolina’s Heart Hospital, is a referral center widely recognized for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Since the Heart Institute opened in 1974, the staff at Providence has performed more cardiovascular procedures than any other non-academic medical team in the state.

For more information, visit www.providencehospitals.com/heart.

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