“My wife Nancy will tell you that I gave her a heart screening as a Valentine’s Day gift – that’s not true!” laughed Judge Jim Bodiford.
The Bodifords both had their hearts screened at WellStar this spring; Nancy “got an A+,” as her husband put it, and Judge Bodiford did not.
“The results from the screening went to my doctor – I already had a physical scheduled. My doctor ordered additional tests – a stress test, an EKG – I’m at that age! The results were not good, to put it mildly. The next day I was scheduled to have a catheterization. I thought the worst that might happen was having a stent put in my heart, but Dr. Mangel and his team found that I had so many bad blockages that I needed open heart surgery. That was very overwhelming – I thought I was healthy!
“But Dr. Mangel and Dr. Myung, who performed the open-heart surgery at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, were fantastic. Everyone from the cardiologist’s office to the hospital staff to the team at Cardiac Rehab has been great – so compassionate and encouraging,” he said.
“And now, I truly have 50 percent more energy than I used to – I can’t remember the last time I felt like I needed a nap! I think that’s thanks to cardiac rehab. It’s been extremely helpful.
“That screening really was a gift – that we found out about my heart before I had a heart attack. It saved my life.”