MU Health Care Patient Embodies Heart Month Theme: Small Changes, Big Impact
Ronnie Moore of Ashland, Missouri, says he never dreamed he would need serious heart surgery at 46 years old, one that would force him to reevaluate and make changes to ensure he was living a healthier lifestyle.
Ashland resident Ronnie Moore at a checkup.
Given this month is American Heart Month, Moore’s story is an important one — as now he lives out this year’s theme, “Small Changes, Big Impact.”
However, there was a time not that long ago when Moore himself didn’t think a major heart issue could threaten his life, saying, “I think at our age, we feel like we are in good shape. I coached soccer, played sports and felt like nothing is going to happen to me.”
Yet, after a few warning signs and minor scares, one finally came that he could not ignore. Late one night in September 2017, Moore felt pain he described as similar to someone sitting on his chest that lasted for more than an hour. He slipped out of his house without waking his wife and drove to MU Health Care’s University Hospital emergency room.
There, doctors diagnosed Moore with blockages in his major coronary arteries along with high cholesterol and uncontrolled diabetes. His treatment: a complete change of his lifestyle combined with bypass surgery. Ashraf Abou El Ela, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon at MU Health Care, performed an emergency bypass surgery.
~ Read the full story in today’s Journal ~
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