Local patient avoided possible heart issues with routine check-up

When he looks back on the past year, Chad Clark says there were signs he had a health issue. He just didn’t have the information he needed to fully understand it at the time.

“I would get more winded, more tired, easier than I did in the past,” he said. “I just thought I was out of shape or just getting older, so I really didn’t think much of it.”

It wasn’t until he had an appointment with Nurse Practitioner Brice Crabtree that he discovered there was an explanation other than age: a heart murmur. At first, he was surprised, but not long after that visit he had an experience that helped the pieces fall into place.

Chad and his son were in Columbus to watch an Ohio State football game – and just climbing the stairs to their seats left Chad exhausted. Not just tired, he was drained.

“I was just sweating profusely and out of breath,” he said. “That was right after they found the heart murmur and I thought, maybe there is something wrong.”

Without Chad’s earlier visit, he might have thought he was just out of shape. And if Chad had just brushed his experience off as ordinary fatigue, his story might not have such a happy ending. Instead, Chad Clark is a living example of how important it is to catch health issues before they become too serious.

As it turns out, Chad had been living with this particular issue his entire life. He had a bicuspid aortic valve. It’s a birth defect that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood. It’s also something he never would have known if it wasn’t identified through an echo test or a heart murmur.

After identifying his condition, Chad had a heart cath and eventually open-heart surgery. He’s still in recovery, but he’s already made it back to work and sees areas of improvement.

“Before my surgery, I was having a hard time just taking a deep breath,” he said. “Laying in bed at night, I could just feel my heart working harder. It was odd.”

Based on his experiences, Chad recommends that people take their heart health seriously – but not to “over-research” to the point they feel overwhelmed.

“Don’t fear it,” he said. “Just become comfortable with your surgeon, and you’re going to be in good hands.”