Bill Line had a heart attack, but cardiac rehabilitation is extending his life. Even though he’d made changes after his younger brother died of cardiac arrest, he now realizes he hadn’t done enough.
“Every twinge, every ache, every time my heart beat rapidly, I was always ready to go to the emergency room,” he says. He did go several times but there wasn’t anything wrong.
Until December 2014, when he went to the emergency room and they found the blockage. Immediately admitted to the hospital, he had two stents inserted to open up blood flow to his heart.
Bill began cardiac rehabilitation as soon as he could after receiving the stent. “Cardiac rehabilitation changed my life and my lifestyle,” he said. “In 12 weeks, I lost 20 pounds. After rehab, I lost 10 more pounds. I feel healthy now.”
Thanks to donor support, he could sign up for classes close to home at Providence Willamette Falls.
“Providence prolonged my life,” says Bill. “You only have one heart and you need to take care of it.”
“Cardiac rehab changed my life and my lifestyle.”
