DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Alabama is not left out of this statistic either.

It’s more common than you think. We all know someone who has heart problems, but some of those problems can be overcome.

Phil Dana is proof of this message. He shares an inspiring fact you’ll want to keep in your back pocket: You Only Have One.

“God has been very merciful to me,” Dana said.

Dana is a husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He retired from the military and served as an Army helicopter pilot for 20 years. When you think of him as an all-around good man with a strong Christian testimony, you think of him.

“If someone were in my position, maybe they weren’t looking out for themselves. They can help you if you’ve progressed through or if you’re in any of the following situations: You have heart issues, so just keep trying,” Dana said. “Do not give up.”

This is a testimony he wants to share to encourage others to take their health seriously. Evidence of his heart health, or lack of it at one time.

Danna said, “I didn’t know anything.”

Dana had spent her life on cholesterol medication, so the need for a triple bypass was appalling.

“I realized I had a gluttony,” Dana said. “Even though I ate whatever I wanted, I somehow gained weight.”

My husband had a so-called “widow maker”. There were no symptoms. One day he felt unwell and decided to go to the ER and then to the Cath Lab.

“They showed me a picture of my left aorta, and it looked like a Boeing pen. And the doctor said, ‘Well, you can send me home. If not. We might put her in the hospital tomorrow for a bypass,”’ Dana said with a modest laugh. .

I had no choice but to have good doctors and a God who provides.

“My whole story is just amazing how God set everything up,” Dana said. “Everyone was in the right position to make sure everything happened at the right time.”

Things moved quickly. Last May, Dana underwent triple bypass surgery.

“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” Dana said.

The surgery was successful.

“It feels great,” Dana said. “We can now do much more than we could before.”

Dana is happier, more active, healthier and able to spend more time with her loved ones. His loved ones notice his new life.

“Everyone who saw me afterward said that before, I looked a little pale, but now my color has returned and I feel better,” Dana said.

After five days, he was ready and able to be discharged from the hospital.

“They told me I could go home if I could walk 400 steps at the hospital, so I think I walked 500,” Dana said, laughing again.

When it comes to heart health, it’s always important to be proactive.

Dr. Joseph Graham is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Southeast Health Medical Center.

“There are several things that can lead to progressive heart disease,” Dr. Graham says.

One of those factors is that heart disease can be inherited.

“In that case, you need to pay attention to your weight, whether it’s within a healthy weight range, and whether you tend to include sugary and fatty foods in your diet. There are ways to do it,’” Dr. Graham said.

Dr. Graham said another common factor he sees is people with type 2 diabetes.

“People who have had diabetes for a long time don’t have chest pain even if they have heart disease. So they get shortness of breath and don’t really know what it means, and they delay getting medical attention. They What’s wrong with this?” Dr. Graham said.

Unlike Dana’s case, there may be early symptoms when it comes to heart disease.

If you experience these symptoms, please see your doctor.

“If you’re active, your first symptoms may be shortness of breath if you have diabetes, or chest pain if you’re just working. If you’re having a chest attack, you’re definitely , pain enough to cause profuse sweating is an event that you should call your doctor as soon as you really get over it,” Dr. Graham said.

Dr. Graham emphasizes the importance of eating a heart-healthy diet while getting active by getting outside and trying to get a certain number of steps a day.

Another caution he added is to stop smoking. He said smoking is not only a known carcinogen, but also known to cause arterial disease in the body, including the heart.

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