Heart failure survivor spreads awareness ahead of American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month, and Joe Sanchez’s story is raising awareness to practice heart health.
IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. — February is American Heart Month, and one San Diegan is sharing his remarkable story of survival to raise awareness about the nation’s leading cause of death- heart disease.
More than two years after undergoing lifesaving heart surgery, Joe Sanchez returned to his favorite place, the Imperial Beach Pier, to meet with the cardiothoracic surgeon and medical team who helped save his life.
His journey suddenly began in October of 2022.
“One day, I experienced swelling of my feet, and it went up my ankle, up my legs and eventually it felt like it was covering my chest and I couldn’t breathe,” Sanchez said.
Dr. Alexandra Kharazi was Joe’s cardiothoracic surgeon. She said he came in with heart failure symptoms, and his heart was only functioning at 20% of what it normally would.
“He had a valve problem and a problem with blockages affecting the arteries of the heart,” Kharazi said.
Her team performed a high-risk, but successful surgery using an Impella heart pump.
“It allows that blood to be pumped out to the brain and the rest of the body,” Kharazi said.
Joe said he thought he was healthy, but heart failure doesn’t always come with warning signs. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and family history.
“They’re called silent killers for a reason, and that’s because you can have very high blood pressure for a very long time with absolutely no symptoms, but the damage is already being done on the inside,” Kharazi said.
Kharazi said sleep and stress can be triggers for heart disease as well. She said a balanced diet and active and smoke-free lifestyle can help lower these main risk factors. She emphasized the importance of a baseline assessment with a doctor to determine individual risk for heart disease. Kharazi said it’s extra important for women, who often experience more subtle heart disease symptoms.
“That may be the indicator that over a long period of time may actually save your life,” she said.
She also encouraged the community to attend blood pressure screening events. She’s hosting a hands-on CPR event on February 14th at the Grossmont Healthcare District Library from 4-5 p.m.
Now, Joe is back to doing what he loves- surfing, spending time with his family and creating art.
“You value life so much more after you’ve had an experience like this,” he said. “It’s such a gift, life, and I do feel like I was given a second chance.”
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