Jim had a life changing moment one January evening while on a date with his wife – one that was rare and almost certainly lethal. As they sat at the theater enjoying dinner and a show, he felt chest pain and collapsed to the ground. It was then that their waitress who also happened to be in nursing school began chest compressions and had another restaurant patron call 911. The waitress continued chest compressions on Jim to keep him alive until the EMTs arrived and took over.

That was just the beginning.

Jim was transported to Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital where he underwent testing to diagnose his condition. After surgeons diagnosed him, Jim was flown to Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital where he underwent surgery to place a stint in his aorta which was in the process of dissecting. His heart surgeon, Dr. Yousef Odeh, a Board Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Member at Large on Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital’s Medical Executive Committee performed open heart surgery to fix Jim’s aorta. Upon opening Jim’s chest and putting him on bypass, the aorta dissection became an aorta rupture requiring a full replacement of the aorta.

After four days recovering in the ICU at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Jim began to heal and was downgraded to the inpatient cardiac rehabilitation unit where he spent an additional four days. In this short time from the incident to being discharged, Jim was already up and walking around with his walker.

It was then that Jim said his life and focus changed.

He began riding the recumbent bike and walking on the treadmill at Carondelet St. Joseph’s Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit three days a week, and he and his wife attended classes there three times weekly for 12 weeks. “I started off really slowly for a baseline. The therapists monitored my heart and vital signs continuously which gave me confidence since I was right there at the hospital. If something happened, they could have helped me immediately,” said Jim.

What was so important about the experience he had at Carondelet St. Joseph’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit? Jim only has great things to say as he reflected on the experience. “The classes in cardiac rehab were a great chance to be reminded of all the things we need to do to keep us healthy.”

An active and fit gentleman, Jim strived to get back into longer walks and runs and had been cleared to walk 30 minutes a day even after his rehab sessions. Only nine weeks after having open heart surgery for a ruptured aorta, Jim started slowly walking then jogging around the block. His one mile trips quickly turned into more than ten mile stretches over the following weeks, and Jim shared, “One day I went for a walk to see how far I could go. I walked and jogged for 15 miles, and it felt great!”

In September of 2024, Jim and his wife left Tucson to be closer to their daughter in San Antonio. Carondelet Health Network’s providers and clinical staff were there to help every step of the way to secure Jim’s medical team in Texas. Jim’s new medical team gave him the “all clear” to participate in a half marathon in San Antonio only 18 months after his cardiac incident.

“It took a year to get to know my new normal,” Jim said. Dr. Odeh, his team, and the team at Carondelet St. Joseph’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit hold a dear place in Jim’s heart. “Dr. Odeh and his team saved my life under unbelievable circumstances. The Cardiac Rehab team at St. Joseph’s pumped us all up with confidence to get out and live life – something I’m grateful I continue to have the opportunity to do. These professionals go above and beyond to help people heal and live their best lives. They are a treasure to the Tucson community.”