Medical City Healthcare | Take Care | Winter 2019

Sheryl woke with the alarm still chiming. The mechanical voice of her LifeVest announced that it had administered treatment and urged her to call 911—which she did before passing out again. A week earlier, Sheryl had seen Dale Yoo, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Medical City McKinney , about an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AFib). Dr. Yoo performed a cardioversion—a procedure that re- stores the heart’s natural rhythm using electri- cal current. He ordered the vest as a precaution. “It was right before Christmas,” Sheryl said. “I think Dr. Yoo just had a sense about it and didn’t want me to go over the holidays without it. If the vest hadn’t shocked me, I would not have revived.” Sheryl’s heart stopped and was restarted twice more by the vest before paramedics arrived. On the way to the hospital, she was revived seven more times. Hospital staff per- formed three additional resuscitations for a total of 13 heart-stopping events. A wise choice “I didn’t know if Sheryl would be ‘that one’ that needed to have a life-save,” Dr. Yoo said. “The vest was about providing insurance. And this patient needed it. In less than a week, she HEART CHECK Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Take our free heart risk assessment at MedicalCityHealthcare.com/HeartHRA to find your personal risk factors. “Now, my husband and I are living the dream on our farm. I’m not limited in any way.” —Sheryl Blazer needed it for cardiac arrest over and over again. It saved her life. Without it, she would not be here.” Although Sheryl initially saw Dr. Yoo for AFib, a condition that increases stroke risk, the LifeVest showed that she also had viral cardiomyopathy—a weakened heart. Dr. Yoo implanted a pacemaker in Sheryl’s heart, which corrected her life-threatening condition. “Dr. Yoo had the vision to give me the vest,” Sheryl said. “Other doctors have told me they wouldn’t have put it on me. Now, my husband and I are living the dream on our farm. I’m not limited in any way. I lift 50-pound bags of feed, muck stalls, collect eggs. I just turned 50, and I have a positive outlook on life. My friends told me your body goes at 50, but I’m so happy to be here!” IN-VESTED Watch Sheryl Blazer and Dr. Yoo recount Sheryl’s amazing story at MedicalCityHealthcare.com/TakeCare . 5 MedicalCityHealthcare.com