Mike’s heart was in trouble—a few times. Luckily, expert heart care was nearby.

A healthy diet and regular exercise are both parts of a heart-healthy lifestyle. But most people might not consider another element: hydration. Mike Hood learned the importance of that earlier this year.

After a day of yard work, Mike came inside to cool off. When he went upstairs, his heart went into sudden cardiac arrest, prompting his wife to call 911 and start CPR.

He was taken to Soin Medical Center, and the procedure did not show any blockages.

“They knew it was something electrical versus a blockage,” Mike remembers. “EKG showed that occasionally my heart would skip a beat. They think between that and dehydration, everything lined up perfectly to throw my heart out of rhythm.”

Mike received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, also known as an ICD, which helps monitor his heart rate.

“If for whatever reason my heart is thrown out of rhythm, the device will shock it back into rhythm, just like if they were using the paddles on me,” he explains.

After about two weeks in the hospital, Mike felt great and was discharged.

An unexpected visit

Just days after his release, Mike and his family went out for dinner but ended up in an unexpected place—the Emergency Department.

“I sat in the truck while they went in to get food,” Mike says. “I sneezed, and as soon as I sneezed, I knew something was wrong.”

Luckily, Soin Medical Center was nearby. The staff diagnosed Mike with a burst blood vessel, and he was transferred to Kettering Health Main Campus for surgery performed by Dr. Bruce Rank, a cardiothoracic surgeon. Mike’s surgery went well, and he was in recovery when, once again, the unexpected struck.

“When I was in the recovery room, I started coughing, and when I did, I burst another blood vessel,” he says. “They fixed it up, and I came through just fine.”

Getting back into rhythm

Today, Mike is back to his regular routine. His recovery took about six weeks. His physicians say his active lifestyle helped speed his recovery, which can take some people up to three months.

Another thing Mike says helped his recovery? The care he received.

“I think the positive outcome is because of the outstanding professionalism of the staff at all levels,” he says. “Instead of having bad memories of what happened there, I actually have good memories of the care I got there.”