Embracing Science and Life: Ricardo’s Journey to Heart Health at 81
Lifelong resident of Santiago de Compostela, Ricardo, smiles proudly at the camera. He lives with his wife and has three adult children, two of whom live in the Canary Islands. Ricardo spent most of his life working for the newspaper “El Correo Gallego.” That’s not the only occupation he’s had; he’s also been a fiscal advisor, owned three small supermarkets, and worked in the military, where he was deployed near Morocco.
Ricardo proudly tells us that it wasn’t until a few years ago that his interactions with the healthcare system began. He has always been very active and has tried his best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. He shares that his years of training in the military have helped him follow an exercise regimen he still performs every morning at the ripe age of 81.
It was just last year, Ricardo recalls, after a trip to visit his children in the Canary Islands, that he began to feel extremely tired. He recalls the feeling being sudden. His worried wife called an ambulance. Little did Ricardo know, he was having a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a “heart attack.” He shares that he was surprised as he experienced none of the classic symptoms, such as chest pain. But he wasn’t scared because the medical personnel kept him informed throughout the whole process, and everything was taken care of very quickly. “It was after my stay in the hospital, when my arteries were treated, that I began Cardiac Rehabilitation,” he says.
“If they called me now to say I could rejoin the CR training sessions, I would.”
Ricardo remembers his experience at the Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) unit as a positive one. Being monitored and sharing the journey with other patients who had undergone a similar event helped Ricardo feel comforted during his recovery. “If they called me now to say I could rejoin the CR training sessions, I would,” he emphatically points out. He shares that during his time in CR, he learned different exercises and, most of all, had a wonderful time.
After completing his prescribed CR sessions, Ricardo was contacted by the TIMELY case managers at Santiago de Compostela and was invited to participate in the TIMELY trial. When asked what motivated him to accept the invitation and participate, he shares it was the case managers themselves. “I did it for you and for science,” he says cheerfully. He thought it was a good idea to participate as it would allow him to be monitored for some time, and he was curious to learn about the TIMELY app and devices. However, his main motivation was to help advance science and assist the case managers with their project.
Despite his age, Ricardo shares he had no problem adapting to the devices of the TIMELY trial (blood pressure monitor, ECG device, and activity tracker). He also greatly enjoyed seeing his data and progress in the TIMELY app. He liked that it allowed him to keep track of the activities he was doing throughout the day. That was the aspect he most enjoyed about the trial. Ricardo would recommend the TIMELY app to other patients but honestly adds, “I hope the trial allows for some improvement of the malfunctions of the app and devices.”
He ends the interview with the same big smile and bright attitude that characterize him, extremely happy to have participated in the TIMELY trial.