“If you had gone to sleep tonight, you wouldn’t have woken up.”
These are the sobering words Tim Lopez’s medical team said to him before his emergency open heart surgery in September 2021. For this 42-year-old, lifelong Muskegon resident, his survival and recovery after an extremely rare condition — an aortic dissection — is remarkable.
Even before his surgery, Tim lived a healthy and active lifestyle by working out regularly and running. He is married and works as the development and events manager for Kids’ Food Basket.
On a warm fall day, while at Phyt Physique gym doing his usual push/pull exercises with a partner, Tim felt a pop. Then, he was struck with back pain and became lightheaded. He thought he had pulled a muscle in his back. After a brief rest, he jumped back in and completed his workout.
Still not feeling well, Tim went home and showered. He took it easy that evening and slept. When he awoke in the morning, his back pain had dulled.
Throughout the day, he developed a sharp abdominal pain that intensified enough that his wife rushed home to take him to the Mercy Health Fazakerley Family Emergency & Trauma Center.
On that Saturday evening, thirty hours after his injury, he arrived at the hospital hoping for pain relief, still convinced it was only a pulled muscle. Staff recognized his critical condition immediately and wasted no time. Tim’s blood pressure was sky high. Stat X-rays and an MRI were done. His medical team gathered swiftly. His aortic valve had torn away from his heart. He needed emergency surgery.
Tim’s condition was explained to him in simple terms. ‘There is a sack or membrane around the aorta. Your aorta has detached, and the sack is filled with blood. Your heart is getting some blood because the membrane is containing it, but it could burst at any second.’
It happened so quickly, Tim said, “I barely had time to call my closest family and friends.”
Richard Downey, MD, from Mercy Health Physician Partners (MHPP) Cardiothoracic Surgery, led the surgical team with his colleague Shelly Bansal, MD, assisting. Tim now has a new mechanical aortic valve. He recovered in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for eight days and was released home on the ninth day. His recovery has been demanding.
One of Tim’s earliest memories was while he was still in the ICU. Rick Hyatt, cardiac rehabilitation coordinator, was first to start Tim on the road to recovery.
Rick told him, ‘Today, you are going to walk.’ Tim thought Rick was crazy. Rick said, ‘You’ll thank me later.’ Rick was right. Tim is incredibly thankful for the connection and a real sense of sincerity he felt with Rick as he pushed him during those first days of recovery.
When Tim got discouraged, he focused on being grateful to be alive. He noticed the words Be Remarkable on the coordinators’ name badges. It motivated him. At every appointment, he pushed himself to do more, to be remarkable.
Undetected high blood pressure was the cause of his tear. His strong heart likely kept him alive for the hours leading up to his surgery, along with his faith and many people who were already rallying to pray for him. In addition to his routine primary care visits, he now sees his cardiologist, Eric Shafer, DO, MHPP West Shore Cardiology, regularly and he takes blood pressure and heart medication.
For more information about our Heart & Vascular services, visit MercyHealth.com/HeartAndVascular