Tega Cay man warns others to trust their body after he nearly missed symptoms of a heart attack

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A Tega Cay man is using his personal experience to help remind all that listening to your body can save your life. Stephen Gourlay is recovering from a heart attack he suffered before Christmas.

Gourlay says he experienced a heart attack for 24 hours before he even realized his condition. At the time Gourlay had been diagnosed with the Flu. He says he initially believed the symptoms he experienced during the heart attack were just a by-product of his sickness. Gourlay felt pressure in the center of his back as well as severe indigestion.

“It felt like I had gas trapped in my lungs and I needed to burp, but I couldn’t burp,” Gourlay said of his symptoms. He hoped to avoid a visit to the emergency room and even took a Tums which briefly made him feel better. Gourlay said he experienced the symptoms for 24 full hours and he even attended his grandchildren’s soccer match during the time period.

It wasn’t until Gourlay’s wife and son stepped in and convinced him to visit a Doctor that Gourlay actually did. Gourlay said it only took minutes for a doctor to identify that he did suffer a heart attack. According to Gourlay he experienced a widowmaker heart attack. “It scares me now,” Gourlay said, despite having little worry at the time. He owes his comfort to the medical team which performed a life saving procedure on him to effectively clear his blocked artery. Gourlay compared the staff at Rock Hill’s Piedmont Medical Center to choreographed dancers who worked in unison to heal his heart.

Piedmont Cardiologist, Jonathan Elias, explained the widowmaker heart attack is seen as severely deadly due to the way it blocks the left anterior descending artery within the heart. Elias detailed the procedure to unblock the widowmaker. The procedure can last between 60 and 90 minutes and utilizes cardiac catheterization which allows doctors to feed a catheter through a persons groin or wrist and into the heart. A doctor can then identify the blockage and use a stent to unclog it.

Gourlay said he felt amazing after his procedure and within half an hour he was joking and laughing with the nurses who helped him. Gourlay is nearing two months since his initial heart attack. He visited a doctor Wednesday to check in and was told his heart has improved dramatically. “The doctors turned and said, your heart is good,” Gourlay said.

Gourlay now exercises daily and has switched to a healthier diet which has allowed him to lose 30 lbs. He hopes his experience can be a warning to others to trust your body and to act fast when things feel wrong.

Piedmonty cardiologists say heart attack symptoms can appear differently depending on the person and their condition. Experts recommend consistent exercise, a heart health diet consisting of protein, grain, fruits and vegetables, as well as avoiding smoking are all things that can help to prevent a heart attack.