An active 71-year-old, Joe Shanahan enjoys playing golf, jogging, biking, swimming and weight training, in addition to playing softball at least twice a week. It was during a softball tournament that his symptoms started — labored breathing, a slight pain in the center of his chest. "I attributed it to my two cups of coffee that morning and all the running in the game," he recalls. "But by the end of the game, I realized the problems weren't going away and going home wasn't an option."
Fortunately Joe, a resident of Solivita in Polk County, was just down the street from Poinciana Hospital. "As we drove to the hospital, my symptoms started to get worse," he says. "Things moved quickly when I arrived at the ER in distress. Since I've always been in such good health, I was shocked to learn I was having a heart attack."
Poinciana Hospital's emergency experts quickly went to work to save Joe's life. "What I found comforting was each person in the room attending to me — nurses and physicians — calmly explained to me what they were doing. That made the experience less scary," Joe said.
Joe dedicated himself to a measured and consistent recovery process and rebuilding his stamina. Today, he has resumed his day-to-day activities. In addition to enjoying all the sports he loves, he is playing steel drums with a local band, performing in the Solivita community. "I'm here today because of the quick action taken by the Poinciana Hospital care team," he says. "They saved my life and I'm so thankful!"