At the Marathon Finish Line, Phil Held This Up!
A BIG question patients ask me prior to heart valve surgery is, "Will I be able to do the things I love after surgery?"
Well... Let's consider the story of Phil McBride. At 62, Phil was an avid runner and an active member of Eastside Running Club. His love of competition kept him running at higher and higher levels. In November 2015, about 1 mile into a race leading up to the USA Track and Field National Cross Country Championships, Phil began having a hard time catching his breath. He was able to finish the race but in his words he "had an awful run".
Long story short... After a stress echo, Phil was diagnosed with severe aortic regurgitation, a leaky heart valve. Shortly thereafter, Phil had a successful aortic valve replacement surgery performed by Dr. Glenn Barnhart at Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute.
What happened next? In 9 months following heart surgery, Phil ran a half marathon in only 1:55, and placed 2nd in his division! Since then, he's been training for the Seattle Marathon.
On November 27th, 2016, Phil ran the full marathon with his son Sean, wife Lauren, and son-in-law Charlie. Phil finished with an amazing 4:10 and placed 6th in his division! He had tremendous support throughout the race from his daughter Erica and Swedish OR nurse Larissa and her husband Don.
So... What did Phil do at the finish line of the marathon? He thanked his surgeon, Dr. Glenn Barnhart (Dr. B), his OR Nurse, Larissa, and the medical team at Swedish. How great is that?
Dr. Glenn Barnhart - Phil's Heart Surgeon
Thanks so much to Phil for inspiring our community! And, many thanks to Dr. Barnhart, Larissa and the entire Swedish team for taking such great care of Phil!
Keep on tickin' Phil!
Adam
Written by Adam Pick
Patient & Website Founder
Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder
Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.
Comments
Adam's Newest Blogs
New Community Posts
Blog Categories
- Adam's Updates
- Aneurysms
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Before Surgery
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Medical Technology
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Patient Stories
- Pulmonary Valve
- Recovery
- Ross Procedure
- Surgeons & Hospitals
- Tricuspid Valve
Blog Categories
- Adam's Updates
- Aneurysms
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Before Surgery
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Medical Technology
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Patient Stories
- Pulmonary Valve
- Recovery
- Ross Procedure
- Surgeons & Hospitals
- Tricuspid Valve
Blog Categories
- Adam's Updates
- Aneurysms
- Aortic Stenosis
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Aortic Valve Replacement
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Before Surgery
- Bicuspid Aortic Valve
- Heart Valve Replacement
- Medical Technology
- Mitral Regurgitation
- Mitral Valve Repair
- Patient Stories
- Pulmonary Valve
- Recovery
- Ross Procedure
- Surgeons & Hospitals
- Tricuspid Valve
Surgeon Spotlight
Dr. Badhwar is a world-renowned heart valve surgeon that has performed thousands of heart valve operations that include minimally-invasive techniques including robot-assisted techniques.
The Patient's Guide
This book has helped over 47,000 patients and caregivers from diagnosis to recovery.
New Posts From Our Community
Ana Brusso from
Palm Dessert, California
Wishing all the heart Warriors a Happy Fourth of July and...
Meet Ana
Larry Reese from
Big Spring, Texas
Hello Adam and everyone else. I have been thinking about a...
Meet Larry
Newest Community Post
Ana Brusso from
Palm Dessert, California
Wishing all the heart Warriors a Happy Fourth of July and...
Meet Ana
Find Heart Valve Surgeons
Search 1,500 patient-recommended surgeons
Surgeon Spotlight
Dr. Badhwar is a world-renowned heart valve surgeon that has performed thousands of heart valve operations that include minimally-invasive techniques including robot-assisted techniques.
The Patient's Guide
This book has helped over 47,000 patients and caregivers from diagnosis to recovery.