When Crossville’s Rickey Wallace woke up at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11th, he knew he had all the classic symptoms. “I was sweating, I had chest pain, pain in my left arm and pain in my jaws running up to my ears,” Wallace said. “I was having a heart attack. I took an aspirin and a nitro tablet and told my wife (who is a nurse) to take me to Cookeville Regional,”
By the time he arrived at the emergency room, a cardiac team was waiting and ready for him. Wallace, 55, was tested and just as he thought, he was having a heart attack, his third in eight years. He was sent to the cath lab for testing and the following morning he was admitted to Cookeville Regional Medical Center and scheduled for surgery, where he had five by-passes.
Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s 5,000th cardiac patient Ricky Wallace (r)
Little did Wallace know at the time, but he was to become Cookeville Regional’s 5,000th Cardiac Surgery Patient.
“When I had my first heart attack at age 47, I was scared to death because I knew nothing about what was happening,” Wallace said. “I knew a little more by the time I had my second one (at age 51). But this time, I knew exactly what was going on. I felt confident from the beginning, in making the decision to make the 45 minute drive to Cookeville. I took it very seriously from the time I started hurting, and knew immediately that I wanted to go to Cookeville Regional.”
Why was Wallace so intent on being taken to CRMC? “In this area, Cookeville Regional is the best place to come to,” Wallace said. “Just knowing I survived is a great feeling. I was in wonderful hands and I had complete trust in my doctors and every staffer I came into contact with.”
“I came to Cookeville Regional because my cardiologist is with Tennessee Heart,” Wallace said. “They knew my history, had my records, and knew that I had previous arterial stents. They are who I trust.”
Wallace says that every facet of his experience with Cookeville Regional has been first class. “From the minute I got here to the time I left,” Wallace said, “I was treated like royalty. I got everything I needed, when I needed it. My follow ups have been awesome and as far as I know, I am in excellent shape.”
“Knowing I was the 5,000th heart surgery patient at CRMC ,” Wallace said, “and it being a successful surgery, I feel extremely grateful. This is definitely the place to go if you think you are having a heart attack.”
Dr. Wilson’s comments on Rickey Wallace’s case
“Cardiology had already seen him, done his cath, used dye to see where the blockages were, if he needed stents or a bypass,” Dr. Wilson said, “After tests, it was determined what the best treatment was for him was, and that is where I met him. I spent time with him, getting him in good condition, getting his lungs in good condition to do the surgery. Honestly, he has been a model patient. People don’t realize that to do well after surgery, you need an excellent facility, nurses and a support staff. The patient also has to be willful about getting well and Mr. Wallace was an excellent patient.”
