My Heart Attack Story and the Early Warning Signs I Ignored

By Joe Morey

News Editor

May will mark two years since my heart attack and open-heart surgery. Today, I want to share my story and reflect on the warning signs I ignored in the years leading up to that life-changing event. Whether those signs were truly early indicators or not, I may never know for certain. But what I do know is that after my heart attack, I made a drastic decision—I wanted to live another 30 years for my wife and kids. That choice changed everything. In just a few short weeks, I lost 40 pounds, and in doing so, I eliminated my diabetes, which doctors said had contributed to my clogged arteries. Were those warning signs simply a result of diabetes? Perhaps. But what matters most is that today, I feel healthier than I have since my early 20s. That wake-up call forced me to see just how unprepared I was, and I am grateful every day for the second chance I was given.

Before I share those early warning signs, let me tell the story of my heart attack and surgery.

On May 11, 2023, I was at my son JJ’s Babe Ruth baseball practice in Birchwood, helping as an umpire. When practice ended, I suddenly felt a tightening pressure in the center of my chest, something I convinced myself was just heartburn. I kept burping, hoping for relief, but the pressure never subsided. Twenty-four hours later, on Friday, May 12, the discomfort was still there, and I finally told Jill she needed to take me in. A troponin test revealed dangerously high levels—I was having a heart attack.

The next day, doctors attempted to place a stent but quickly realized my arteries were in far worse condition than expected. Stenting wasn’t an option. On May 17, I underwent open-heart surgery. My arteries were so severely clogged that, although they had planned a quadruple bypass, they could only complete a double because they couldn’t even locate the other two arteries. My heart surgeon didn’t sugarcoat the situation—if I ever needed another bypass, my only remaining option would be a heart transplant.

Faced with the stark reality of life or death, the choice was clear: live. I immediately adopted a strict diet, starting with vegetables for the first few weeks to drop weight rapidly before gradually incorporating proteins and other heart-healthy foods. I became meticulous about reading food labels, focusing on keeping saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars as low as possible. My weight dropped from 217 pounds to 172, and after a few months, I stabilized between 183 and 186, where I’ve maintained ever since. Although I now take heart medications, I firmly believe that a proper diet—one based on the foods we were meant to eat—can naturally heal arteries. Over that first year, although my troponin levels were normal, they continued to improve even more, and my cholesterol numbers continued to get better. I no longer take troponin tests.

Every six months, I visit my primary care doctor for tests to monitor my cholesterol, A1C, and other key health markers to ensure I’m staying on track. So far, so good—my numbers have remained excellent, and I’ve completely beaten diabetes through diet alone. For the first three months after surgery, I had to take insulin shots, even when my daily finger-prick tests showed my blood sugar levels were well below diabetic thresholds. The shots were necessary for proper healing after heart surgery. When I was confident that my numbers were consistently normal, I took myself off insulin, much to the dismay of my doctors. However, my primary care physician ultimately agreed that I was doing well and that we would continue monitoring everything at my six-month checkups.

The main reason I’m sharing this story is to highlight the early warning signs I experienced. When I was younger, in my teens and early twenties, I was a skinny guy. But after quitting smoking in my mid-twenties, I quickly gained 15 pounds. Over the next several years, my weight steadily increased, and I stayed that way for the next two decades. In the years leading up to my heart attack at the age of 52, I started noticing things—warning signs—that I chose to ignore. One of the most concerning was waking up in the middle of the night with one of my arms completely numb and asleep, all the way down to my hand. It would take 20 minutes to get the blood circulating again, and the discomfort was so intense that falling back asleep was impossible. It didn’t happen every night, but at least once every week or two.

I also experienced diabetic neuropathy in my feet, with tingling and burning sensations. At night, when I lay in bed watching TV, I would sometimes hear wheezing in my throat and lungs—something Jill noticed before I even did. Every day at exactly 5 p.m., I would suddenly feel drained and exhausted, a pattern that had been going on for years. I also frequently had episodes where I felt faint and needed sugar, always reaching for an energy drink—a terrible choice in hindsight. There were a few times, but not too often, I had a tightening pressure feeling in the back of my head. Not to mention the brain fog and clouded vision that I had once in awhile.

Then, in November or December of 2022, about five or six months before my heart attack, I developed another concerning symptom: a flashing spot in my vision. It appeared in the same location whenever I blinked against a bright background, like a clear blue sky or snow-covered ground. I didn't see the spot when I was in the house or dark outside. It was unsettling and had me worried, so in March, I finally went to an eye doctor. After a thorough examination, he told me my vision was great and found no issues with my retinas or any explanation for the spot. I carried on as usual—until two months later, when I had my heart attack. After undergoing heart surgery, I no longer see that spot, confirming to me that it was a symptom of clogged arteries and my heart struggling to pump blood properly.

Other issues I dealt with before losing weight included frequent heartburn, gastrointestinal aches, sudden urgent trips to the bathroom, and even occasional headaches. I used to carry a bottle of ibuprofen with me everywhere. Now, after making lifestyle changes and improving my health, I rarely—if ever—experience any of those problems.

The moral of this story is that when your body is telling you something is wrong, listen to it. It can make the difference between life or death. Ignoring the signals can lead to serious consequences. Eating right, losing weight and taking your life back can make a world of difference. I know it’s easier said than done. Breaking old habits is tough. It’s very difficult to change things that we’ve become accustomed to our entire lives, but it’s really a battle of mind over matter. At the end of the day it comes down to one question: How badly do you want to live? Taking control, eating right, and shedding unhealthy weight isn’t just about looking better—it’s about giving yourself the best chance at a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. And damn, you’ll feel good about yourself when you do shed that weight.

One more thing. If you’re making the choice to turn your health around, do it the right way—through real, lasting changes in diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle, not by relying on weight loss pills. These pills might help you drop a few pounds, but they can also create a false sense of security, allowing you to continue eating foods loaded with saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars. Sure, the scale might show a lower number, but if your arteries are still clogging, what have you really gained? True health isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about nourishing your body with the right foods and taking care of yourself from the inside out. The goal isn’t just to be thinner; it’s to be stronger, healthier, and truly alive.