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Local Runner Races Back to Marathons After Surviving A Heart Attack

Local Runner Races Back to Marathons After Surviving A Heart Attack

There’s just no stopping what’s in some people’s hearts. For Paul Alvarez, a Professor of Kinesiology and certified athletic trainer at the University of La Verne, his heart was full of things he wanted to do. But the Rancho Cucamonga resident almost didn’t get to fulfill his heart’s desires when he felt unwell while working in his yard one Sunday in January 2021. It turned out to be a near-fatal heart attack.

“I came inside from yardwork and laid on the floor for about 20 minutes,” Alvarez said. “I never had any prior heart issues or specific symptoms; I just chalked it up to being dehydrated.”

Alvarez was on cholesterol medication, but had never experienced high blood pressure, so he didn’t think it was a heart attack. His wife decided to call their son, who is also an athletic trainer, and their daughter, who is a nurse, for guidance. They both recommended he go to the emergency department.

When Alvarez reached the emergency department, his heart monitor showed abnormal readings. Within minutes, his condition became so severe that he keeled over as his heart started to beat quickly and erratically, also known as ventricular fibrillation, or v-fib.

The next hour was a life-or-death battle as he received multiple rounds of CPR and six paddle shocks to bring his heart back to a normal rhythm. In the critical care unit, doctors told him he had four coronary artery blockages of 80% to 90%. He underwent coronary bypass surgery and was discharged from the hospital in mid-February 2021.

Alvarez was then referred to the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) cardiovascular rehabilitation program.

“I had been bedridden during my hospital stay and was taking medication that made me nauseous,” Alvarez said. “I lost about 20 pounds, including muscle mass, and I felt weak and had no endurance. It depressed me not being able to be active.”

Studies of heart attack survivors have shown that participation in a cardiovascular rehab program can reduce the chances of having a second heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PVHMC provides outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs to help patients with their recovery. All exercise sessions are provided in a medically supervised cardiovascular gym equipped with state-of-the-art exercise equipment including treadmills, exercise bikes, weight machines, and resistance machines.

At his first cardiac rehab appointment, Alvarez’s physical therapist asked him about the goal he wants to achieve in his recovery.

“I told him I wanted to do the Holiday Half Marathon in December 2021,” Alvarez said.

His program consisted of six weeks of rehabilitation, where his physical therapist pushed him to regain his health while ensuring he didn’t overdo it. For Alvarez, it was difficult to hold back, as his active mindset urged him to push further.

“After completing cardiac rehab, I realized I still had a long road to recovery,” said Alvarez. “The program instilled in me a sense of confidence.”

“I recall his physician either didn’t think he could or didn’t think he should participate that in the half marathon during his first year of recovery,” said Rick Rossman, PT, MS, SCCE, physical therapist and Associate Director of Rehabilitation Services at PVHMC. “But he believed he could, and it was important to him to have this as a goal.”

At the Holiday Half Marathon in 2021, Alvarez showed up to the starting line with one emotional thought in mind: “I’m back.”

He had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of not finishing the race, but he did—walking and jogging his way to the finish line. He didn’t have a time goal in mind or a need to win a medal. He was slower than he’d ever been but was proud that he had completed the event.

Alvarez continues to participate in the race each year.

“Each and every year, Paul stops by to let us know he is there and then again after he crosses the finish line,” Rossman said. “Each year, he’s been understandably emotional after he finishes and reflects on what’s happened and what he’s accomplished.”

Alvarez is always extremely pleased with himself and how far he’s come.

Alvarez says above all things he’s experienced in his journey to heal his heart, he’s thrilled to see his 60th birthday, celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, witness the birth of his grandson and get back to his passion of running.

“I wasn’t going to let a heart attack beat me. I knew that slow and steady, my heart would lead me back to what I love,” said Alvarez.