What began as a typical morning quickly became a medical emergency for Jim Root of Houston two weeks ago.
“I woke up the morning of January 19 and told my wife I just didn’t feel quite right,” Root recalled. “I had pressure in my chest, but no pain. Since I had a stent put in 2011, I just knew I needed to get it checked out - just in case.”
Root and his wife, Connie, arrived at the Texas County Memorial Hospital emergency room at 5:15 a.m. to have his symptoms evaluated.
Upon arrival, Paul Schaefer, DO, the emergency room physician on duty, ordered several tests. Root’s EKG was normal, two cardiac enzyme tests came back clear, and his blood pressure was slightly elevated but not concerning.
“Dr. Schaefer told me he had all the reasons to send me home,” Root said. “But because of my history with the stent, he felt I needed to be checked further.”
Root told Dr. Schaefer that his cardiologist practiced at Baxter HealthCare. After contacting the facility and securing a bed, Dr. Schaefer made the decision to transfer Root.
“I asked if I was going to be dismissed and have my wife drive me down there,” Root said. “He said, ‘No, you are going to fly out of here.’”
Root shared that this marked his second helicopter flight for a heart-related issue. He said Dr. Schaefer even mentioned that the physicians at Baxter might think he was overly cautious for sending Root down—but that was not the case.
“Dr. Schaefer was absolutely right to send me on,” Root said. “I had an 85% blockage on the right side of my heart and received another stent the very next day. Between Dr. Schaefer here, my doctor at Baxter, and the Good Lord, I’m still alive.”
Root said his Baxter physician later told him he would have likely suffered a major heart attack had he not been transferred.
“This was an answer to prayer,” Root said. “God puts the right people in your path, and Dr. Schaefer was the right person in mine.”
Since the incident, Root said he had been hoping for the opportunity to return to TCMH and personally thank Dr. Schaefer—something he and Connie were able to do recently.
Dr. Schaefer expressed his appreciation for the visit and for hearing the outcome.
“Most of the time, you only hear back from patients if there’s a negative comment,” Schaefer said. “To have someone come back just to say thank you and shake your hand—it truly made my day and reminded me why I do this work.”
Root and Connie have been married for 52 years and have two children, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren—time together that continues thanks to the outcome of this situation.
According to the American Heart Association, heart attack symptoms may include chest discomfort; pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; shortness of breath; sweating; nausea; or lightheadedness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
