Patient Stories: Meet others who have experienced stent implants.

Bill Gensch
Felt out of breath and tired

Bill Gensch owns a flourishing marketing firm with more than 40 employees. He worked hard, but he always considered himself active and ate what he thought was good. The last thing on Bill's mind was his heart health. That is until he started noticing that things didn't seem to feel right.

"I felt out of breath and tired," Bill said. "It was a slow, gradual change, so I didn't notice it as much. There was never any pain, just pressure in my chest." Bill set up a time to meet with a cardiologist to discuss his symptoms. As part of the diagnosis, Bill was given a stress test in which he failed.

A little while after his doctor's appointment, Bill was going on a ski trip. He said he didn't feel up to skiing but went anyway to enjoy the trip. "When I came home, I still didn't feel right," Bill said. "On my return, I spoke with my mother who recommended I contact her cardiologist. I did and sent him all of my paperwork done up to that time."

Soon after, Bill found himself being rushed to the hospital for an emergency angiogram. "They were prepping me as they were wheeling me to the procedure room. I thought I would walk in, wait awhile, get the procedure and maybe go home and they would call me to tell me what they found," he said.

Bill's physicians consulted, and while the use of coronary stents isn't for everyone, they decided to place drug-eluting stents rather than perform surgery. Use of these stents come with risks, including the potential for serious injuries, side effects and even death.

The morning after the procedure, the gravity of what happened hit him full force. "I'm still working on accepting the reality of this," Bill said. "After it happened, my wife and I talked about how vulnerable we are. As a result, we changed our lifestyles - better eating, more exercise. With my kids, we've talked about the fact I could have died. I told them you have to appreciate what you have."