Making heart choices: How the University of Ottawa Heart Institute helped Dan Pak return to action
In spring 2018, Dan Pak was at a local pharmacy and spied the blood pressure machine. He had a history of elevated blood pressure, which he did his best to control with diet and exercise.
He decided to seize the moment for a quick check. The first reading of 196/119 sent a shock of alarm through him. A second, similar reading a few minutes later was a clear indicator that it was time to call his doctor.
Dan had stayed active running (even in snowshoes), snowboarding and cycling at the endurance level. With his history of healthy diet and exercise, Dan’s family doctor was surprised at the sudden severity of his high blood pressure and prescribed medication to help lower it, testing dosages while waiting for a fitness stress test at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. A quick test led to a two-hour consultation, a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib), concerns over potential stroke, and additional medications including blood thinners and beta blockers to manage the risks. It also forced Dan to reduce his planned cycling and running races to five kilometre walks.
After a few weeks of adjusting to the effects of the medications, curtailed workouts and reduced energy, Dan was at the office in midJuly when he found himself feeling light-headed. He eventually made his way to his local hospital. Two hours in the emergency department led to additional changes in his medication and an appointment with an electrophysiologist at the heart institute.
What happened next is important for Dan’s story. He was given choices for treatment based on what he wanted his life to look like in the coming years. Dan had to consider the following: do nothing and continue with current medications and his current lifestyle limitations; add another medication to control the arrhythmia, with possible additional side effects; or proceed with an ablation, an invasive procedure used to restore normal heart rhythm.
The ablation, a procedure that would bring back some “normalcy,” went immediately to the top of Dan’s list — but with a career that included being a risk management analyst, he examined all options before choosing the right one for him and his family. The final decision: Dan was scheduled for an ablation within months.
“I was presented with all the choices available for my treatment,” said Dan. “Choices that could change the direction of my fitness lifestyle and the goals I wanted to achieve. I was able to make the right choice for me. It may not be the right choice for others that suffer from atrial fibrillation, but for me it was the right choice. Having a premiere facility like the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and its many advancements in technology, I knew I would be in the hands of professionals.”
Dan can recall almost every detail of his surgery day: the green hearts on the floor pointing the way to the day unit; the oh-so flattering gown, slippers and cap he had to wear; and the attention and encouragement he received from everyone who attended to him at each step during the preparation and procedure, including the humour of the electrophysiologist, who, upon learning Dan had two teenage daughters, replied, “No wonder you have AFib!”
Post-surgery his recollections were a little foggy: searing chest pain, sore throat from the breathing tube and a chicken salad sandwich. But the result he remembers clearly: Take it easy for a week to 10 days and then slowly begin to return to regular activities!
The next morning, one test — an ECG that would confirm normal heart rhythm — was all that stood between Dan and discharge for home. He passed with flying colours!
During the 18 months following discharge, Dan took part in many heart institute programs including rehabilitation, patient education and participation in research studies. Following a series of tests in July 2020, he received great news and now considers himself “essentially AFib-free” and is participating in a research program for a second time, this one evaluating blood-thinner medications.
Singing praises for the team at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and for the spectacular outpouring of support from family and friends comes easy to Dan, as does sharing his journey. When his story became more widely known, members of the running community reached out and he was introduced to “cardiac athletes,” a group including several like-minded runners who experienced a variety of heart ailments. Like Dan, their passion was for endurance sports, and they cheered him on through every stage of his recovery, providing guidance and support.
With his gift of time, Dan plans to continue to do everything he loves for as long as he can, including outreach to others through his social media blogs and posts. He enjoys participating in research studies at the institute, which are funded by Heart Month donations. One day, his AFib will return, and once again, he wants to have choices.
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A 61-year-old Ottawa man was scheduled to appear in court Friday on a string of charges including nine counts of sexual assault involving two children in the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2017, the sexual assault and child abuse section launched an investigation into incidents that were alleged to have happened between 1984 and 1990 involving one girl, Ottawa police said in a release Friday.
As a result, another investigation began into three alleged incidents involving another girl between 1993 and 2000, police said.
In both cases, the alleged incidents spanned the time when the girls were under 10 years of age to the time they were young teenagers. Other charges were laid Friday.
The man is awaiting a bail hearing.