For Jerry Rasmussen running was a path to health; he was hoping to avoid the same road that led to his father's heart attack and death at the age of 64.
But despite Rasmussen's best intentions, he ended up on the same journey, only he arrived much earlier than his dad did.
"This is not the place I wanted to celebrate my birthday," said Rasmussen.
The father of two turned 47 this week as a patient at Memorial Hermann's Heart and Vascular Institute.
An avid runner and marathon coach, a heart attack was the last thing he expected, but during the Chevron Houston marathon that's exactly what happened.
"I was coming back into town at where people usually start to have some issues. It was between miles 19 and 20, right inside the 610 Loop and Memorial," he said.
He fell flat on his face; a medical student at an aid station gave Rasmussen CPR until emergency workers arrived.
By all accounts, this should not have happened to him. In December, Rasmussen passed a physical fitness test.
"Feeling healthy does not equal being healthy inside," said Dr. Ali Denktas, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann's Heart and Vascular Institute.
Dr. Denktas said Rasmussen, while healthy, was a vulnerable patient because of his family history. His heart attack was the result of plaque coming loose and blocking his artery.
"If you are fit to begin with you do better, even when you have a heart attack, even when you have heart failure, or other things happen to you," said Dr. Denktas.
Rasmussen is under doctor's orders to take it easy... at least for now.
"Definitely, I'll finish another marathon that will occur," said Rasmussen.
But despite Rasmussen's best intentions, he ended up on the same journey, only he arrived much earlier than his dad did.
"This is not the place I wanted to celebrate my birthday," said Rasmussen.
The father of two turned 47 this week as a patient at Memorial Hermann's Heart and Vascular Institute.
An avid runner and marathon coach, a heart attack was the last thing he expected, but during the Chevron Houston marathon that's exactly what happened.
"I was coming back into town at where people usually start to have some issues. It was between miles 19 and 20, right inside the 610 Loop and Memorial," he said.
He fell flat on his face; a medical student at an aid station gave Rasmussen CPR until emergency workers arrived.
By all accounts, this should not have happened to him. In December, Rasmussen passed a physical fitness test.
"Feeling healthy does not equal being healthy inside," said Dr. Ali Denktas, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann's Heart and Vascular Institute.
Dr. Denktas said Rasmussen, while healthy, was a vulnerable patient because of his family history. His heart attack was the result of plaque coming loose and blocking his artery.
"If you are fit to begin with you do better, even when you have a heart attack, even when you have heart failure, or other things happen to you," said Dr. Denktas.
Rasmussen is under doctor's orders to take it easy... at least for now.
"Definitely, I'll finish another marathon that will occur," said Rasmussen.
