MUSKEGON, Mich. — Thursday marks the last day of American Heart Month. FOX 17 sat down with a doctor-turned-patient who is thriving after a heart transplant nearly five years ago.
“I am so grateful from that moment on. I lead a grateful life every day,” Corewell Health Dr. Adelita Saenz said.
When Dr. Saenz looks through old photos of herself, she says it's obvious she was struggling with her health. She points out her sunken cheekbones, saying now, she's in a much better place.
“On September 17, 2019, I got my new heart,” Dr. Saenz recalled.
Dr. Saenz says the roles being reversed — her being the patient whom doctors were caring for — has only helped her be a better physician at her family practice in Muskegon.
“I use what I’ve been through, especially with my heart patients. I totally know what they’re talking about when they say ‘I feel tight. I can’t walk up a flight of stairs anymore.’ I know what that’s like,” Dr. Saenz said.
Dr. Saenz did her own rehab during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 because the rehab she was supposed to have was no longer an option. She spent a total of three months in the hospital after her transplant.
Dr. Saenz describes not being able to lift her own head up after the operation and ICU stay. Now, she's planning a hiking trip with her daughters in the Seattle area in just a few weeks.
“It certainly is something that is quite phenomenal in terms of the transformation that patients have when they have heart failure. A condition where their heart is not able to push out sufficient blood to the rest of the body. Receiving a heart transplant, patients can be transformed into being able to do things that they didn’t used to do for many, many years,” Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist for Corewell Health Dr. Sangjin Lee said.
Dr. Lee, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Corewell Health, was a doctor on Dr. Saenz's team. Dr. Saenz describes every single healthcare professional she interacted with along the way as "outstanding," saying they answered all her questions.
“Through it all, my gosh, the nurses, the techs, the doctors were always so kind and patient...Being a physician, I know you have umpteen patients to see and do your rounds,” Dr. Saenz explained.
Dr. Saenz says she knows heart troubles are scary. She was scared, too. She hopes by sharing what happened to her, she can give her patients some perspective on what life is like on the other side.
“Those that have attacks to their heart, so to speak, whether it’s a heart attack, whether you’ve had a stroke or you have a bad valve, if it requires a procedure, then let’s do it. Let's get you healthier," Dr. Saenz said.
The experts say the best way to take care of your heart is by getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, eating well, being active and stopping smoking.
