Calvin Hunt's Journey to Heart Health at Saint Joseph

Montgomery County resident Calvin Hunt experienced shortness of breath while walking, even before his two COVID-19 cases. The second instance worsened his breathing problems.

The condition affected his job as an insurance agent, a position he has held for many years, in addition to a 27-year public school teaching career. "We have to go around and take pictures of properties and by the time I'd get halfway around, I'd be breathing really hard," the 78-year-old Hunt said. "By the time I got back to the vehicle, I'd have to sit down and rest for four to five minutes before I'd start the vehicle to go."

His primary care doctor ordered tests, including GI and pulmonary function, but the results were normal. This past winter, a medically induced stress test at Saint Joseph Mount Sterling revealed a dark spot on the bottom of his heart. He then scheduled to see interventional cardiologist Shengnan Zheng, MD with CommonSpirit Saint Joseph Health’s Cardiology Medical Group in Lexington.

The dark spot was a 99% blockage of the left anterior descending artery of Hunt's heart, a condition that can cause heart attacks. He said his wife, Debra, called him a serious risk.

“After Dr. Zheng came back and said it was 99% blocked, that was the scariest part,” said Hunt, who is 78. “I had no idea — I had no chest pain whatsoever, no arm pain. I didn’t have any of that. The only symptom I had was difficulty breathing.”

During surgery in late March at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Dr. Zheng inserted two stents to open the blockage by inserting a catheter in the radial artery of his wrist. Dr. Zheng also found two additional, less severe, blockages that will be addressed later as needed. 

"Dr. Zheng was very informative," Hunt said. "She came in and talked to me before surgery and then came in afterward and told me what she'd found. She tells you what she's doing, she tells you how you're doing. We would recommend Saint Joseph, Dr. Zheng and all the staff there."

Because the surgery was minimally invasive and Hunt was feeling well, he was able to go home the same evening.

“The day after I had surgery, I felt like I was on Cloud 9. I felt so good on that Thursday afternoon after surgery,” said Hunt. He later overexerted himself for a couple of days and needed to rest more.

He has been doing cardiac physical therapy in Clark County, where he has similarly had to reduce his activity to avoid overexertion.

After the diagnosis, Hunt said, "I had a lot of prayers going on at church and by friends. The good Lord was looking after me. He gave me the right doctor at the right time."

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