About 15 years ago, Peter Goudy went to his annual visit with his primary care doctor, not suspecting anything was wrong. But everything changed when the nurse tried to take his vitals.
"The nurse was having a really hard time getting a reading on my blood pressure," he says. "She tried two cuffs and then got my doctor, who tried a manual cuff but still could not get a reading. When she finally did, it was off the charts. It was the highest reading I had ever had."
His doctor immediately called an ambulance, and Peter was taken out of the office on a gurney headed for Boston Medical Center.
Lifesaving Care for Coronary Artery Disease
At BMC he met with a cardiologist, received medication, and was sent home with an appointment to meet again—with cardiologist Dr. Claudia Hochberg. “The rest of that day was a total blur. I remember them telling me my heart was beating at like 180 beats per minute. They got my heart rate back to normal.”
A few weeks later, he learned from Dr. Hochberg that he had coronary artery disease—a condition in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart are blocked. “I had no idea I had heart disease,” Peter says. “Within a month, I was back at BMC, where Dr. Hochberg put two stents in my heart to open the arteries.”
Four years later he learned there was more blockage in his arteries, and Dr. Hochberg placed two more stents in his heart.
Since that time, he has continued to see Dr. Hochberg every six months. "I love her to pieces; she's a phenomenal person," he says. "She's been so good with me, and we get along great. She's got a great bedside manner and she's a great doctor. I feel so fortunate to have landed with her that day and that I'm still with her." Peter says that because Dr. Hochberg specializes in heart disease in women, he counts himself lucky to be one of her male patients.
Peter also appreciates Dr. Hochberg's staff, especially Loren at the reception desk. "He is just the sweetest guy. I love going in to see Dr. Hochberg, and it's always nice to see Loren at the desk every time I go in. He's been there for a long time."
Grateful and Active, 15 Years On
Today, Peter credits Dr. Hochberg with helping him stay healthy. "She keeps a close eye on me and runs lab work at every visit to make sure my heart is doing okay." Since his initial scares, Peter is happy to report that he hasn't had any more urgent heart issues.
Peter is especially grateful that he's been able to continue to live an active lifestyle, riding his motorcycle and taking an annual trip with friends and family to Acadia National Park. "There's a big group of us that go every year-this year was our seventeenth annual visit. It's a blast. One year, I had some T-shirts printed memorializing the event, and I brought one back for Dr. Hochberg."