FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney is speaking out about the lessons he insights he gained from a recent health scare.
The message he’s now trying to spread is simple: Pay attention to what your body is telling you and reach out to a medical provider if something seems abnormal.
Back in 2022, Toney was a seemingly-healthy 39-year-old who ran marathons. Little did he know, until he consulted doctors multiple times about unusual symptoms he’d been experiencing for months, he had developed myocarditis — and later, a bacterial infection that damaged his right aortic valve.
Toney ultimately underwent open heart surgery to replace the valve and received a single coronary bypass. In a press conference Thursday, Toney expressed his gratitude to the medical staff at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital.
“I’m very that I was able to get that treatment and that I can be here with everyone today,” Toney said, adding, “I feel better today than I felt at just about any point last year.”
Toney credits early testing as the main factor for his overall recovery, and is urging others not to ignore symptoms that indicate something could be wrong.
I didn’t really think it was my heart when I was going through those issues; I was seeing a neurologist. It’s just important to have those things followed up and continue to ask questions and when you’re seeing those symptoms, let your doctors know what they are.
Hospital President Katherine Vergos said, “As the leading cause of death in American men and woman, cardiovascular disease claims a life every 36 seconds. However, unlike many health conditions, cardiovascular disease is preventable.”
Vergos encouraged everyone to educate themselves on healthy habits that can be implemented in their day-to-day lives to help decrease their risk of heart disease.
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