On December 5, 2022, after a long day at work, Rex Austin went home, grabbed a bite to eat and settled in for the evening, but his relaxation was short lived. Around 5:00 pm, he noticed his heart began beating incredibly fast.

“My shirt seemed to bounce with the fast rhythm of my heart, and I thought, ‘Well, this is not good.'”

Around 6:30 pm, Rex’s wife, Glenda, arrived home from work. Rex downplayed his fears to his wife since he’d been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse in 1990, rendering irregular rhythm episodes an occasional annoyance in his life. Glenda ate and turned in for the evening. Soon, she was fast asleep.

“Before long, my body began to swell with fluid, and I struggled to breathe as my heart continued to beat at a fast and wild pace. Unable to sleep, I stayed awake, pacing the floor.”

An Irregular Heartbeat Goes from Bad to Worse

As the darkness and silence of night settled over the house, Rex realized he needed to go to the emergency room. He went to the bedroom to wake his wife, but decided against it since she was sleeping peacefully.

“I went back twice to wake her, but I just couldn’t do it. I thought, ‘I’ll make it till the morning.’ I left our room and began praying for relief. Within an hour, I suddenly felt very comfortable, relaxed. I wasn’t struggling to breathe. I thanked the Lord, but then an ominous realization settled over me.”

Rex noticed his heart seemed not to be beating at all. He also noticed that his labored breathing was a result of not breathing.

“I looked at the clock. It was 2:46 am. I wondered if the coroner would accurately record my time of death. I was scared for my wife who would surely wake up to find me dead. I felt remorse for leaving my kids and grandkids without saying goodbye.”

His Heart Rhythm Settles a Bit

Within minutes, Rex could feel a more natural heart rhythm, and his breathing resumed.

“I was relieved and thankful to still be alive.”

Rex resumed pacing the floor and decided he’d call for an appointment with his local primary care in the morning.

Days before his video visit, Rex contracted a viral infection. He had a fever, swelling, labored breathing, lethargy, a cough and achiness. He shared his symptoms with his provider, and she determined he had the flu. She prescribed medication.

Rex continued to struggle with heart rhythm issues, swelling and labored breathing after he recovered from the flu. He tried beta blocker medication to see if it would help.

“The meds helped a little, but my symptoms continued to progress, so I decided the problem was definitely with my heart. I made a call to my primary care office to schedule with my doctor.”

A Shocking Electrocardiogram Result Sends Rex to His Local Emergency Room

On December 21, 2022, Rex received an electrocardiogram (EKG), and after reading the analysis, Rex’s doctor decided he needed to be taken to the nearby emergency room — immediately.

Glenda recalls, “The doctor said to me, ‘Can you take him?’ I said, ‘If it’s that serious, could you call an ambulance?.’ The doctor assured me that he was safe to travel with me, so I took him right away.”

Rex was admitted to the cardiac floor and remained in the hospital until Saturday, December 23. The care teams performed several EKGs, and ultimately diagnosed Rex with heart failure. The team determined blood thinners were the most immediate, appropriate course of action, so they performed a colonoscopy to ensure he could handle it — since he had hemorrhoids. With successful completion of the colonoscopy, the doctor prescribed blood thinners. Rex was then discharged home and referred to a nearby clinic for follow-up care.

Glenda remembers this terrifying time. “My daughters came to be with us. My husband’s skin was an ashen gray. The prep for the colonoscopy was brutal, and he was already so weak. I honestly thought he was going to die.”

Rex visited the referral clinic in January, and they determined on a course of action to address Rex’s heart issues. The team performed multiple tests, including echocardiograms, a heart catheterization and a transesophageal cardiograph (TEE). They also addressed his swelling with a diuretic prescription. After much deliberation, the team informed the couple that the only fix was to replace Rex’s valve.

Glenda recalls, “We met with them for the last time on February 23. They insisted that he had no option but a replacement, which was a serious procedure and very upsetting news for us.”

Rex shares, “They wouldn’t talk about repair at all, so I decided I was going to research and find a doctor who’d provide more options. That’s how I found Dr. Boulton.”

The Couple Discovers WakeMed’s Cardiovascular Surgeon, Dr. Boulton

Rex stumbled upon WakeMed cardiovascular surgeon Bryon James Boulton, MD, FACS, while visiting heart-valve-surgery.com. There, he learned about Dr. Boulton’s mitral valve repair procedure.

Rex says, “I visited his profile and was very impressed with his credentials and experience with complicated mitral valve repairs. We knew he was the guy, so we called for an appointment.”

Rex spoke with WakeMed Heart & Vascular scheduler Leslie who assured the couple that Dr. Boulton could help. She quickly scheduled them for a virtual visit.

In March 2023, Dr. Boulton and Rex talked for 45 minutes during the initial consultation. Dr. Boulton reviewed Rex’s test results from his other doctors and continued chatting with Rex in intervals over the next several weeks. He felt confident that Rex was, indeed, an excellent candidate for mitral valve repair.

Rex reflects, “I thought, ‘This guy was not just a doctor; he really cared about me. My wife and I felt certain WakeMed was where we were supposed to go.”

The Best Care at the WakeMed Heart Center

The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the WakeMed Heart Center. The day before surgery, Rex received a computed tomography (CT) scan, X-rays and blood work. He also had another consult with the anesthesiologist. Since the couple would be there for a few days, Glenda was offered lush accommodations in the well-appointed WakeMed Heart Center Inn.

Once he was confirmed healthy enough for surgery, Rex met Dr. Boulton in person for the first time on the day of surgery.

“Dr. Boulton came in my room, leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, as though prepping to watch a movie and in the most relaxed tone asked me what questions I had. He went out of his way to make sure I didn’t feel rushed, so I asked him nearly every question I could think of, including a sheepish one about the lunch buzzer and if they were going to take an hour break, leaving me on the table while they headed to Chick Fil A. Dr. Boulton laughed, and that put me at ease for surgery.”

Around 10:30 am, Rex was wheeled back to surgery. Dr. Boulton assured Glenda that he would tell her once surgery had begun.

“I got a message around 11:30 am that they’d started surgery,” says Glenda.

Around 5:45 pm, Dr. Boulton went into the waiting area to talk with Glenda and their two daughters. He told Glenda that Rex would be fine.

“I completely trusted him,” shares Glenda. “He also told me to tell Rex that the surgery took a while because they left him on the table for an hour to make a Chick Fil A run. We all had a good laugh and felt positive about Rex’s outcome. We followed up with a thank you gift card to Chick Fil A for Dr. Boulton.”

The couple remained on the intensive care unit at WakeMed Raleigh Campus until Saturday, May 20, 2023. Once he progressed in his recovery, he was sent to the intermediate care 3B unit, where he remained for one day with discharge home on Sunday, May 21, 2023. In that time, they received the best quality care from every member of staff they encountered.

“If I could do a luxury vacation anywhere, it would be WakeMed. Everything was excellent,” Rex glows. “The food was delicious. The nurses were kind. The physical therapist who helped me get up and walk teased me about speeding down the hall. I did not encounter a single person who did not treat me like family.”

A Return to a Normal, Happy Life

Since surgery, Rex has completely regained his quality of life though he’s made some modifications. He retired from operating his business to reduce his stress. He also learned that salt-free substitutes were best for seasoning his food.

Pleased, Glenda smiles, “He eats very well.”

Rex spends his days writing and performing music. He looks forward to one of his songs being released on the radio near the end of August 2023. He and Glenda also spend as much time as possible with their two daughters, sons-in-law and three grandchildren.

The Best Birthday Gift: A Visit to WakeMed and Serenade for Dr. Boulton

On August 22, 2023, Rex celebrated his 65th birthday. The day prior, he and his wife took the three-hour drive back to WakeMed to serenade Dr. Boulton with the team, including WakeMed Heart & Vascular Physicians Executive Director Dee Darks and Judson Williams, MD, WakeMed Heart & Vascular Executive Medical Director, who helped to facilitate the meeting. Rex had written a song to thank Dr. Boulton for saving his life and performed it with a couple of WakeMed staff, including the well-beloved WakeMed Heart & Vascular physician assistant Tom Devito, MS, PA-C.