Delayed Heart Attack

By Yiannakis Kyriazis

Dreadful abdominal pain awoke me at 5 a.m.

Though rested, I felt exhausted and out of breath. I was nearly 60 and not in the best of health, so I went straight to the hospital in Cyprus’ capital, Nicosia. A doctor examined me, said everything was fine, and told me to go home.

Image © Pacific Press

My wife, Marbie, was by my side. She had been instrumental in helping me to stop smoking five packets a day. She also had led me to Jesus and membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She only had agreed to marry me after my life changed and I was baptized.

Here I was now, just two years into my new faith and marriage, and feeling very unwell.

“I’m not going anywhere”, I told the doctor.

I was still in pain and wanted to know why. Seeing my persistence, the doctor agreed to call a cardiologist. Being off duty, it would take a while.

One hour passed. Two hours. Then five, seven, eight hours.

Around 1:10 p.m., the pain increased substantially. Struggling to breathe, I stood up to go outside for fresh air. My head began to spin, and darkness came over me.

Someone shouted, “Quick! He’s having a heart attack”.

At that moment, the cardiologist arrived.

Medical workers rushed me to the emergency room.

When I regained consciousness, I learned that my heart arteries had been badly blocked.

“We did everything that we could”, the cardiologist said.

I was hospitalized in the intensive care unit for three weeks. Once my condition improved, doctors performed open-heart surgery. I was in the operating room for 9½ hours. By God’s grace, the operation went well, and I am strong and happy again.

Looking back, I believe that the pains that awoke me at 5 a.m. were the beginning a heart attack. I could have died right away. Yet our loving God delayed the heart attack for a full 8½ hours until the cardiologist arrived, thus preserving my life.

Today I am 61 and very grateful to God for giving me a new lease on life. I will use the extra years that He has given me to serve Him and others.

Part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help construct a new church building and community center in Nicosia for Yiannakis’ congregation and two other congregations.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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