Maruice’s Story – Keeping pace with life

I had been falling occasionally over several years. I had no idea what was causing it. I just simply fell, and at 90 plus years old, you can imagine the risk of serious injury.

At first, I thought my balance was off and that it would eventually stop. But when it happened over and over again, I became very concerned.

My friends’ son is a doctor. When I thought that I might have a problem with my heart, he recommended I see Dr. Earl Teitelbaum, a cardiologist at North York General Hospital. Dr. Teitelbaum assessed me and told me I needed a stent when it became obvious that I had a blockage.

To facilitate a better follow-up, Dr. Teitelbaum enrolled me in the North York General Hospital Cardiac Clinic, where he would see me every three months instead of once per year. Dr. Teitelbaum had me undergo several tests and discovered that I had serious arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat with as much as a six-second delay. This was significant. There was a chance that, if left untreated, my heart may not restart after a pause.

I was concerned, but Dr. Teitelbaum was very reassuring. He took the time to explain the problem in detail and walked me through the solution. I needed a pacemaker. I was resigned to having the procedure but thrilled beyond belief to learn that this would solve my falling problem.

My pacemaker gave me my life back. I used to fall sometimes when my heart skipped a beat, but now my heart is beating perfectly. I’m now 93 years old and feel better than I’ve felt in 20 years.

Since I’ve had the stent, I’ve been going to the Graham & Audrey Rosenberg Family Cardiac Care Clinic for regular checkups. The staff at the clinic are excellent. Not only are they thorough and efficient, but they’re also accommodating and friendly.

My care experience was great when I first started going to the clinic in September 2018, but it’s been even better since the clinic was redeveloped. When I go there for treatment, I don’t feel like I’m a patient at a clinic because it no longer looks like a clinic – it’s homier and nicely designed, especially with the beautiful artwork on the glass. The latest equipment means the doctors, nurses and technicians can provide even better care.

None of these improvements would have been possible without the generosity of donors who supported cardiac care at North York General. Thanks to them, I got my life back and feel like more than just a patient whenever I go to the clinic for a checkup.

With my warmest gratitude,

Maurice Rabinovitch

Grateful patient