MUSKEGON, Mich. — More than 30 years ago, Kirk Antekeier was working in a beer and wine wholesale warehouse.
"One summer, we hired this young high school kid," said Antekeier. "Very energetic. Good worker."
Dr. Dirk Bonnema was that kid.
"I just asked him, what do you want to do? Go to school for?" said Antekeier. "He said, I'll be a doctor. I said, you'll be a doctor? He said, that's right. I said, good luck."
Bonnema went to medical school and spent years working in South Carolina as a doctor. He eventually moved back to the Muskegon area. He works at Trinity Health Muskegon as an interventional cardiologist.
The two former friends met up while both bike riding with their families. Turns out, they live within a few blocks of each other. It took a few years before they were able to get together.
"Last summer, we set that date and headed down to the golf course together," said Antekeier.
For Antekeier, it was a tee time with a mission from his wife.
"On the way, you started to describe some symptoms that your wife wanted to ask me about," said Dr. Bonnema.
Antekeier said he was working out four days a week and walking, but was getting winded often. He suspected something was wrong.
Bonnema told him to come into his office first thing Monday morning. They found three blockages, one described as a "widowmaker," and booked him for triple bypass open heart surgery that day.
"I was fortunate there was no heart damage because we got to it before," said Antekeier. "So, Doc put some extra years on my life."
Bonnema said "the incidence of heart disease is beyond what could be described." He said heart disease is the number one killer globally. Something Antekeier was able to avoid thanks to his friend.
"Don’t wait a year and half like I did and try to hide it from your wife, because she runs you into the doctor for any little thing that happens," said Antekeier about the valuable lesson he learned.
Bonnema said risk factors of heart disease are obesity, lack of exercise, tobacco use and high blood pressure. However, as in Antekeier's case, it can also just be genetic.
"If I hadn’t said something to him, I could have had the heart attack and a lot more damage, and who knows," said Antekeier.
Antekeier commended Trinity Health Muskegon for his fast response to his blockages and the teamwork in his cardio rehabilitation.
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