Valve Surgery Sidelines Local Runner — But Not Forever

David Szeremet loves to run. He logs up to 50 miles a week, often hitting local trails with friends. Over the last 30 years, David has completed more than 70 full marathons and 100 half-marathons. He’s even been a pace team member for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon for the last 15 years.

Like many athletes his age (56), David knew he wouldn’t be able to run forever. But he didn’t think the aging process would catch up with him as quickly as it did.

“Back in December 2023, I noticed I was breathing a little heavier during my runs, and my workouts weren’t what they used to be,” he says. “Within a few weeks, my symptoms were getting worse. I was fatigued, and my chest felt tight, even when I wasn’t running.”

It turns out that David’s problem wasn’t aging. It was a rare, life-threatening condition called endocarditis. This condition occurs when the heart’s inner lining, the endocardium, becomes inflamed.

But David wasn’t thinking “endocarditis” or even “heart disease.” After all, he was a healthy, fit guy — until he wasn’t.

In early January 2024, David developed a high fever. “It felt like the flu,” David says. “I stubbornly figured I could sleep it off. But by the third day, I was so sore and exhausted I couldn’t get out of bed. My wife, Cheehee, finally said, ‘That’s it. We’re going to the emergency department.’ Her insistence probably saved my life.”

Life-Saving Measures from Heart Care Experts

Cheehee drove David to St. Elizabeth Fort Thomas, just a mile from their house. The ED team evaluated him quickly and recognized signs of a cardiac emergency. Within 10 minutes, David was in an ambulance

headed for St. Elizabeth Edgewood, where heart care providers have advanced expertise and immediate access to life-saving technology. After stabilizing David in the ED, the care team transferred him to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).

David was in no condition to communicate with the care team about what was happening to his body. But he later learned just how sick he was. “I had a major infection in my bloodstream, which was affecting my spleen and kidneys,” he says. “My white blood cell count was really high. I had had a stroke and a minor heart attack. By the end of my first day in the hospital, the care team discovered the endocarditis, which was causing a fungus to grow on my aortic valve. I was going to need a new heart valve.”

“I Knew I Was in Good Hands.”

The next morning, Mario Castillo-Sang, MD, a nationally recognized expert in valve surgery, visited David in his room to talk with him and Cheehee. “Dr. Castillo-Sang walked me through my diagnosis and the surgery,” David says. “He was excellent — professional, prompt and happy to answer our questions. In fact, everyone in the CICU was just great. They wanted me to be involved in my care and recovery. I knew I was in good hands.”

Three days after David entered the hospital, Dr. Castillo-Sang replaced his diseased valve with a bovine (cow) heart valve. David returned home three weeks later, eager to continue his recovery but also fearful.

“Early on, the care team assured me that I would be able to run again, but I was weak and had lost 45 pounds, including a lot of muscle mass,” he says. “I was worried that the heart issue and surgery had permanently damaged me and I would never get back to running the way I had before.”

A Long Road to Recovery

Soon after returning home, David began a six-week cardiac rehab program at St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas. He came to the rehab center three times a week for exercise, education sessions and one-on-one health counseling. The sessions helped him get stronger physically — and mentally.

“The staff taught me techniques to build back my cardio endurance and strength,” David says. “I still had moments of doubt, but eventually, I got to the point where I trusted the process and the rehab team. The team encouraged me to ask questions and engage in my recovery as much as possible. The more I trusted them, the more I could get past the anxiety and focus on getting better and overcoming the hurdles in front of me. I am especially grateful for Amy Reed, Lead Exercise Physiologist. She was a true pro and a joy to work with.”

David’s progress was slow but steady. Two months after surgery, he could barely walk a quarter-mile on an indoor track. But progress came steadily. After two more months, he was jogging 20 miles a week. By September 2024, nearly nine months after David’s heart surgery, he hit a new milestone: 40 miles a week of steady-pace running.

The Ultimate Test

These days, David is back to his job as a corporate attorney and back on the trails with his group of friends, the “nerd herd.” In August 2024, he put his new heart valve to the ultimate test when he and some buddies traveled to Utah to hike and camp. He hiked 50 miles that week while carrying a 40-pound backpack. And he felt great.

“When I tell people about my surgery, they often say something like, ‘I can’t believe that happened to you, you’re always so active!’” David says. “But endocarditis can happen to anyone. I’m so grateful for St. Elizabeth Healthcare — having that team behind me was crucial. They saved my life and helped give me my active life back.”

David has this advice for those who ignore worrisome symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. “Don’t wait to get help like I did. If you are having symptoms, get checked out. You can’t fight your way through everything — sometimes, you need a team to step in and save the day like the team at St. Elizabeth did for me.”

We’re Here for You with Personalized Heart Care

With more than 30 specialists, Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth provides easy access to unparalleled expertise and quality. Our doctors collaborate with your primary care provider and other specialists to provide personalized care tailored to your needs. Need to find a primary care provider or cardiologist? Search here.

For a new patient cardiology appointment, call (859) 287-3045. Our Cardiac Surgeons are also available for new consultations or second opinions, call (859) 301-9010.