John Truckner thought he had heartburn.
For two days, the 62-year-old Sebastian business owner and retired mail carrier brushed off a nagging discomfort in his chest — the kind that feels ordinary enough to ignore.
Then he remembered a friend's father who had died from similar symptoms.
On his way to work one morning, Truckner pulled into Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital. It was a decision that likely saved his life.
"I drive by the hospital every day and it still feels like a dream," Truckner said. "Everything happened so fast, and they saved my life."
Within minutes of his arrival at the emergency room, staff assessed him and rushed him to the Cath Lab, where physicians discovered a 99% blockage in his left anterior descending artery — commonly called the "widowmaker" for its lethality.
He underwent an emergency stent placement. Days later, a second procedure revealed evidence he may have already suffered multiple heart attacks before ever walking through those doors.
Truckner, owner of Indian River Bee Company and Sunset Diner, credits ER physician Dr. Joseph Polakoski, interventional cardiologist Dr. Charles Croft, and the hospital's Cath Lab team with his survival.
"This is our community hospital, and they were there when I needed them most," he said.
June is Men's Health Month, and Truckner's story underscores a challenge physicians see regularly: men downplaying symptoms that turn out to be cardiac emergencies.
Dr. Robert Ford, Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital Emergency Department Medical Director, said any chest discomfort warrants evaluation — but certain combinations of symptoms demand immediate attention.
"If it's indigestion plus nausea, plus shortness of breath, plus sweating — those are things that should always concern you," Ford said.
He added that while chest pain is more typically felt in the center or left side of the chest, some patients experience right-sided pain that still requires urgent care. His advice: don't leave anything to chance.
Women and men can present differently when having a heart attack, Ford noted. Men more commonly show what doctors call "typical" symptoms — chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and pain that radiates to the neck, arms, or back. Women more often experience atypical symptoms. But he cautioned that the lines can blur.
"There can be overlap between the two," he said. "There are even atypical symptoms for men" — including unusual fatigue or increased shortness of breath during physical activity.
As for when men should start taking symptoms more seriously, Dr. Ford said age 40 is a general threshold — though not an absolute one.
"I've seen patients well under that age with heart attacks. We even had a 22-year-old at one point," he said. "Paying attention is important. Listening to your body — the age is a factor, but it's not going to be everything."
He also recommended that men over 40 see a primary care physician at least once a year to monitor cholesterol levels and other risk factors, and emphasized that a healthy diet and regular aerobic exercise can reduce cardiac risk — though genetics can predispose some people regardless of lifestyle.
Truckner said he hopes his story encourages others in the Treasure Coast community to trust their instincts and not wait.
"Don't ignore subtle warning signs," he said, "and don't hesitate to seek care."