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Everyday aches and pains are normal for many people as they age. But for 34-year-old Dustin Masek of Columbus, age was not the reason for his discomfort. Masek’s reccurring back pain turned into something much more intense than age-related problems.

Everyday aches and pains are normal for many people as they age. But for 34-year-old Dustin Masek of Columbus, age was not the reason for his discomfort. Masek’s reccurring back pain turned into something much more intense than age-related problems.

“My symptoms started about a week before I decided to go get help,” he said. “I had an overall tightness of my lower back and a muscle sprain. I took a muscle relaxer and it went away, but the tightness was pretty intense. A few days later I had the same thing happen at work. It felt like it was in the back of my heart and in my back — directly on my spine.”

After a week of pain, Masek finally sought care at Columbus Community Hospital’s emergency room.

“I continued to take muscle relaxers to hide it for the rest of the week,” Masek said, “until finally I had a really bad episode and knew I had to go in.”

At the hospital, Masek saw Dr. Sabu George, a cardiologist and the medical director of the hospital’s catheterization lab.

Dr. George determined he needed to perform a heart catheterization, during which he inserted a tube through Masek’s blood vessel into his heart, used a balloon to open up the vessel, and inserted a stent to keep it open. It turned out that Masek had a 90% blockage in one of his arteries.

With such a scary and sudden diagnosis, Masek was grateful for the care he received at the hospital. “Everybody was great,” he said. “They were all super positive and answered all my questions. They never made me feel helpless.”

Because of insurance requirements, Masek has always had to travel out of town to receive care in the past. But after this experience, he wants to make Columbus Community Hospital his family’s permanent medical home.

Masek is now an advocate for both taking care of oneself and seeking care from others when necessary.

“Get yourself to the hospital,” he said. “Trust your body. That dread you are feeling is indicating something is going on. I got really lucky I came in when I did, and with the team I was assigned to. I have no doubt other patients are receiving the same degree of care.”

Masek has now stopped smoking and drinking caffeine and has started preparing home-cooked meals for himself.

“I am 34, and I have a whole lot of life yet to live,” he said. “I am going to live it in the healthiest and most responsible way possible.”

For more information about Columbus Cardiology Clinic and the hospital’s catheterization lab, call 402-562-4835.