A surprise diagnosis at 53

Chuck on vacation with his daughter, Kate, and wife, Elizabeth.

Chuck Bruce was happy to learn he had been matched with a new family doctor. Like many people in Canada, he had been without one for some time since his previous doctor retired.

At Chuck’s first appointment with his new physician, she listened to his heart, moving her stethoscope from the upper left to the upper right of his chest. When he asked why, she said: “I’m following the sound of your murmur.”

“What murmur?” asked Chuck.

A heart murmur is often the first indication of heart valve disease. That moment was the start of a dramatic journey for Chuck, who lives in St. John’s and is CEO of Provident10, which oversees the public service pension plan in Newfoundland and Labrador. Chuck shared his story with Heart Valve Voice Canada.

Was it a surprise to learn you had a heart murmur?

Yes. Maybe I had been told at some point, but if I was, I did not pay attention. After finding the murmur with her stethoscope, my physician asked, “Do you have any shortness of breath?”

I said I didn’t think so. But my wife, Elizabeth, happened to be in the room because she was having her intake appointment after mine. And she said, “Well, yes, I think you do.” She mentioned a recent Saturday when I was doing chores around the house. “You seemed a little more winded than I had ever seen you.”

Sometimes the people closest to us notice changes that we do not see ourselves. Looking back, Elizabeth recognized that something was not quite right before I did.

What happened next?

The doctor referred me for a CT scan and an echocardiogram. Within a few weeks I had the scan. My appointment was at 3 o’clock on a Wednesday.  

At about 3:45 I left the hospital. Five minutes later, while driving, I experienced some pain in my chest. At first, I thought it was gas or indigestion, or maybe some reaction to the contrast dye used in the CT scan. The pain got worse, making me think of how I’ve heard a heart attack described — like having an elephant on your chest. 

I was five minutes from home, and five minutes from the hospital. So, I made what might have been a life-saving decision: I went back to the hospital and walked into the emergency department. 

What happened in emergency?

After two rounds of bloodwork, I was told that I had had a mild heart attack. That was June 23, 2023.

I was admitted. Over the next several days, I had two angiograms and two echocardiograms. I was diagnosed with moderate aortic stenosis. They told me I needed open-heart surgery to replace my aortic valve.

NOTE: There is no evidence that aortic stenosis (AS) increases the risk of heart attack. However, some risk factors associated with AS — including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol —are also linked to coronary artery disease, which can lead to heart attack.

What was it like waiting for valve surgery?

It took me a few days to get over the initial shock of being in hospital as a cardiac patient. Two days previously I had been cutting the grass! I felt well, so I asked if I could go home and wait to be called for the surgery.

They told me that if I went home, I would be switched to outpatient status, and the wait for surgery could be much longer — 12 to 14 months, in non- emergency cases.

I didn’t like the idea of potentially taking a hospital bed from someone sicker than I was. But I thought about my wife, who was sitting there with me, and our daughter. I said, “I cannot in good conscience, as a husband and a father, leave the hospital, and go to bed every night wondering if I’m going to wake up. At least if something happens while I’m in hospital, I have a fighting chance.”

So I settled in, and eventually had surgery five weeks later.

How did you cope with the stress?

A few things kept me balanced.

First was the support of family and friends, especially knowing that my wife and daughter were being cared for outside the hospital. That took 99% of the stress away from me.

I also learned how important it is to pay attention to your mental health. Receiving a diagnosis like this can be emotionally overwhelming. There were moments of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety, especially while waiting for surgery. I found it helpful to talk openly with my family and focus on what I could control. I would encourage anyone facing a serious health issue to pay as much attention to their mental wellbeing as they do to their physical recovery.

Work helped too. Because I was feeling well, I asked the treating physician if I could continue to work. They OK’d up to half days. So, I continued to take virtual meetings and engage with the office. Finally, I think I was a good patient, following everything that my medical team advised. I understood how important it was for me to be healthy coming out of this on the other side.

What replacement valve did you choose, and why? 

As my surgery date was set, I met the surgeon. He presented two choices for a replacement valve, a mechanical or tissue valve, and explained the advantages and disadvantages of each. But what he concentrated on more was my age, 53.

The mechanical valve typically lasts a lifetime, and in most cases does not have to be replaced. A tissue valve often has to be replaced within a given period. If I had been in my 30s or 40s, it’s likely they would have strongly recommended a mechanical valve. If I had been older, the choice of a tissue valve might have been clearer. But at 53, I was in the middle.

A lot of what I do in my work with pensions is managing risk. After talking to my family, I leaned to the tissue valve. I felt that the risk of one day needing another operation to replace it was decreasing, thanks to improvements in technology such as non-invasive TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation).

The surgeon supported our decision to choose the tissue valve.

How was your recovery from surgery? 

The surgery went well and I went home four days later. They give you a pamphlet when you’re leaving the hospital. It mentions some possible complications – you know, “in 3% of cases this might happen; in 5% of other cases this might happen.” 

Within my first four weeks, two of these rare things happened and I ended up back in hospital twice. One was related to blood pressure, which resulted in fluid around my heart. Medication eventually resolved that problem. Then one evening, I got up from sitting at our kitchen island and collapsed. In that case, my blood pressure was too low. 

One of the cardiologists described my heart as being “angry” after the operation. “Remember, someone had their hands in and around your heart,” he said. “Your heart is saying, ‘It’s going to take me a while to get over that.’” 

So, for about six weeks, I took medication to regulate my blood pressure. I also had a pacemaker implanted. Then everything settled down, and I went back to work two weeks after the pacemaker procedure.

Chuck enjoying a moment with daughter Kate.

How are you doing today?  

I’m feeling fine. I have no adverse effects from the surgery. I am thankful for being alive, for my work, and for my family most importantly. The experience reminded me not to take my health for granted. It changed how I think about time, family, and priorities. 

What do you wish more people knew about heart valve disease?   

I wondered why I did not know I had a heart murmur. And if I had known, would I have had that conversation with my physician on a regular basis? I think this is something everyone should be aware of. 

It’s important for us all to check in regularly on our health, especially as we age, or if we go through other life changes. If something does not feel right, or if someone close to you notices a change, do not ignore it. Ask questions, follow up with your physician, and advocate for your health. 

Finally, I’d like to see more awareness — the kind we’ve seen with the breast cancer movement. Thirty years ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. In those days, it was something that wasn’t talked about very often; there were no national walks or pink toasters to buy. 

But the movement around breast cancer has created awareness and education, which has made people pay attention. I’d like to see the same awareness around heart valve disease.  

Published on September 11, 2026