Emporia School-board president recovering from heart attack and surgery
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:05 p.m., June 2, 2008
Updated 01:05 p.m., June 2, 2008
Emporia school board president Grant Riles is home and recuperating well after suffering a heart attack, undergoing surgery at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, Kan. — and making an air-ambulance return to the medical center after being home less than one day.
Riles’ health now is improving and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Riles and his wife, Melinda, went to bed Memorial Day evening, unaware that Grant was approaching a health crisis. They had only days before gone to the funeral for Melinda Riles’ mother, Berta Archdekin, and they had been dealing with the aftermath of that death.
Before the attack, Riles, 53, had not appeared to be a candidate for heart problems; he does not smoke and both his weight and cholesteral are within normal ranges.
Although he is improved, he was not yet up to an interview this morning and asked his wife to speak on his behalf.
“It was very scary,” she said. “We didn’t have any idea that this was going to hit us.”
Grant Riles woke during the night of Memorial Day, she said, feeling pressure on his chest.
“It was chest pressure and it was going down both arms,” Melinda Riles said. “A lot of people don’t have what they see on television, the crushing pain and so on.”
She drove her husband to the Newman Regional Health emergency room, where the first set of blood tests showed no problems. He was put in a regular room to be monitored, with another blood test scheduled early Tuesday morning.
“Then that’s when it started showing up, that there were heart problems,” she said.
Riles was taken by ground ambulance to the University of Kansas Hospital, where he underwent a heart catheterization that quickly evolved into something more invasive — repairing blockages in two of the heart’s three main arteries.
“They put stents in both arteries,” Melinda Riles said. “After recovery, he did not feel the pressure any more.”
The couple returned to Emporia Thursday evening.
“Well, on Friday, we had to make a return trip to KU Medical Center,” she said.
Grant Riles was feeling pressure in his chest again and, with doctors here wary of complications, he was airlifted to Kansas City, where he underwent another heart catheterization to determine whether a blood clot or another cardiac problem had developed.
“Everything was fine, there was no more complications,” Melinda Riles said of the last test. “They said possibly that the arteries were spasming. ...”
She was able to bring her husband home Saturday evening, and said doctors are “very positive about everything.”
“We’re home, we’re fine and expecting a full recovery,” she said. “... That’s the best part. Full recovery.”
jayhawker (anonymous) says...
Lets all hope that Grant makes a quick and full recovery. He has given much service to our community, and we are grateful.
June 2, 2008 at 2:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )