Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier is going public with the serious health issue that will sideline him from council business for the next month or so.
Montpellier fell ill at city council Jan. 29, passing out briefly before walking out on his own power and taking an ambulance to Health Sciences North. It turns out, that night his heart stopped beating for about four seconds.
Montpellier's heart issues date back a long time, but came to a head eight years ago when doctors told him it was so damaged, it was beyond repair. Montpellier, who had open heart surgery and other procedures in the past, said he's going public now in hopes of spreading the word that heart problems can be managed.
Plus his very public episode Jan. 29 raised a lot of questions in the public.
“You know, the whole freaking world knows now, so I guess maybe I can do some good for for science here,” Montpellier said Thursday.
Doctors eight years ago told him he needed a heart transplant, but even if one was available, he likely wouldn't survive the surgery. So they came up with a new plan.
“I went to the Ottawa Heart Institute for the installation of this critter,” he said.
The 'critter' was a relatively new piece of equipment called an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). The battery-powered device is inserted under the skin and monitors a person's heartbeat. If something unusual is detected, it delivers an electric shock to restore normal rhythms.
It is meant to keep people alive until they can receive a heart transplant, so Montpellier said they weren't sure how long it would work for him.
“They didn't really know what the heck this thing was going to do,” he said. “And here I am now, eight years later, shooting the shit with you and still OK – and I'm still going to be OK.”
Within 48 hours of receiving the ICD in Ottawa, “I was back to myself, exactly as you know me now,” Montpellier said.
“This is how I come out of the hospital. So I think it's kind of impressive.”
It's a miracle to him how well the device has worked alongside his pacemaker to keep him going, Montpellier said. The battery has been replaced once already, and is remotely monitored using a sort of GPS to ensure it's working properly.
Doctors wondered whether the ICD would end up strengthening Montpellier's heart, and when they changed the battery in Sudbury last year, they found his heart was able to beat on its own while he was disconnected from the device.
But that also played a role in the Jan. 29 incident, because his own heartbeat outran the pacemaker, sparking the crisis.
“It screwed up my freakin' pacemaker,” he said, prompting his heart to stop before being restarted by the ICD. “The technology is amazing.”
Since Jan. 29, he's been overwhelmed with good wishes from friends and the public, and has high praise for the treatment he received from the staff at HSN.
Montpellier was in hospital for a few days after the incident, but doctors allowed him to go home as long as he promised to take it easy for a full month to regain his strength.
One of the reasons for the episode was the fact he was suffering from a lingering cold, which weakened him and left him open to problems. As he rests at home with his wife, Denise, Montpellier said he's been overwhelmed by the calls and messages he's received.
“It has been all well-wishers from all over, my gosh,” he said. “People have been so kind to me -- it's really nice to hear, but it's almost embarrassing.”
Bigger picture, Montpellier said he's accepted how uncertain his future is, and is determined not to let his health hold him back from accomplishing his goals as a person and a politician.
Considering the state he was in eight years ago, life today seems like a bonus.
“I seriously believe that my last eight years were a freaking gift, you know,” he said. “I'm expecting to keep going a really long time, but I mean, you don't know how much time. And I'm OK with that.”
