Patient Story: Mike Tennor

Mike Tennor of Columbia, Maryland stayed physically active for years. He played racquetball and handball for decades and as he reached his 70s, traded in those sports for walking and exercising on an indoor bike to go easy on his joints. 

While on a walk with his daughter, he began to feel short of breath after walking just a quarter of a mile. He took a break and continued to walk but felt short of breath several times. When they returned home, he told his wife of 50-plus years that he didn’t feel well during the walk, and she recommended they seek medical care. 

Tennor visited an urgent care facility and a high-sensitivity troponin T test showed that he had experienced a heart attack. He was taken by ambulance to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC). 

At the medical center, it was determined that he had blockage in three arteries. He was scheduled for a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. 

“For Mr. Tennor, the CABG was needed to restore blood flow to the areas of his heart that were not getting enough blood due to the blockages. This surgery improves heart function, especially for those who have recently had a heart attack,” says Murtaza Dawood, MD, the cardiothoracic surgeon who treated Tennor. 

The surgery took place in February 2024. Tennor states, “Dr. Dawood and his staff were fantastic. He answered any questions we had and we could not have asked for better care.” 

Following the surgery, Tennor recovered in the Zazulia Heart and Vascular Center, which is an inpatient unit for those with heart conditions. 

After 36 one-hour sessions of cardiac rehab, Tennor was back to staying physically active. He still walks and uses an indoor bike, and he goes to the gym three times a week. 

On September 7, 2024, he had his 80^th birthday. His wife and two daughters planned a celebration for him in their home of 30-plus years. 

In addition to staying active, he and his wife dedicate their time to several non-profits. He has two degrees in mathematics and taught high school mathematics for 16 years before learning computer programming in the 1970s. He left his teaching career for a role with Apple in the 1980s, and following that he worked for Lockheed Martin as a programmer analyst. During his time there he received a top secret clearance twice and worked on projects for a variety of government agencies. Today, he uses his background in computers to help non-profits manage their websites. 

He and his wife love to travel and they have plans to visit Spain and Portugal this fall.