For years, Rich Bugay thought his burning mouth was just acid reflux. He tried everything — cough drops, tests, endless doctor visits — but nothing worked. Then one day, his fatigue became unbearable. “Some mornings I could barely walk,” he recalled.
A final trip to the Mayo Clinic revealed the terrifying truth — Rich had a ticking timebomb in his chest. Doctors discovered a massive aortic aneurysm, a bulge in his main artery that could burst at any moment. “You don’t have a lot of time,” the surgeon warned. “You’re basically a timebomb.”
He was rushed into open-heart surgery just four days later. Today, the Michigan father of three is alive — and deeply grateful. “I went in thinking I had heartburn,” he said. “Turns out, it was my heart trying to tell me something.”
Rich hopes his story reminds others to listen to their bodies. Sometimes, what feels small can be the sign that saves your life. ❤️
