UPDATE: Community Leader Released from Hospital

Update, 10 a.m. Tuesday: After spending nearly five days in the hospital, Jay Dunstan is at home today resting.

On Monday morning, Dunstan was mentally preparing himself for the possibility of heart surgery. By late afternoon, he was signing hospital release papers.

"It turns out there was no blockage in my heart," Dunstan said. After intitial tests, doctors were concerned Dunstan had a 50 percent to 70 percent blockage in his left anterior descending (LAD) artery.

Dustan said doctors at Beaumont Hospital made it clear that tests are not always 100 percent accurate and were preparing him for every scenario, including worst case.

"I felt it was handled extremely well," Dunstan said. "I am just relieved to be home."

3:14 p.m. Monday: Royal Oak community activist and longtime volunteer Jay Dunstan is awaiting test results to determine treatment after experiencing chest pains late last week.

Dunstan, 53, awaited word Monday afternoon in Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak to find out whether he will require cardiac surgery after being taken to the hospital Thursday.

“He was complaining about tightness in his chest,” his wife, Patty Dunstan, said. “I was talking to him and he wasn’t reacting right to me, so I called 911.”

Patty Dunstan said initial tests show her husband did not suffer a heart attack but that an angiogram, an imaging test that uses X-rays to view blood vessels, revealed he had a 50 percent to 70 percent blockage in his left anterior descending (LAD) artery. In addition, Dunstan’s main artery, the dorsal aorta, showed signs of calcification.

“I am really scared to hear what the doctors plan to do, but so happy that Patty called 911,” Dunstan said Monday from his hospital bed.

Dunstan is a member of the Downtown Development Authority as well as Volunteer Royal Oak, the group that recently proposed a splash pad for Grant Park. He organized the Time Capsule Project in the butterfly garden at the Royal Oak Public Library and helps organize the annual Oak Apple run, Memorial Day activities and more.

Dunstan was named 2008 Royal Oak Citizen of the Year, 2010 Royal Oak Optimist of the Year and the 2010 James Morrison Award winner from the Royal Oak Historical Society.  

Well wishes may be sent to 111 E. Parent, Royal Oak, MI 48067.

Warning signs of a heart attack

The following are the most common symptoms of a heart attack, according to Beaumont's website. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• severe pressure, fullness, squeezing, pain and/or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
• pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulders, neck, arms, or jaw
• chest pain that increases in intensity
• chest pain that is not relieved by rest or by taking nitroglycerin
• chest pain that occurs with any/all of the following (additional) symptoms:
  • sweating, cool, clammy skin, and/or paleness
  • shortness of breath
  • nausea or vomiting
  • dizziness or fainting
  • unexplained weakness or fatigue
  • rapid or irregular pulse