When Eric Toney started feeling fatigue and other symptoms at the age of only 39, he thought about the unexpected passing of his former Deputy DA, Dennis Krueger, who passed away from cardiac issues at age 56 in 2018.
That encouraged Toney, a runner with no previous health issues, to go to the doctor. That decision led to a healthcare odyssey that saved Toney’s life; the former Republican attorney general candidate was diagnosed with myocarditis and required open-heart surgery, a valve replacement, and bypass.
Now recovered enough to run a 5K over New Year’s Eve and be back at work as his county’s top prosecutor, Toney, the Fond du Lac County DA, held a news conference with SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac leaders and doctors on January 4 to urge the public to seek medical care if people have similar symptoms, such as unusual fatigue, night sweats, shortness of breath, and the temporary loss of a limb’s use.
“That’s really the message that I want to send,” Toney said. “I am very fortunate that I was able to get that treatment and be here with everyone today.” Doctors said Toney would have died from heart failure if he did not seek treatment. Now doctors said his prognosis is “excellent.”
“I have an opportunity with my position in the community to draw attention to and make sure people are taking care of their health,” Toney said.
Due to a $4.5 million donation from the Michels family, SSM Health has become a destination of cardiovascular excellence, hospital officials said.
“My health story has been out in the public. It’s not always easy to talk about your own health issues,” Toney said in the news conference.
“One of the things I’ve learned in the past months or so after undergoing open heart surgery… is that the number of people who have come up to me to talk about health issues for them or family members was pretty staggering,” Toney said.
If others are undergoing some medical issue, they should “talk to their doctor, get that treatment,” said Toney. He said too often people write off what they are feeling, blaming their symptoms on the “after-effects of COVID, getting a cold,” and so forth. He did that at first. But then he thought of Krueger.
“After one of my colleagues Dennis Krueger passed away in 2018 from a cardiac issue, that was what really prompted me to seek treatment,” said Toney.
Toney is now “healthy again, I was able to run a very slow 5K on New Year’s Eve. It feels great to see that type of progress. That’s because I was seeking that treatment,” added Toney.
My message is to “make sure you’re seeking that treatment,” added Toney. He said he hadn’t seen the doctor much before the heart issues emerged.
“I’m just very grateful to be here,” Toney said. “I am really appreciative of the support I received when I was here.”
“Eric Toney, Fond du Lac County District Attorney, along with SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac leaders and physicians, will be sharing an important message to all – don’t neglect your health. Pay attention to what your body is telling you,” the hospital wrote in a Facebook post.
“It was his past experiences with colleagues that led him to seek medical care, especially the unexpected passing of a long-time colleague, Fond du Lac County Deputy District Attorney Dennis R. Krueger,” the post says.”In the end, Toney learned a bacterial infection had damaged his right aortic valve. An aortic valve replacement and single coronary bypass from the SSM Health Dale Michels Heart & Vascular Care team now has Toney on the right health path.”
Krueger was also a prosecutor in the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office, state Attorney General’s office, and was a Kettle Marine School Board member. When Krueger died, Toney told the Fond du Lac Reporter, “Dennis was one of the most gifted and talented prosecutors that I’ve had a chance to work with and I can’t begin to quantify all of the things Dennis has done for Fond du Lac County and what he has taught me over the past five years.”
Toney said he felt pretty fatigued for most of the last year. He was doing a homicide trial in June. He was feeling more tired than he should have been. He was taking naps after work. In July, he ended up in the hospital with chest discomfort and his breathing wasn’t very good. Myocarditis was the diagnosis.
He was discharged. He felt great for three weeks. He got into another homicide trial. A little after that, he started feeling fatigued again. In August, he was walking into the office and fell; he briefly lost control of one of his legs. That’s when he “thought about what happened to Dennis” and that pushed him to figure out what was going on. He had surgery on November 15.
Doctors said Toney was born with a bicuspid aortic valve which can expose a person to infection. They indicated that night sweats and a tremendous amount of fatigue are both symptoms that people should get checked out. Doctors also emphasized the importance of dental care, which can lead to a heart infection. In the end, other than the bicuspid valve, it’s not clear what led to Toney’s initial heart infection, including whether the COVID vaccine could have played a role.
