(NewsNation) — Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Monday he is becoming a little bit more like his character Terminator after he received a pacemaker early last week.
“Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker,” Schwarzenegger shared in the latest episode of his podcast “Arnold’s Pump Club.”
The 76-year-old revealed he was recovering well and even attended an event on Friday with his fitness partner Jane Fonda.
“I want to thank my whole team at the Cleveland Clinic. All of the doctors and nurses took amazing care of me and made the surgery as painless as possible,” he added.
Schwarzenegger was raised in a culture where no one talked about their medical issues or anything related to healthcare, according to his podcast. He said he wants to change that and hopes his story helps inspire folks to address health concerns when they first arise.
In 1997, Schwarzenegger underwent two heart surgeries to replace his pulmonic valve and aortic valve, People reported. He had both of them replaced in 2018 and 2020, the report said, which ultimately led to him having an irregular heartbeat that needed close monitoring.
“I stayed in touch with my medical team and visited in person at least once a year to get a full check-up and see how my heart was doing,” he said.
In 1998, the actor’s mother died after not receiving a valve replacement. Since then, Schwarzenegger has remained diligent, checking up with doctors annually.
He explained he would not be here today if he hadn’t attended his annual check-up at the beginning of March. The doctor told him he needed to get a pacemaker as soon as possible, so he did.
“That’s life with a genetic heart issue. But you won’t hear me complaining,” Schwarzenegger said.
“I could have kept it a secret. But I know that we have more than 750,000 subscribers now — the village is a city now — and a lot of you are probably dealing with your own health challenges. I want you to know you aren’t alone,” Schwarzenegger said. “If you’re putting something off out of fear, I hope I inspire you to listen to your doctors and take care of yourself.”
