Beaufort mayor out of hospital. Here’s what he plans to change after ‘heart event’

Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling is rested and returning to his duties after being hospitalized last week, he said Monday.

Keyserling, 70, was hospitalized March 13 after experiencing shortness of breath during a meeting with other officials at Penn Center on St. Helena Island. He was discharged from the hospital Friday and said he spent two days resting at his home on Battery Creek before returning to his elected work Monday.

“Instead of driving 35 (mph), I’m driving 20,” he said Monday. “I’m still going, but I’m going to go at a pace that is comfortable and be patient for the next 30 days.”

The mayor said he will participate in City Council and Redevelopment Commission meetings Tuesday but plans to cut back on other side initiatives until he has rested longer.

Keyserling lost 160 pounds in 2018 after undergoing a gastric procedure and changing his eating habits. He said he cut out fast food and alcohol and is more mindful of what he eats and limiting meal portions.

“It was an all an effort to by the time I was 70 prepare myself for sort of a kickstart to extend my life,” Keyserling said. “Because there are so many things I want to do.”

He said there is no evidence his hospitalization was related to the weight loss.

Port Royal Mayor Sam Murray called 911 after Keyserling became short of breath and was coughing, Murray said last week. The mayors and other local officials were meeting about several Beaufort County historic sites, previously named a national monument, being designated as a Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.

In an email newsletter Sunday, Keyserling said doctors characterized the incident as a “heart event” but not a heart attack because no arteries were seriously blocked. Keyserling said the event was brought on by stress that caused his heart not to pump at its normal rate, limiting his oxygen.

“Within hours, the oxygen levels were restored and the heart resumed on its normal course,” he wrote in his newsletter. “Assuming I take prescribed meds and follow doctors orders to reduce and manage stress, the expectation is that there is no permanent damage and I will fully return to normal in a matter of 30 days.”