Lessons Learned!
Greetings from the dark side. I have not posted in quite a while due to a horrible two months healthwise. I won't bore you with all the detail, but as I turn 71 it makes me think about how we view our health and in particular my own. When we were young, it was a no-brainer. When you turn the last corner, it gets your attention.
I believe that in dealing with our health there is a spectrum of approachs ranging from denial to hypochondria. Being a stupid macho man, I am on the denial side, but have learned from experience to try to limit my denial. In 1982 I was definitely on the denial side. I was only forty-four, a little overweight, but a jogger. I did not have pain, but certainly felt that something was wrong that life changing afternoon. I remember sitting at my desk and thinking that I had never felt like this before. Must be the flu. I actually got on the company plane and went on a two day trip to introduce mozzarella sticks. I even took my running shoes. DENIAL! This doesn't happen to me. I am only forty-four and in good general health.
On the trip I kept thinking that if I could just eat something I would feel better, but I couldn't eat. In Atlanta the next morning I looked at my running shoes on the bed and thought maybe a run would make me feel better. Moving off my denial a little, I said to myself that that would be stupid. Thank God I took my own advice.
I did make a doctor's appointment from Philly. In my mind I knew something was not right. Must be the flu.
When I saw the doctor, he said it was probably the flu but wanted to do an EKG. He then said,"Sam, you have had a heart attack". Eight weeks of recovery led me to a angiogram and the discovery I had 95% blockage. They recommended coronary bypass and proceeded to a quintuple job.
It is interesting to note that my greatest career success came after all of this. I wasn't dead yet. In 1995 I got a sextuple bypass. That's a total of eleven grafts. I often refer to my heart as my McGyver heart. Juryrigged to make it work.
Of course in 2006 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That wasn't supposed to happen. I am a heart disease man. However, getting my regular PSA identified it early and radiation killed it along with Richard (Dick) Johnson.
I had radiation because it was discovered that I could not take the anesthesia because of a heart anomaly. This led to the diagnosis that my heart was in a state of cardiomypathy (heart failure). Now that's more like it. No stinking cancer for me. The diagnosis was of no surprise.
After too many tests, my cardioligist determined that my extraction factor (EF) was 35%, when normal is 65%. 35% is the low point in considering a defribrillator implant. I decided against it. That brings me to November 2008.
The new Echocardiogram showed that in seven months the EF factor went from an estimated 35% to 30%. The doc and I had the defrib discussion once again. Since I still felt well, I chose to delay again. After thinking about it and reading my clinical report I decided to "Get ur done"!
Here is a portion of that report.
I believe that in dealing with our health there is a spectrum of approachs ranging from denial to hypochondria. Being a stupid macho man, I am on the denial side, but have learned from experience to try to limit my denial. In 1982 I was definitely on the denial side. I was only forty-four, a little overweight, but a jogger. I did not have pain, but certainly felt that something was wrong that life changing afternoon. I remember sitting at my desk and thinking that I had never felt like this before. Must be the flu. I actually got on the company plane and went on a two day trip to introduce mozzarella sticks. I even took my running shoes. DENIAL! This doesn't happen to me. I am only forty-four and in good general health.
On the trip I kept thinking that if I could just eat something I would feel better, but I couldn't eat. In Atlanta the next morning I looked at my running shoes on the bed and thought maybe a run would make me feel better. Moving off my denial a little, I said to myself that that would be stupid. Thank God I took my own advice.
I did make a doctor's appointment from Philly. In my mind I knew something was not right. Must be the flu.
When I saw the doctor, he said it was probably the flu but wanted to do an EKG. He then said,"Sam, you have had a heart attack". Eight weeks of recovery led me to a angiogram and the discovery I had 95% blockage. They recommended coronary bypass and proceeded to a quintuple job.
It is interesting to note that my greatest career success came after all of this. I wasn't dead yet. In 1995 I got a sextuple bypass. That's a total of eleven grafts. I often refer to my heart as my McGyver heart. Juryrigged to make it work.
Of course in 2006 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That wasn't supposed to happen. I am a heart disease man. However, getting my regular PSA identified it early and radiation killed it along with Richard (Dick) Johnson.
I had radiation because it was discovered that I could not take the anesthesia because of a heart anomaly. This led to the diagnosis that my heart was in a state of cardiomypathy (heart failure). Now that's more like it. No stinking cancer for me. The diagnosis was of no surprise.
After too many tests, my cardioligist determined that my extraction factor (EF) was 35%, when normal is 65%. 35% is the low point in considering a defribrillator implant. I decided against it. That brings me to November 2008.
The new Echocardiogram showed that in seven months the EF factor went from an estimated 35% to 30%. The doc and I had the defrib discussion once again. Since I still felt well, I chose to delay again. After thinking about it and reading my clinical report I decided to "Get ur done"!
Here is a portion of that report.
Mr. Arnold suffers from ischemic cardiomyopathy. He is about 26 years out from an anterior MI. Weactually have not done an EKG on him for many years so we got
one. Compared to 1995, his EKG shows sinus rhythm with the old
anterior septal MI. He has not developed a left bundle branchblock. His most recent echocardiogram shows perhaps furtherdeterioration in LV function. The end systolic dimension is up alittle bit as is the end diastolic. The estimated ejection
fraction is 30%. We once again discussed the possibility of a
defibrillator. He would not require resynchronization therapy
with functional class II symptoms, but I certainly think it
should be considered. He has really been reluctant to take this
step. Would like to continue to monitor this situation. We did
Well-nourished, well-developed older gentleman in no acutedistress.
The "older gentleman" part pissed me off. DENIAL!
I needed to stop denying. I am old in body, but damnit I am young of mind
On December 9, I had the surgery. It was easy, local and a one night stay.
Now after the implant, I wondered why get one. Of course the reason is if I have cardiac arrest the defribrillator with get her going again. But what happens then. Wait for the next incidence and finally die anyway. Something to ponder.
One week later I started with a cough. I felt worse and worse each day and was running a fever. My cough was so hard I thought my heart would come out.
After trying unsuccessfully to get an appointment with my doctor (that's a whole different story) I went to Urgent Care.
I told the doctor that I thought it was my age old bronchial infection once again. She gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. It got worse. I finally spoke to my Doctor's nurse and described what was going on. My sputum was a rust color. That meant blood, primarily because my blood thickness, went out of whack. She advised me to go to the emergency room. I told her I would go the next day. She insisted that I go immediately. After finally seeing a doctor, they diagnosed pneumonia. I guess I already knew in my mind what was coming. I had had pneumonia before. DENIAL/REALITY!
I spent the next three days in the hospital and got out on Christmas Eve. Nice Christmas!
I am on the mend. With all my issues, I have still felt good up until two weeks ago. I have found that having pneumonia makes you feel lousy. The implant is not even on my radar.
I guess my lesson in life is control your denial. It can happen to you. Listen to your body, but try not to think every little thing is a medical problem. That will drive you crazy. People who are in total denial are those men who don't go to the doctor for a prostate check because of (well you know) and women who don't do regular mammograms.
What I do know that I am a very lucky man. God's plan has given me twenty-six years of relatively good health and more success than I ever could have hoped.
2009 will be a better year.
Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment