Frankie Valli Concert and Spring Training

We combined a couple of favorite things (a concert and baseball) on our most recent trip.  We started off in Palm Springs and enjoyed a concert featuring Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  It was nice to sit in a concert crowd with people in our own generation.  I expected there might be a "Geritol" break during the concert.

Then it was off to Phoenix for Spring Training with the Cactus League.  We stayed at a great hotel (Wild Horse Pass) in Chandler.  A bonus was that our nephew, Parker, was playing as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization.  On day one, we saw him catch against a Dodger minor league team.  He even hit a home run!  On the second day when he was not scheduled to play, we watched the major league Dodgers play the Brewers on the big field at their Glendale, Arizona stadium.  I was surprised as Tommy Lasorda, in uniform, emerged from the dugout and walked right by us as we sat near the field along the third base line.  On day three, Parker once again was the starting catcher for his minor league team as they took on the Cincinnati Reds' team.  It remains to be seen where Parker will be assigned following Spring Training.  Odds are that he'll play in Wisconsin or Florida.

Life Crisis

In mid-December, I saw my doctor about experiencing shortness of breath and a burning sensation in my chest while on my daily walks with Gail.  Several tests led to a diagnosis of "exercise induced angina" followed by a trip straight to Memorial Hospital.  A few days later, following several more tests, I underwent a quadruple coronary arterial bypass with grafts.  Four blood vessels carrying blood to my heart had blockages.  In preparing myself mentally for such invasive surgery, I did some researching and found that David Letterman, Regis Philbin, and President Clinton had bypass surgery and returned to normal lives.  Nevertheless, I did some soul-searching about my life and what I valued.  Of course, family and friends came up as the greatest gifts in life.

Over the next three months, I went from helpless to 100% recovered!  I actually believe I'm even healthier than before the operation.  My heart was never damaged because I caught this before having a heart attack. My wife and life partner was by my side throughout the ordeal.  She certainly proved that she had taken our marriage vows seriously (for better or worse, in sickness and in health).   In fact, I've dropped 30 pounds since then and looking to lose considerably more.  My risk factor "numbers" are now normal (blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol).  We're back to our retirement routines of exercising, traveling, AND eating healthy.

My advice?  Exercise regularly, eat right, see your doctor regularly, and don't wait if you sense something is wrong.  Treasure each day and take advantage of every opportunity to let your friends and family know you appreciate and care about them.  For me, a bypass was not the end, but a new beginning.