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.
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