Obviously I haven't blogged in forever. I've been really busy with life - more aspects than I had ever expected...
Let's go back to May 31st of 2013...I was working and having a great time doing massage as always. I started getting a scratchy throat and figured that it was the beginning of a summer cold. Finished up work, went home, started getting a feeling of indigestion, drank a soda and burped thinking that it was all good. Tried to go to bed but couldn't sleep. Search Webmd for other possible issues and was not thrilled when they all said go to ER immediately. Stubborn to the idea of going to ER for a cold I finally was tired enough to sleep. The strange thing that my body pulsed from head to toe. Woke up around 4am and decided that I should take the trip to the ER. As my wife and I were dressing I lost control of my breathing for a minute. Decided to call 911 and get an ambulance. Good thing because apparently I was having a heart attack! They rushed me to the hospital and finally decided that I really was indeed having a heart attack. They took me up to the Catheter lab and stuck the camera up my right leg and after some time they told me that I was going to be flown via helicopter to Johns Hopkins and would need triple bypass for the 3 arteries that were 80% blocked. Wife not happy at this point of course.
After resting the weekend they finally did surgery on my heart and did a 5-way bypass since I was young, 46 at the time, the heart disease was in my family history, a non-smoker and in pretty good physical shape.
That was the beginning of all my fun. I was basically laid up for two and half months. With the help of family, friends and coworkers I was on my feet and ready to go back to work but slowly.
Sometime in August my Father in law lost his battle to Alzheimer's disease. It was a sad time but we did know it was coming. He was married for 55 years! Considering my condition we still managed to travel to PA and lay him to rest.
I was on my way to building up to run a 5k race when I noticed something going wrong when I would walk and jog. My jaws, arms and neck got really tight and achy. The pain forced me to slow down my pace and eventually an early trip to my cardiologist. I had to run on the treadmill while hooked up to my wire monitors. FAIL - as I built up speed on the treadmill my heart rate went down. Another trip to the hospital, back to the catheter lab and 3 stents later I was ready to go and get back to workouts again. Well winter had something to say about me getting out to walk...it snowed, rained, sleeted and even iced almost every time I had a day off.
January 2014 - This had to be the end of all of the bad crap that has been plaguing me for 2013...RIGHT? Wrong!!!! My brother spent the last year and a half getting himself back in good health after letting himself get morbidly obese. He lost 120 or so pounds during that time but his body hit a plateau and basically he stopped losing the weight. Despite being told to see a cardiologist, after my issue and family history, he kept trying to workout and lose more weight. He was working out 3 times a day. Unfortunately he had a massive heart attack and died right there in the gym while riding an exercise bike. He was 3 years older than me.
So now my parents are obviously upset and freaking out about me and my condition. I now get to see my cardiologist every 3 months for a stress test for who knows how long. I know it will keep my family happy for the time being so of course I will continue to do this. The rough thing is family history says I've basically got to make it past the age of 50. Kinda' feels like I have a timer on me now. I don't like and I want to get and do things but it's slow going with the meds that I have to take and the limited energy.
I think the only thing keeping me sane are my family and friends and the freedom to play on sites like this. Oh yeah and getting a massage every other week is nice too.
On my wife's birthday our 19 year kitty passed away in her arms on the way to the vets. It was upsetting but we knew she lived a long good life with us. We're not religious but we looked at it as a blessing that she died with both of us around her. On the same day one of my childhood friend's mom was buried. She was like a block mom to all of us kids. She will be missed!
So that's been my last year...life has been a big slap of reality and I'm ready for it to be mellowed out for about 30 years! Phew!!!
