I was closer to death than I knew.
"We caught you," said the doctor.
I was both relieved and surprised. I hadn't known my heart was in such a terrible shape. Bad, but not as awful as the heart doctor said.
I was both awake and asleep when he said, "We caught you." Anesthesia robbed me of both the fear of suffering and the joy of recovery. Two months Iater I'm fuIIy aIert, and I rejoice in what he told me.
The heart. The thing in your chest that pumps blood through arteries and veins. Food, water, and oxygen run through those pipes. One of those arteries in my heart had been 95 percent plugged. Only 5 percent of the blood that was supposed to pass through that little tube was going where it was needed. Worst of all, it was the artery that fed the heart itself. The fancy name for it is the left anterior descending artery.
The more common name is the "widow maker." When a 95 percent block grows to 98 percent, 99 percent, or 100 percent, a heart attack occurs. The heart itself begins to die. A friend described his heart attack by saying, "An elephant was sitting on my chest."
When someone suddenly dies-drops dead-it's usually because of that artery.
My doctor said, "We caught you." I didn't have a heart attack, but had been close. I'm 66. My wife needs me (at least I tell myself that). I have grandkids that want me to teach them how have a good time (and, I know how to play!). I have a job finding support for children who need a place to live (it's valuable work).
I didn't like it when the upper part of my chest began to get tight. I was challenged when I worked in the yard, lifted heavy things, and did things that made my heart beat fast.
I'd started walking in my neighborhood. When I pushed myself, I hurt at the top of my chest. When I slowed down the pain went away. I could make it go up or down depending on how hard I waIked. Hurt, not hurt. Pressure, no pressure. I experimented with it. Played with it, though it was like using a knife that had no handle but a blade on both ends.
I knew what was going on. I'd read about others with these symptoms. But I didn't want to admit I had a probIem. I let it go for several months before I told my wife.
In quick order, I saw my primary care physician. Next, a cardiologist. Then a picture was taken of my heart. A few days later I was wheeled into a room where I met the "interventional cardiologist." He ran a tube up through my wrist to my heart, blew up a little balloon where my blood was backing up, inserted a woven wire "stent" to hoId the "widow-maker" artery open. I went home the next day.
I've been better since then. I went to cardiac rehabilitation two to three days a week. Now I walk in the neighborhood and exercise at home.
I've quit eating as much as I had been and am nearly back at what I weighed in 1975. I'm going to get back to 155 pounds.
Here's what you can do to avoid a heart attack and recover from one.
1) First, find a reason to stay alive. It's not enough to say, "I don't want to die." The difficult truth is that you are going to die. You may be able to influence how you die or how soon it happens, but that's about it. I have three things that keep me going. One is spiritual, another is relational, and the third is personal. Here's how those three things fit me.
Spiritual: I want to continue to serve God. Relational: Some people care about me and that's energy I want to return to them. Personal: I want to get better at something that's important to me.
Can you find a reason to keep going? If so, you have a good chance of healing your heart.
2) Second, see your physician for a check-up. Tell him or her that you want to check your heart. Listen to your doctor. Ask questions and let him or her advise you. That's why you went to see the doctor, right?
3) Next, your physician will probably order tests. A blood test for cholesterol, which is one cause of heart trouble. Maybe a CT scan to look for a problem in your heart arteries. You'll hear fancy words in connection with this test, but don't let them worry you. Images of your heart will show if you have lump of those arteries. It won't cost much. Mine was about $50.00. My picture showed I had killer-calcium in the worst place.
4) Take the medicine your doctor prescribes. Two physicians told me to take a statin drug because my cholesterol was too high. Did I follow their advice? No. I wish I had. A third doctor sent me to a fourth doctor who fixed me with that baIloon and stent. Now I take the statin drug every day.
5) Exercise. What should you do, and how much? (Ask your doctor, but you knew I was going to say that, didn't you?) Your insurance may pay for visits to a gym with an exercise expert. Or, you can do it on your own.
Start with an easy walk. Go a bit farther each week. A bit faster. Or, ride a bicycIe. WaIk on a treadmiII. Move your Iegs. Lift your knees. Go.
Another exercise is to work your arms. Most people seldom raise their hands above their head. Start doing that, just your hands, ten times, twice a day. Go slow, don't jerk fast. After a week of lifting your hands ten times twice-a-day pick up a can of vegetables and lift them, the same schedule as before. Corn, peas, green beans. Something that you can grip and lift. Move up to heavier objects, bit by bit. As you raise and lower your hands above your head your heart is exercised.
Walking and lifting safely exercise your heart.
6) Change what you eat. For most of us, eat less. That's what I did, and I've Iost ten pounds. For many, quit eating stuff that has sugar in it. Yes, it tastes good but white sugar is bad for you.
Flavor? I can eat just about anything with chopped green chiles in it. Eat Iess meat and more fruit and vegetables. I like frozen fruit. When it comes right out of the bag it's like eating a popsicle. Thawed out it's like, well, it's like fruit you eat with a spoon. The only sugar in it is sweet stuff that grew in it, not adding white crystals.
7) Stop smoking. Look at these statistics. First, American Indians are 50 percent more likely to be cigarette smokers. Second, American Indians have 50% more heart disease than whites. Do you see the 50/50 thing going on? If you smoke, your chance of having a heart attack is much higher than if you don't smoke. Stop smoking and put the money you save in your pocket instead of your heart in a grave.
What wiII it take for you to make these changes? Pain? Shortness of breath? An odd pressure in the top of your chest? Those are the things it took for me. Don't be Iike me.
Don't wait untiI you have a heart attack to make these changes or you will permanently damage your heart.
Don't wait as Iong as I did. Don't count on your doctor saying, "We caught you."
Brad Dixon has survived a few serious illnesses and hopes to die quietly in his sleep. He was a Pastor of churches for thirty years and hopes he gave his whole heart to God and His people. In his current work Brad helps people give money to the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children. His wife is patient with him, and he has attempted to be patient with his three children. Dr. Dixon writes because he has to. He can't keep himself from putting a pencil to paper. He's the author of three books, Rebuilding a Broken Man, The Boy, The Seed, and the Apple, and An Animal Book to Read and Color.
