Chapter 22. My Life Was About to Change I remember an old saying and it had so much meaning to me. After our move to 300Theodore and after we had our garage and patio built we added a porch swing. We would sit out there and just swing. Her hand would reach around to my back and would lazily give me a tender back scratch, then move up and run her fingers through my hair and almost on cue lay her head on my shoulder. Not a word spoken but I knew she said, “I Love You.” These tender moments where very much appreciated. In her imaginary gene bag of love was an assortment of these gestures. She was simply wonderful. One eventful morning I returned from work, cleaned up, ate a bit of breakfast and broke out my bowling shirt. Today was Thursday Morning Bowling. I had a bit of time to relax and I laid on the couch. I experienced a bit of heartburn, so I went down the hall to the medicine cabinet and grabbed some Tums. Went back to the couch and I waited for the burning sensation to subside. It didn’t. It got worse. Went to the bowling alley thinking it would pass. I started sweating profusely, my hands got clammy. I began to feel nauseous along with the heartburn. I truthfully didn’t know what was happening. My fellow bowlers said you better get in to see your doctor. A friend not bowling drove me over. Fresh air seemed to help a little and I started to wonder if I should have stayed. Heck I had bowled a 188 first game. Little knowing that I had done all this while having a heart attack. My family physician Dr. Lash got me right in and did an EKG. Guess what? Normal. My strong heart was covering up. I owe my life to a Dr. that just didn’t dismiss other symptoms. He scheduled an immediate angiogram. Results on the four arteries was just amazing. Two blocked 100%, one blocked 95% and the last blocked 75%. The strong heart created small collateral paths around the blockages. Intensive Care was the next stop and meanwhile lost my rhythm. I spent a month in ICU hoping to get it corrected. The hospital in Joliet did not perform open heart and I would have to be transported Loyola Medical Center. Then the word, it’s a go. With flashing lights all the way I felt I was transposed from a simple matter to the program on TV called “Emergency.” No food, strictly a liquid diet. The next day I thought I was on my death bed. A young gal was in asking questions, and learning her career in medicine. All part of her required program. Starting from nowhere my hands began to shake down to my fingertips and tremendous pain shot down both of my arms. She quickly made a call and over the intercom were the words, Code Blue….stat….stat….stat and immediately my room was flooded with so many people I thought they were there for a press conference. Each with their special set of duties. In ten minutes everything was back to so called normalcy. If I would have had anything left in my bowels it would have passed by now. That was as close to death as I had ever experienced. OMG! Thank goodness God had spared me. My mother who had arrived and Bernie just wept uncontrollably. My surgery was moved up to Monday. We got to meet with the surgeon, Dr. Backus. There was a mid-east crisis going on and I was hoping he was my friend. He best expressed himself by reassuring us this is what he does for a living. I perform hundreds of these each year. I am very confident in the work I do. Not questioning his ability I still requested to see someone in pastoral care. The priest also gave me the confidence that no matter what happens to me, in no uncertain terms that I was the lucky one. If I survive surgery I come back to be with my family. If I should not I have prepared you to meet your maker, in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now how is that for choices? The ones on the other side of the curtain are filled with the uncertainty. Yes, he was right and what a lovely way of putting it. That next morning I was first up. The lead off man and I hoped Dr. Backus had his morning coffee to steady his hand. God bless the Pakistani man. He did a marvelous job and as of this day you can barely see the line opening up my chest. The worst experience in life is to see a person being wheeled into the Recovery Room. I was the same color of the sheet I laid on. Both mom and my wife Bernie got terribly nauseous. It did get better. Let me tell you again what Love is, because this is perfect example. Love can be best described as an emotion, a certain feeling that words find hard to express. I have experienced it and would be lost without it. I recognized that it can be more powerful than one can imagine. The morning paper and a fresh cup of coffee grace my desk in the morning; that’s Love. On our evening rides through the countryside I feel her hand reach over and touch my knee; that’s Love. Even though we’ve advanced in years, she keeps her appearance up and her weight down for no one else but me; that’s Love. ……but most of all when my heart test my endurance and my eyes open up from surgery, her hand clutches mine and tears rolling down her cheek with longing looks of sadness; that’s Love. But love is an emotion that must be shared and I’m the luckiest man alive that you share it with me. Honey, let’s put some more miles on this old buggy and hop aboard. Find something to grab onto. I’m ready to kick it in gear!
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 08:39:21 +0000
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