Here I was, possibly suffering a hear attack and I was embarrassed because I had to stop before completing my job and was leaving the job in an ambulance. Embarrassment was an idiotic reaction under the circumstances but that is what I felt. Within minutes medics from the fire department arrived and were giving me oxygen and treating me. Within a few more minutes an ambulance crew arrived. On the way to the hospital the medics on the ambulance were finding symptoms that indicated to them that I had experienced a heart attack and were treating me as they could.

Arriving at emergency I was immediately moved into a room and test were started. This came as a big surprise to me for a few months later I had driven my wife to emergency as I felt she had experienced a stroked and it took them two hours to see her. What I learned from this, if you think you have an emergency call 911.

At emergency an EKG was performed, blood test taken, a chest x-ray was made, constant monitoring, nitroglycerin patch applied. The testing went on for an hour or so and the doctor stated that I did not have pneumonia and that they had not found any positive indications of a heart attack. I have a hyatal hernia and the doctors stated that they thought I was experiencing a gastric reaction but they were going to keep me overnight for more testing and monitoring.

I was moved into a hospital room. I asked the nurse to bring me some pajama bottoms and she brought 3 pair but none were large enough to go around my waist. A bit later I called home to speak with my wife Lynda. Lynda had been hospitalized recently for a stroke and they had inserted a catheter as she was confined to the bed and could not get up to use the bathroom. Lynda asked me if I had been castrated? Now I knew that this was a slip of the tongue and she meant catheter, but I still kept my legs crossed the rest of the night.

During the night I require oxygen off and on. A 24-hour monitor was attached to me, A variety of heart test were performed that night. They also rolled a huge scale into the room to take my weight (301.1 pounds) Three hundred and one was bad enough, why did they need that point one?

The next morning I saw a doctor who stated that all of my test for heart problems had been negative but they were going to perform an echo-ultrasound and if that was negative a treadmill test. The echo was negative and I was taken downstairs for the treadmill test. Now this test is embarrassing in itself. Here I am a bloated whale with globs of fat hanging around my midsection. Wires are hooked up to me and I am gasping like the totally out of shape person I was. Still, I was going to do my best to hit the maximum on the treadmill, as I don’t quit easily. Huffing and puffing through this test I keep saying continue. Finally the doctor tells the technician to stop the test. The doctor then says to me, “You looked down and when someone looks down I figure they are about to get off so I stop the test.” While I was tired I was disappointed as I felt I could have gone a bit longer even if it killed me. The doctor informed me that he had stopped the test at 86% of a normal heart range and he saw no indication of a heart problem.

Back in my room my doctor comes in and informs me that I don’t have a heart problem at this time but if I don’t do something about my weight and exercise he can not guarantee that I wont. I was told that I could go home. The nurse removed the i.v. from my arm and left the room. He had not removed the heart monitor so I figured no problem I will remove it myself. Just as I took it off the nurse enters back into the room and says what have you done they will think you died. I said what do you mean, wasn’t the monitor turned off? No he replies as he runs out of the room to inform them that it was all a mistake and I was still alive. When the nurse returned to the room I asked why they had not ran into the room to try and save my life. The nurse replies, “Sometimes they fall asleep at the controls.” While I hope that he was kidding, I certainly don’t want to find out at some later date.

This was my wake up call. I had been given a scary and expensive warning. I had suffered embarrassment at the clients, my wife had asked if I had been castrated, I had exposed my flabby fat for all to see, and had flat lined (accidentally thank you). I do not want to face these experiences again and the best odds I have are to get and keep the pounds off and get some exercise. My doctors and many others had warned me but it took hitting close to bottom. Bottom is six feet under and I do not want to hit it.

My wake up call was also a wake up call to my wife. Lynda has a lot of problems of her own and was in and out of the hospital twice this past year. Even so, she had difficulty controlling what she ate and drank even when I would try to control what I ate. These changed things, we were both on a diet now realizing that if we want to reverse any terminally it would have to be now.

Back home we started our diet. We also gave up coffee, which for me was difficult, as I looked forward to its jolt. The doctors had previously encouraged me to give up coffee as they felt that it was contributing to my prostate problems, high blood pressure and hiatal hernia problems. Withdrawal was not as bad as I had figured it would. While we did switch to decaffeinated coffee I was still getting some caffeine through ice tea and an occasional diet soda.

01/06/2001

The nurse takes me into the examination room, looking at my file she says I understand you had open-heart surgery. “I have? No body told me about it!” was my reply. I then went on to explain to her what had actually occurred. She takes my blood pressure and it was 156/110. I explain to her that I had not taken my medicine yet that morning as I had been fasting thinking that they might want to do some lab work. She reminds me that even when fasting I still need to take my medicine.

The doctor comes in listens to my heart, says the blood pressure is too high. The doctor first states that he had just finished reading my records and than asked what they had found out at the hospital. I explained that they told me my heart was fine but they thought my acid reflux was acting up. I mention that several years ago he told me that I had a hiatal hernia but I could not remember doing an upper GI or any other testing. The doctor says we better do one. Dr. Kennedy is a good man; he carries a heavy caseload like most of the doctors at Kaiser Permanente, but I really feel he cares. He has always tried to encourage me to loose weight even though until now it has pretty much gone of deaf ears. Before leaving his office he instructs me to go over to the x-ray department and make an appointment for an Upper GI.

When checking into x-ray they tell me that I will need to fast before the test. Having fasted since the night before I asked if they had any openings that day. Sure enough they did, and they took me in within minutes and performed the Upper GI. With this test they have you stand in this machine while sipping a glass of barium which is a white chalky appearing stuff. Actually it tasted pretty good, kind of sweet. Of course I had been fasting so just about anything would have tasted good to this fat man. During the test the doctor states, “you do have reflux”. I already new I had reflux, but this is the only thing he says other then we will get the information to your doctor. Now, I am in a profession where I cant give information to anyone but the commissioning party so I understand where he is coming from but I am still curious

On completion of the Upper GI the technician says you might want to go into the bathroom and clean up. Looking in the mirror I see that I have a great looking mustache like you see in the milk commercials. About 48 hours later I had a white bowel movement. It was so white that I thought it must have seen a ghost, but then I remember the chalky drink that gave me what looked like a milk mustache.

01/25/2001