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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Forty Weeks After Open Heart Surgery

One year ago I started to feel what was to be the reason for my quintuple bypass surgery!  It was late September, early October.  I was mowing the yard and starting to rake leafs.  After about 6-8 passes in the yard I stopped to catch my breath.  I though it may be my asthma, I had it since I was a kid!  But this tightness in my chest was a little different.  The location was more on the upper left side, instead of the middle of my lungs.  I finished the yard work and ignored it!

Each week it was more intense.  Now it was on 2-3 passes with the lawn mower.  The raking of leaves was more difficult.  And walking up steps at school was beginning to be more difficult!  I ignored it!

End of October, early November, the tightness of my chest was more frequent.  I did not tell anyone (even my wife!)  I wanted to get to our next in-service day at school where I was teaching some technology courses to the teachers and maybe get to the Green Bay game in early December!  I had trouble walking one lap around the school!

It is now early November.  I finished the teacher in-service, got home and decided to talk my walk around the neighborhood and see how bad this was and then make a decision.  I walked about half a mile and turned around to come home.  I had to stop about every 50 yards to catch my breath!  I made it home - called my wife and the family doctor!

The rest is history - next day family doctor, next day cadiologist, 2 days later heart cath, and I had 3 blockages - 50%, 60%, and 99%!!!!

Don't wait!  See a doctor!!

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