The Doctor came last night after all. He explained everything, and answered my questions. Turn out he is the same Doctor who took care of a blocked artery in my MIL's leg.
Covid test is negative, so I should have the procedure later today. If all goes well I may be home by late evening or early tomorrow.
Laying in a hospital bed gives a guy a lot of time for reflection so for two days, I've been.... reflecting...
I was raised in the smoking culture of the middle Sixties. Both my parents, most of my relatives, and my brother and sister smoked cigarettes for as long as I remember. Both my parents died from COPD, my brother from colon cancer, and my sister has had a quintuple bypass, and strokes and still smokes. I remember flying in commercial airliners with "smoking" sections. Like sitting in a can of tobacco smoke.
I'm sure that didn't help.
I was always active at a high level. Running, football, bikes. I was always on the move. I was diagnosed with an enlarged heart at 19. They said it was like having a big V-8 under the hood.
That V-8 liked to redline, like
@Mikie , and seeing my HR over 200 for extended periods of time was not uncommon. Even now, when riding and someone says they're over 150, I'm over 180.
Formula 1 on the tach, Detroit steel under the hood, something had to give.
I have also lived in LA since the late 80s. The air quality, used to be different levels of chunky, every day. The brown smog hung low and breathing vehicle exhaust as a bike messenger made me look like a coalminer when I got home.
Our lungs used to burn from the ozone and particulates. Kind of like this fire smoke.
But all that is just thought on the past. I really place the blame on myself and my diet. I love to eat. And eat tasty food. Cheeseburgers, tacos, ice cream, pizza, oh yeah, and an occasional salad.
Pigs and cows are wonder animals that turn veggies into meat, right?
So, at 56, I am five years under the median age for this procedure. I'm just trying to flatten the curve! I always thought I would just explode and it would be over, so I didn't think about living with the consequences. Now I get to.
They told me half the people don't survive their first heart attack. They also said that most people in my condition don't walk into the ER, they come in on a gurney. So I'm planning on walking out of here soon. Into a new day, a new chance to change and grow and hold my wife's hand.
Thanks for all the support and well wishes and offers of lupine spong baths!
Lather up Wolfie
@DangerDirtyD , daddy's coming home!
Hope you recover as fast as you ride through chunk on a hardtail.
