Serious as a Heart Attack

I've always considered myself lucky. Now, I can add to that: lucky to be alive.

After working overtime on the political conventions for about a year and then three weeks of 18-20 hour days during the Democratic and then Republican conventions, I took a week of vacation. Of course I went to FHH to relax and visit family. I should have known better. Every time I visit FHH something happens: a house burns up, a crime is committed or I have a kidney stone. My sister says I shouldn't think like that. It would jinx my visits. Well, now, it might be too late to ignore reality.

I spent most of the week goofing around, visiting, playing dulcimer and trying to find someone to cut my overgrown yard. Hurricane Ike passed over and knocked down a bunch trees and wrecked the marina pretty good. My boat came partially loose and lost a 24 foot long piece of aluminum strip on the port side. Someone had stolen the two new extra deck lines I had attached before the storm hit.

On Friday, I gave up and started on the yard work myself. I cut a bunch of saplings and vines on one side of the house. My neighbor (and FHH darts champion) saw me working and offered to let me dump everything on his burn pile. I wasn't over-doing it but, I was up to my neck in Poison Ivy and chickers and decided to call it a day.

I went in and showered, dried off and changed into some clean clothes. I talked to my sister on the phone a few minutes and was about to do a little light plumbing work on my bathroom sink and toilet.

All of a sudden I was sweating from head to toe for no apparent reason. Then my chest started hurting. It was like someone was standing on my chest. I felt a sharp distinct pain from under my left arm out to my elbow. If I was in a denial stage, it was only for a split-second. I have been a cop for over 30 years and attended at least that many First Aid/CPR classes. Those were the classic signs of a heart attack.

Knowing my environment and not feeling like a long explanation, I called my sister instead of 911. I had to add a caveat, "I'm not joking. I'm pretty sure I'm having a heart attack."

That's all it took. Within a few minutes my sister was there with an EMT in tow. Her office is right next to the Police and Fire Departments. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. I'd made the right call. Everything after that was pain and an inability to breath.

What I remember was all in bits and pieces, the EMTs moving me over to the cart, trouble getting out the door, roof line, trees, sky and lights in the ceiling of the ambulance. On the way the older male EMT was having some type of medical problem of his own and was having trouble holding on as the ambulance negotiated all the curves and hills. The female EMT was holding my hand and telling the other one to just hold on, she'd take care of everything.

I was beginning to think I was on an episode of the Twilight Zone. I didn't know if she was concerned about me, the other EMT, or both when she yelled above the siren noise at the driver, "Faster! Drive faster now!" In my mind I could see the ambulance driver (Dan Akroyd) from the last scene of Twilight Zone the Movie, look back and say, "You want to go for a ride?"

The female EMT kept was giving me updates on how close we were to the hospital and told me to keep hanging on. Even through the pain and desperately trying to get air I could hear the panic in her voice. She apologized for not having any oxygen, that they really weren't a lot more than transportation. "Don't worry we have a police escort now, honey." Then she turned to the driver, "GO FASTER!"

I was trying to keep a positive attitude but, all this was not reassuring so far.

I don't remember the hospital emergency room. My mom and sister told me I was evaluated as having pneumonia and put in a room. Then "Dookie Howser" came in and looked at me. He over-ruled the older doctor and called in a Care Flight to take me to Little Rock. He figured out what I knew in the first minute. I had a heart attack. My mom had a few choice words for the first doctor.

I remember the helicopter and asking if my sister could come along. There wasn't room. As my gurney was loaded in I thought Landon, one of the guys at work, would love to take the ride. I always get him helicopter rides on details we work. Oh well.

I woke up the next morning in a hospital bed tied down with EKG lines, three IVs, a catheter, blood pressure cuff, a pump in my right leg, a B-tap (Forced oxygen mask) over my face and pulse monitor clipped over my right ring finger. There was a nurse with a small desk set up right next to my bed and I apparently now had two stints in my heart.

I was told that I had a very serious heart attack with 100% blockage on one side 80% on the other. Everyone, staff, family and friends kept referring to it as a "Widow-maker." Very few people survive it.

I spent the next two weeks in the Arkansas Heart Hospital. The first full week was brutal, flat-on-my-back dependent on forced oxygen, IV pushes and lots of drugs. The nurses and staff we fantastic and constantly attentive. They all were shocked at my first diagnosis. They said I would have died up there and that I was very lucky I was finally helicoptered down to get proper treatment.

I agree. I am lucky. And, I lost 20 pounds!