Charlie 2.0

Some of you know and others are finding out for the first time.  Three weeks ago I came down with a bad cold that really zapped me of my strength and stamina.  Two days later I was basically back to business, with everything, but I still couldn’t catch my breath while climbing stairs or raising my heart rate when trying to walk fast or for just a few blocks.  Something wasn’t right and after two weeks of this I decided that I needed to got to the Doctor.  I figured that I had something in my chest still, or my lungs were filled up with fluid and I probably needed some antibiotics or some kind of medicine to get over this.

I went to the Doctor last Thursday (March 12, 2009) to have it checked out.  After a review with my GP, he suggested that I get an EKG and a chest x-ray to see if anything was visible, but he also wanted me to get a stress test the next day.  So that afternoon I got a Chest x-ray, but it didn’t really show anything and the EKG was fine as well.  No problems found there, but the problem(s) were still there.  So on Friday at my Doctors recommendation I got an MRI and a Stress Test.  MRI showed nothing noticeable.  So on it was to the Stress Test.  I guess stress tests are done differently now than how they were done in the past.

First, I was put on a table and a apparatus came up over me from the side and took images of my chest.  It’s a resting heart “doppler” type test that shows you bands around the heart region.  They can also drape this over a 3-D image and rotate it around.  It’s a pretty cool technology and soon you’ll see why I like it so much.

I then went on to do the traditional stress test like you would think.  Suckerfish connectors all connected to be with wires, connected to a machine, and on a treadmill.  It was horribly painful, but it showed them and me exactly the problem I was having.  The only problem was that the EKG that they were running on me during the treadmill test showed nothing.  EKG was still coming out normal, but you see the physical problems I was having and I was definitely feeling the pain.

Next came the Doppler test again, and this time with an elevated heart rate and the same test.  The truth of the test was discovered….

I had blockage in my main artery.

The Cardiologist wanted me to have a cardiac catheterization to see exactly what the problem is and he wanted it immediately.  So Monday morning I went to the hospital, checked in and long story short they performed the catheterization.  In a nutshell, I had 99% blockage in my main artery but no damage to my heart.  No damage to my heart was key.  I was very close to a massive heart attack but I had adverted it.  I’m a lucky SOB huh?!  My Cardiologist said that not many people “walk in” in the state that I was in and I was very lucky.

The good news is that they put in two stents in my main artery and I am doing well.  The bad news is that I will probably need another one in another artery within the next few weeks.

So now I am on record with you and the whole wide world.  I have changed my ways and I have to do it immediately.  There is no family history of heart disease, so I have no one to blame but myself!  I accept that responsibility and unlike many I will not be suing anyone for my health issues so rest assured Red Robin….we’re still friends.   It’s just going to be Turkey burgers and a side salad instead of the A1 Peppercorn Burger and bottomless fries!

I have changed my diet and will engage in a whole new exercise habit after my follow up stent procedure in a few weeks.  It’s been a real eye-opener and a whole new design on my life, but as I have joked it beats the alternative.  So the second half of my life, Charlie 2.0 is underway and I am excited about it.

I welcome your comments and questions because I need YOU to keep me honest!