Toss The Spinning Dreidel

I started to run with my golf bag.  I was trying to put some distance between me and the group in back and had been having some success by walking fast.  But, now I decided to hurry so I could play with no contention from the rear.   My chest started to burn a little, so I slowed down.  A couple of holes later, I was back to normal.

I told my doctor about it, and he didn’t think anything of it . . and neither did I.  However, I did notice that my chest would burn a little if I walked fast.  So, I stopped walking fast!

In May, when I was in Hawaii visiting family and doing some work for Pat’s company, I took a four mile walk and, at the end, I decided to jog back to the house.  The burning sensation came back.  I scheduled an appointment with the doctor and, when I returned, he sent me to get an echocardiogram stress test (evaluate heart function while exercising).  They immediately sent me to get an angioplasty (look inside the heart to see if there were any blockages).  Then they immediately sent me to a cardiologist with the results.

The results were that I needed bypass surgery on the heart.  As it turns out, four arteries were blocked, two seriously.  And, I needed to have this done immediately.

A month ago I was concerned that, even though I felt good most of the time, I did have some discomfort on the rare occasions when I was running or walking fast.  To, now, I am going in for major heart surgery.

The aging process that is now running roughshod over my few remaining functional memory cells, has wound its imaginary cord around my brain and is tossing it to the ground, spinning like a dreidel.  I am in shock!

But, I have decided to share this experience on the blog.  I am, and have always been, miserable about communicating personal information like this.  However, I think there is some value in doing it.

If this is disquieting, please avoid the blog for the next month or so . . .   🙂   .  Thx!