PORTRAIT OF A HEART ATTACK
I get the call from a friend: “John is in the hospital. He had a heart attack!” I’m thinking to myself: How is this possible, he’s only a couple of years older than myself and an active individual. How could he have a heart attack?
Thankfully, through a combination of luck, timing, and technology; John is still with us today. But John’s health event is a reminder that things can change in a flash. One minute you can be having fun with your family at the park and the next, wake-up with a tube down your throat not knowing where you are or what happened.
John’s daily life prior to the heart attack is something many of us can relate to. With a demanding full time job, wife, and 2 kids; it was a challenge to find the balance between work, family, and prioritizing one’s health. While he participated in outdoor activities a few days a week, slept 7 hours a night, and worked on eating healthy foods; the demands from his work placed a high level of stress on him for many years. From cycling and hiking to rock climbing; John’s cardiovascular system was fairly strong and even his most recent cholesterol levels appeared normal. His company used to offer on-site yoga at lunch, which provided great stress relief for the mind and body, but participation dwindled and was no longer offered. The company does permit a flexible lunch hour, so some take advantage of it for group activities.
So what happened? The diagnosis was an acute catastrophic event where a large chunk of plaque broke free and blocked a coronary artery leading to the heart attack. Outside, the body appeared healthy, but inside where we rarely look, the problems were building. We come to operate at a high level of stress not realizing the damage stress puts on the body. Eventually, the body can only take so much and it gives out.
The impact from the attack affects more than what people assume. Starting with the family, John’s kids were extremely frightened from witnessing the event and not being old enough to process all of the details is something they will be dealing with for many years. After 6 days in ICU and 10 days total in the hospital, John left in a weakened condition and has been taking steps to rebuild his body to pre-attack condition levels. At John’s company, it shook up many of the co-workers as he appeared healthy on the outside. Besides the loss of productivity from John and his co-workers during that time period, the company’s health insurance bill was over $150,000 for the entire episode.
Many do not get second chances when heart attacks occur. John was a lucky one and has been using this opportunity to live life fully and not take anyone or anything for granted. He strives for that healthy balance with work, family, and health. In Part II of Second Chances, we will look at the lessons that can be learned from this event.