By Tom Poland, A Southern Writer<\/i>
TomPoland.net<\/i><\/p>\n
Last fall I knew something wasn’t right with me. The feeling worsened over the winter. Then one March afternoon a walk to the mailbox and back felt like a forced march through the Mojave. I made an appointment with my physician and that led to a cardiologist. A heart monitor, scores of EKGs, panels of bloodwork, echocardiograms, CT scans, another cardiologist, and X-rays later I got the verdict: an irregular heartbeat and a low heart rate. Next came prescriptions. Still, something, I knew, just wasn’t right.<\/p>\n
In my last cardiologist appointment for a while, I had a question.<\/p>\n
“Do I have any blockages?”<\/p>\n
“No, all the tests say you’re fine.”<\/p>\n
“I know I have a blockage. I insist on a heart cath.”<\/p>\n
May 13, early morning, I underwent a heart cath. I had three blockages ranging from 92 to 99 percent blocked. May 14 MUSC Columbia called me. “Can you be here for surgery at 5:30 am?”<\/p>\n
May 15 I underwent open-heart, triple bypass surgery. It was rougher than a year in a South Georgia jail. They sawed my sternum open and pulled back my ribs for access to my heart. A machine breathed for me and circulated my blood. They put my lungs to sleep. Lots of other fun like taking a vein from my leg and slicing me up here and there. I had transfusions too, four units of blood. After they finished their medical magic, they closed me up and sent me to the Intensive Care Unit.<\/p>\n
The next morning in my room they gave me a heart pillow to clasp to my chest when I cough. Coughing feels like I swallowed a sword. You sure need that pillow. Overall, I feel like a truck hit me, backed up and hit me again, but I am getting my strength back one day at a time.<\/p>\n
Todays’ my best day so far. For the first time since surgery I am at my desk. You can expect new columns on our Southland to come soon. Photos will be a challenge as I am not allowed to drive for three weeks.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile I appreciate my editor’s and your patience.<\/p>\n
I learned a lot from this experience. My advice to you? Trust your instincts. Be your own advocate. Go with your gut. If I hadn’t insisted on getting a heart cath, I don’t know what my fate would have been. I, do, however, have a suspicion.<\/p>\n
I’m still here. See you in the paper soon.<\/p>\n
Tom<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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