Archive for March, 2005
Life Support for a Thinking Skull
Ever hear about those guys who do nothing but eat health food and spend their lives running from coast to coast who mysteriously drop dead in their thirties? Ever see the disclaimer for a new workout that says, “Consult a physician before starting any workout routine?”
With a parent who underwent a quadruple bypass for heart trouble within the last year, a nagging chest pain caused me a bit of panic a few days ago. Not being in the best of shape (although recently attempting to get into better health), I left work to visit an urgent care place just in case. Upon the mentioning of chest pain, the immediately refered me to the nearest hospital (although no one offered to take me there or call an ambulance… hmm).
Faster than you can say “family history,” I was admitted from the emergency room for 24-hour observation and given the infamous Stress Test. After being injected with nuclear materials and photographed, I had to elevate my heart rate on a treadmill before being re-injected and photographed again. Following this, an “echo” test was performed, which is like an ultrasound for your heart instead of a fetus. Then came the hours of waiting where my wife (wonderful person that she is) stayed by me with a permanent expression of “Please don’t be dying and leaving me here all alone.”
Bottom line: looks like I was pushing my body harder than it wanted to go right now, but my ‘ticker’ takes after my long-lived mother’s side of the family (thank God, goodness, etc). A combination of not stretching enough and/or creeky joints apparently simulated one of the fifty-plus things that can cause chest pain not unlike a heart attack (although I’m told sweating at the same time is another good telltale symptom, but it’s different for eveyone). Although my triglycerides were high (who’s aren’t?) and I got the low-salt, low-fat, drop-pounds speech, it did put things in perspective for myself and my local family.
I may not be dying, but it’s never a bad time to get your health under control. Fortunately, I wasn’t eating so bad to begin with, but there’s always room to do a little more, eat a little less, and get some daily exercise. A “thinking skull” still needs a life support system, right?
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