By Tom Poland, A Southern Writer
TomPoland.net
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.
In my last cardiologist appointment for a while, I had a question.
“Do I have any blockages?”
“No, all the tests say you’re fine.”
“I know I have a blockage. I insist on a heart cath.”
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?”
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.
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.
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.
Meanwhile I appreciate my editor’s and your patience.
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.
I’m still here. See you in the paper soon.
Tom
