The Waiting Game
When people ask me what was the hardest part in my journey with heart disease, I always answer that it was waiting six week for my surgery date to arrive after my diagnosis.
First, was the fact that my body felt like a house in the middle of the night, with its every creak and groan. My body felt the same way. I was definitely more acutely aware of every ping and pang. Due to the fact that my diagnosis was caused by shortness of breath, I really had no idea what angina, chest pains or any of the other symptoms of a heart attack should feel like. A comforting factor for me was a few days after my diagnosis date my doctor called me at home to see how I was doing. I told him I was fine but that I really did not know what I was dealing with and what I could or could not do. I was really confused, as a few weeks ago I thought I was this healthy middle-aged guy. My doctor gave me some great advice and told me to exercise common sense and not do anything ridiculous such as raking or shovelling. When I told him I had watched my wife Lori rake earlier that morning he laughed and said, “I think you get it.” My doctor’s call and advice certainly helped to put my mind and body at ease.
A few days later, I was just lounging around the house when I felt this odd sensation in my chest. It only lasted about a half hour so I let it go. However, when it reoccurred at lunch time for another half hour, I mentioned it to my wife and we immediately went to the hospital, just as my doctor had told me to do. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast the hospital took on my case when I told them I was awaiting by-pass surgery and experiencing chest pains. They immediately inserted an IV, did some blood tests, hooked me up to a heart monitor and took chest X-rays. Because the blood work had to be done 4 to 5 hours apart to see if there was any stress related activity on my heart, I settled in for the balance of the afternoon and awaited the results. After dinner, the doctor came in to tell me that my results were fine and I could go home. I was really happy to hear this news.
The balance of my waiting game was rather uneventful. I spent many hours doing some recreational reading. Prior to my diagnosis I read personal development type books. I took this downtime to lose myself in somebody else’s life. My favourite author: mystery writer James Patterson. I also received many calls, visits and lunch invitations, but I tried to manage my social calendar to avoid getting run down before my surgery. But I did appreciate everyone reaching out.
All in all, there were many different emotions that I went through during my waiting game. I believe the one thing that helped me get through it the most was the awesome support and guidance I received from my family, friends, colleagues and doctors. Without their unconditional support, I know my waiting game would have been a much more trying time for me.
