Part two

After a week in the Piedmont Hilton, Dr. Patel urged me to go seek additional help at either the Sanger Clinic, Duke Hospital, Chapel Hill or Baptist. Being the bean counter that I am, this would be a no brainer as the world renowned Sanger Clinic was just down the street in Charlotte. Dr. Patel thought that was an excellence choice as they could do more “electrical” things for my heart. So late Thursday afternoon I was whisked to CMC in charlotte to the Sanger Clinic (actually one in the same).
Upon arrival their electrical team, heart failure team and transplant team visited me all within three hours. Hmmm maybe these guys are good I was thinking. Over the next couple of days they ran a few tests on me, including sticking my jugular vein, which was a new experience.

Monday morning Dr. Gulati and his transplant coordinator Katie came into my room about nine a.m. Dr. Gulati started out by saying, “Art, when we consider a patient for transplant the first thing we look at, is how close to a life and death situation the patient is in. Your arythymias are definitely life and death. As a matter of fact you have already died once and fell and hit the concrete once. We believe the best solution for you is a transplant. We could do an ablation but there are literally so many places electricity flows in your heart, I could not guarantee any kind of success with an ablation.”

I felt like a 50-ton hammer had just hit my head. Transplant???? That sounded so much like defeat. It sounded like so much pain. It sounded so wrong. How could I need a transplant at 52? Three months ago I was in the best shape of my life and now you’re telling me I need a transplant? I thought these guys were the guru’s; the best of the best and this is the best idea they can come up with? Surely they have a few more tricks up their sleeves. Devastated.

Katie they went on to explain the whole transplant process, which pretty much flew right over my head. I listened by I really didn’t hear what she was saying. I was still stuck in the devastation stage. Nothing would be done until Cigna approved something, yada yada yada. At three o’clock that afternoon Katie came in and told me Cigna had approved the pre process testing. Being all chipper, I gave her a high five, all the while not having a clue as to what was going to happen or why I would be happy with that.

Fifteen minutes later, nurses with needles show up and want arterial blood (which is quite different than regular old vein blood) and ten vials of vein blood. Next came a chest x ray and later in the evening an ultrasound from my head to my toes. Finally night came and no more testing for that day. I layed in bed and just tried to comprehend everything that had happened that day and then the tears starting flowing out of me like a tremendous rain storm. I felt like such a loser for not taking care of my heart earlier in life. I felt like I let my kids down for putting them through this and not being healthy for them. I felt way too young to have to have a transplant. I felt terrible I had worked so hard for five years to beat this only to realize I should have started 15 years ago. Why was I so young to be going through all this? I cried until I could cry no more. That’s when God told me, Art, I put somebody directly in front of you when this disease began. You not only chose to ignore him, your scoffed at him, scorned his lifestyle and made fun of him. You owe this man an apology. He was absolutely right because my boss at that time exercised everyday, ate healthy, didn’t smoke and drank very little. I chose to ignore all of that.

If there is a message in this blog tonight to you, it is this, “WHO has God placed directly in front of you for a PURPOSE, that you are choosing to ignore?” Do not make the mistake I made 15 some odd years ago that is now costing me my heart and maybe my life. I love you all and God Bless, Art