Johns Body Shop*, Dodge City, Kansas
[If you'd like to skip the story on my heart attack but read my recommendations, scroll to the last section below just above the Links.]
Because I inherited most of my mother's maladies, including Raynald's Disease [formerly Rayneaux Disease] and cellulitis, and had been fit enough to backpack in the mountains of California for 53 years, I assumed I had not inherited my father's congestive heart failure, which led to his death via aspiration pneumonia after he fell and broke his hip in 2005.
After my father had a triple bypass the day before his 85th birthday in 2001 I learned that 3 of my 4 siblings were taking heart medications -- each a different type.
On Friday 6 September I returned to Mesa Verda National Park, where I had nearly run out of gas in March 2012 and had only taken one photo of the cliff dwellings. [See links below.]
The Spruce Tree House is perhaps the best of the 13th century dwellings; so I walked down the paved path to it. After talking with 3 different park rangers, in part about the summers I worked for the U.S. Forest Service while attending college, I headed back up the path out of the canyon. Never was "gassed" even though I have the equivalent of slightly less than one lung; paused as necessary and to take advantage of any shade.
Also toured the Visitor Center and particularly enjoyed the dendrochronology display, which explained how tree rings could be used to approximate the date some of the cliff dwellings were built. Since a ranger down in the canyon has said that the Mesa Loop provided many photo opportunities without much walking, I headed there.
After taking a few photos I parked my camper to eat lunch. While eating my favorite snack, Rice Crackers, a sharp pain hit me in the middle of the chest. And my arms and hands became numb. Massaging my chest or clinching my fingers into a fist did not seem to have much of an effect on the chest pain or numbness. After 5-6 minutes I began breathing deeply. That caused the pain to abate somewhat.
Finally decided I didn't want to eat and continued on around the Mesa Loop. By the time I got to a what I thought was a smaller sub-loop off of the Mesa Loop, I was feeling considerably better. So I turned onto that sub-loop. That was a mistake, for the loop was longer than I realized and, though the chest pain did not return, the numbness in my arms and hands waxed and waned. While I did see a couple of Park Service vehicles, I saw no rangers. So I decided to drive to the Far View Visitor Center.
As it turned out, the Far View Visitor Center closed the day after Labor Day. I walked around a bit, and the fresh air seemed to help. When a couple parked at the other end of the parking lot, I drove down and explained what had happened. The fellow doubted that his cell phone would work there and suggested I go to the the Far View Lodge and have them call paramedics. But the longer I talked in the fresh air, the better I felt. Finally I told them I'd drive down to the Mayfield Village, which has WiFi and in whose campground I stayed the night of the 5th.
While there was occasional numbness as I drove to the lower elevation, the chest pain never returned. The girl who had checked me into a campsite the night before offered to call paramedics for me. However, since Cortez was only 14 miles away, I asked her for the name of the hospital so that I could use Mapquest to get driving directions.
As I approached the Emergency Entrance to the Southwest Memorial Hospital a doctor and a nurse were leaving. I explained what happened and said that I thought my mycobacterium avium might have been the cause of the chest pains. She was a bit of a comedienne and claimed she had never heard of it. After a bit, she got serious and took me inside to where I could be admitted to the ER.
The male nurse, Keith, was born in Augusta, Ga, near my first duty station in the army; and he had also been to Ft Monmouth, my second duty station. A nurse came in with and EKG/ECG, which showed no evidence of a heart attack. Dr. Zajchowski [Call me Dr Z] seemed to buy my explanation that my lungs were the cause of the chest pains. Eventually, however, a blood test came back and Dr Z said that I had indeed had a heart attack. But since they had no cardiologist on their staff, he was recommending that I be transferred to the Durango, CO, Hospital.
I balked for four reasons: 1)I felt I would receive better care at a VA Hospital than a for-profit hospital; 2)costs would be lower at the former; 3)my F250 and slide-in camper would be with me at a VA Hospital; and 4)the chest pains had not returned.
I had to wait until Monday 9 Sep to pick up some forwarded mail at the Cortez Post Office -- though I could have either had it returned to the Escapees Mail Service or forwarded to the Albuquerque Post Office. Became somewhat concerned on Su 8 Sep when my upper arms became somewhat numb while I ate lunch in the empty Cortez Library parking Lot. But after cutting a 325mg aspirin in half and swallowing one-half, that + a walk for a couple of loops about the parking lot made me feel better.
Finally, after picking up my forwarded mail on M 9 Sep I was on my way to the Albuquerque VA Hospital. After boondocking near Cuba, NM, Monday night I continued on to Albuquerque. It took a while to find the VA Hospital, in part because their VA logo on one of their taller buildings was not that visible through the rain. I ran into a VA police officer on my way to the Business Office; he assured me that my rig would not be a problem as long as it was parked properly. After completing the paper work at the Business Office, I was admitted to the ER. And then the "fun" began.
The ER nurse wasn't kidding when she said that the diuretic she gave me was very effective. My bladder was full in less than 7 or 8 minutes. And the next four hours, until a "pulley catheter" was installed, were the most painful I've ever spent in any hospital. As those of you who have been in ERs know, it's difficult to sleep because the nurses keep waking you up to take measurements, draw blood, etc.
Eventually, after a few more preliminaries, Paul, the nurse for the cardiology unit wheeled me from the hospital room where I had been staying. While wheeling me he stated the obvious, "You know, you could have died [while driving here]." My retort was that I had been a commodity broker for 28 years and thought I was fairly capable of assessing risk. Of course, with my life at stake I put a lot of faith in aspirin to keep my blood thin until the cause of the chest pain was determined.
To make a long story short, there was a build-up of plaque in the Left Anterior Descending Artery near the top of my heart. Dr Sheldon, reputedly the best surgeon, removed the build-up and installed a stent. I remained in Albuquerque for 3 days to see if there were any after-effects, but other than some slight numbness in my hands and arms, which used to occur when the weather was cold because of my Raynald's Disease, there were no problems.
Conclusion: I should have had a stress-test of my cardiovascular system after I quit backpacking in 2008. Even if neither of your parents had heart disease, I strongly suggest that you have such a test if you are 55 or older. And, as you can see from my experience, when one of your parents had heart disease, you may be at risk even if you think, as I did, that you are in good physical condition, don't smoke, aren't overweight, or do not have diabetes.
* = John Trabert of John's Body Shop in Dodge City, KS, did an excellent job of bending the top of my right door back in position after I hit the bottom of that door on an old concrete light standard.
Links:
- Explanation and treatment of atherosclerosis
- Trends in stress-test systems
- 2012 visit to Mesa Verde National Park
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T 24 Sep Actual Route: Dodge City W/M - John's Body Shop - DC Lib - Bucklin Lib - Sitka bd
W 25 Sep Actual Route: Sitka, KS bd - Woodward, OK, McDs - Lib - Walmart
Th 26 Sep Actual Route: Woodward W/M - Lib - Clinton McDs - Jcn OK33/US183 bd
F 27 Sep Actual Route: Jcn OK33/US183 bd - Clinton - Hobert Lib - Synder - Lawton Walmart
Sa 28 Sep Actual Route: Lawton W/M - Wichita Falls W/M
Su 29 Sep Actual Route: Wichita Falls, TX, W/M - Wichita Falls Visitor Ctr - Seymour - Throckmorton - Ft Griffin SP CG
M 30 Sep Actual Route: Ft Griffin SP CG - Albany Lib - P.O. - Abilene Lib - Walmart
T 1 Oct Actual Route: Abilene Walmart - Mockingbird Ln Br Lib - Sweetwater McDs - Walmart
W 2 Oct Actual Route: Sweetwater Walmart - McDs - Big Spring VA Hosp - Howard County Lib - US87 bd
Th 3 Oct Route: US87 bd - Sterling City, TX, - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way Walmart
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
- Info on finding BLM Campgrounds
Sure do hope that you are doing okay now. That was quite an ordeal you went through.
ReplyDeleteThe ticker is still ticking, thanks to the VA.
ReplyDeleteSure you're okay now?
ReplyDeleteI think it is wise to do the periodic medical examination .... this provides greater safety.
I know very well that in America you have private health care, and not all insurance policies offer certain expensive treatments, but here we speak of their health and their lives ...... you risked much ..... luckily nothing happened irreparable.
Take care of yourself.
Greetings
Diego & Tiziana
VA hospitals put patients first whereas for-profit hospital bean-counters worry about the hospital corportions's bottom line above all else.
ReplyDelete