My Final Entry

It was June 26, 2012. I had spent more than the last eight years attentively taking several different medications to keep my blood pressure low and the blood flowing through coronary arteries. I had successfully avoided a quintuple coronary-artery-bypass-graft (CABG) since 2004. My angina incidents were usually one or two every month or so.

But on the afternoon of June 26, 2012 I experienced something far more life threatening than an angina attack. I had a full blown heart attack. I knew it was serious because my father, who passed away when I was 16, was sitting right next to me.
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"Don't panic, Jeff. You are having a heart attack but you aren't dying," he said calmly.

"Tell Lori to stay calm and call 9-1-1," he then said.

The Chesterfield Fire Department ambulance transported me to Community Hospital where my ardiologist was also heading towards. I had always told Dr. Lee that I would not have a bypass. She told the emergency room to give me a loading dose of Plavix and aspirin. By the time she arrived, I had been dosed with these anticoagulants.

Dr. Lee asked what I wanted to do. She always allowed me to be in charge of my treatment plan.

"My father said take the surgery," I told her as she looked at me quizzially.

Three days later, when my coagulation time was long enough, I had a four vessel CABG. That was one year and a little over one month ago. My recovery was without any incidents and by October, Lori and I were living in New Mexico.

I still have the rare bout of angina, but it lasts less than a minute or two. I am as active as I want to be.

I am extremely happy with  the way things have turned out and would not change any of the decisions that got me where I am today.