It was a sunny mid-morning on Monday, September 19, when Dr Frederick Stockton, my cardiologist, told me rather strongly that he recommended a defibrillator. Well…I am almost 76 years old, and I did have a heart attack about 30 years ago. But today I have no chest discomfort, no shortness of breath, no other symptoms. I feel fine.
Leaving Dr Stockton’s office, I called my girlfriend, Sheila. She said she was sorry that I wasn’t well and that she would support me whatever happened. Later that day, Sheila invited me to go out with her for dinner.
Over pizza that evening, we talked about my feelings about the pending procedure. With a couple of hours to think about it, I told her that I wasn’t going to change my life. I would still continue with my public speaking engagements, and I told Sheila I was rewriting a story about the music of the Vietnam War era that I hoped to present at local American Legion and VFW posts in the spring. She’s going to help me with the music CD.
I was also working on purchasing a small apartment building to rehab and to provide housing to homeless veterans. I would continue with that project, too.
Nothing in my life was going to change.
A couple days later, Dr Stockton’s office called to schedule my procedure. It was to be an S-ICD (a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator). The S-ICD is an electronic medical device that helps prevent sudden cardiac death. Healthcare providers recommend ICDs for people with certain cardiac conditions to monitor heart rhythm. When the device detects a very fast, abnormal heart rhythm, it delivers a shock to your chest to reset your heart rhythm. This is called defibrillation. Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll get two.
The date for the implant was set for October 4, a Tuesday morning. Again, I checked my feelings. I was okay. Let’s do it!
Oh, I talked to family and friends, and was continuously assured of the easy and non-threatening nature of the procedure. My sister Cathy offered to take me to the hospital on the morning of October 4, and my friend Jim offered to drive me home when I was released from the hospital. And, my dear sister Jeanne said she would pray the Rosary for me every day.
And so, the day is here… Be sure to pick up the December issue of Healthy Living News. I will further detail my postoperative experience with a new defibrillator. Daniel J. Jachimiak, BA, is a feature writer, journalist, and speaker. He can be reached at djachimiak@bex.net or 419-787-2036. ✲
