Wednesday, July 13, 2011

It Wasn't Indigestion

Originally published on my Posterous blog on July 11, 2011 as It Wasn't Indigestion





I'm sitting alone in an empty hospital room. Bob is having an Angiogram to determine the extent of the blockage in his heart. It felt like indigestion. He began having what he thought was severe acid indigestion on Thursday. When he had to leave the Muni Band tear down early on Friday, I told him he was having symptoms of a heart attack and should go to the ER. Convinced that it was indigestion, he spent Saturday in bed. He was talking about going to see his doctor on Monday. When I checked with him as I drove home from a gig, I argued strongly that he needed to be seen immediately. Persistence overcame stubbornness, and a Saturday evening trip to the ER saved Bob's life. Although he had no other symptoms besides acid indigestion, an alert ER physician persisted in her suspicion that it was heart related instead. A stress test yesterday morning revealed a blockage at the entrance to the heart. Bob is at this moment having an Angiogram. The best case would be a stent would open the blockage. Worst case (besides death) would be bypass surgery. Please remember that indigestion can indicate a heart attack. Don't blow your symptoms off. Do the right thing for the ones you love.


UPDATE:  Here is a view of Bob's heart during the Angiogram with arrows pointing out the blockage:




Here is the same view after a stent was inserted to open the blockage:



What a miracle!


Here is Bob in the park last night, 4 hours after being discharged from the hospital:




He was just there to observe and offer advice.


He was back to work at the concert tonight.  He is pretty wiped out, but he is ALIVE.  I am extremely grateful for that!