My Heart Attack Story
It was a warm fall evening October 9, 2018 in Holland at Strawberry Acres park pickleball courts at 630 pm and I was playing in an advanced league. In the last few points of my last game, I picked up the ball and the whole world started to spin sideways quickly then I saw myself falling to the court. I had collapsed and gone into cardiac arrest within seconds (flat lined, coded, dead, history, worm vittles…) without having any symptoms at all. I started to turn blue and my playing partner, Dave Rice, started CPR quickly and the blue color went away.
I was playing against an MD (Dr. Greg Haselhuhn) and an RN (Becky Chen) on the next court came to help. They had my airway open and could see air coming out of my mouth so CPR was working, but they were not getting any vital signs so they knew it was very serious. Another player called 911 while other players found my phone to call my wife Beth to get to the courts. They told her I had “gone down” and was going to the hospital so she should get come to the courts.
Holland Police arrived in a couple minutes and took over CPR while Springfield Township EMS arrived a couple minutes later and took over CPR. I was not responding to CPR so they used a defibrillator and had minimal response so used it a 2nd time and I was revived to a normal heart rhythm. I answered questions correctly then was taken to UTMC ER, but still very groggy and lost. I had not been breathing and effectively been dead for 10 minutes.
Beth got there when they were loading me and jumped in the ambulance. She was figuring out how serious the situation was on the way to UTMC. A cardiac catheterization test showed I had a 100% blockage in the LAD artery (aka: The Widowmaker) and an 80% blockage in the Ramus artery so stents could not be inserted to solve the problem.
Two days later I underwent open heart surgery and had a double bypass (CABG), leaving the hospital earlier than most anyone 4 days later (literally “Dead Man Walking”). I then finished 12 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation. I recovered quicker and better than most people because I was only 55 years old and a non-smoker, non-drinker, at my target weight, and was athletic for decades so I was in good shape.
My partner’s CPR right away kept blood/oxygen manually pumping, effectively saving me from permanent disability (although some disagree) or death. I took a CPR course five weeks after surgery with the Holland pickleball club and was told 3% of people that have my cardiac event survive and most have permanent problems. Many people that have talked with me since consider my survival with no problems a miracle. Now you understand why some call me Casper (the friendly ghost).
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10 Life Lessons to Remember
Some good that came from my cardiac event is that I was reminded of a # of life lessons that are valuable to everyone:
1—Don’t believe you know how the day is going to unfold. I guarantee you that you don’t.
2—Make the most out of each day. Fit in something you like. Don’t take tomorrow for granted; you’re not in control. Accept that reality.
3—Look at your bucket list and plan those things in your schedule you want to accomplish NOW. Don’t continue to put things important to you off because of other responsibilities. Prioritize your most important goals.
4—Achieve your goals by taking little action steps daily to move closer to the finish line, starting when we’re done today.
5—Stop believing you’ll get to it tomorrow. You don’t know when you’re not going to get the chance.
6—Stop letting others “wants” control your schedule. Schedule “you” time NOW.
7—Don’t let fear procrastinate taking action or you won’t get started. If you hold off, you may just regret it.
8—Stop worrying about failing. Step forward into the unknown and try something new. You’ll never know how it will go until you take action. Adjust your path when you hit speed bumps and continue moving forward. A plane’s auto pilot is off course over 90% of the time, but continues to adjust its route to reach its destination. Never give up mentality will get you over the goal line.
9—Write your 5 most important goals on paper and several “whys” for each so you have plenty of support for WHY you are taking these actions. Read these whys when you get down on a goal, which is going to happen. These whys will help regenerate your motivation and get you through the tough spots.
10—Write your obituary and include those important things you have put off, but are going to start to work on today, as things you’ve accomplished in your life. Commit to them today and get started NOW.
11--Ultimate Cause of Attack
I still believe the long term, daily frustration from rejections on my search for what I was going to do next was quite possibly the final straw that caused my heart attack. I am such an action taker and had been rejected so many times in a row that it caused regular stress to my body. I believe that is very similar to the financial stress that many people place on their bodies daily. That is where my idea for Financial Relief came from and will grow from. I believe if many people with this financial stress and other stress don’t take action to relieve it soon, their health will decline.
Turnaround Guy
Since I’ve been turning around individuals, businesses, and real estate projects for decades, it seems like a great way to use these unique skills to help many families turn their financial situation around and relieve the stress they are experiencing daily.
I have talked with so many adults that have too much debt, have too much $ in their homes, live beyond their means, have minimal savings, not real plan for retirement, etc. The government and social security is not a plan. By 2035, they will start reducing retirees’ checks by 20%+ because they will be running out of money. Therefore, adults have to take charge of their finances now, get in control, and change their financial habits to ones that work for them.
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Casper OUT
