"So just what the hell is this?" (Brent on the mend!)

So if you hadn't heard yet...I've had on of those little setbacks. No injury like Tom K. No new little sore knees. It's hard to be able to say this but Friday March 5th I woke up having a heart attack. Thought it was the flu (briefly) then took an aspirin and asked Beth to take me to the ER. Poor girl, I scared the crap out of her. Don't blame her though, this time she had cause. Damn fast in the ER when they put the EKG on you. Straight to the Cath Lab for roto rooter. Sorry docs but you all take yourself very seriously (and you deserve it) and thanks for your skills. Above is one of the pics. This is one of the ones that didn't clear out like he wanted. Doc tried real hard.

So here is the story. I was in the 2% risk category. LDL/HDL great but high normal. Non smoker, no diabetics. OK so my mom died at 63 of heart disease but was a smoker with no exercise to speak of other than walking the dog. I had a plaque close to my heart that ruptured with clots and whatever getting into places it shouldn't be. Doc said I had the largest arteries he had seen and the deposit of plaque may have just been due to the blood flow being slow. Some of you may now know my secret to being able to hurt you.

So I wait patiently. I can get up, walk the dog, have a glass of wine,normal stuff. Except for all the drugs. I'm on the normal cocktail of stuff for heart patients. Doesn't exactly make one feel normal but they apparently work. So I take them. And my body is black and blue from the good and bad phlebotomists that tried to drain my body of fluids. I have to wait to get the final word about what function the pump still has. I'm betting at 98 % I can still go out and ride hard. That's what I have to believe right now as I get some calls that imply that I am now in the land of normal. (Not you guys) Just by their calls there is this inference that I might cash in tommorrow or my life as a athlete is over. Not yet bucko. That's old school thought right. We all know how much riding enhances our lives both mentally and physically.

And I know of some of your stories of how you have conquered your fears and overcome odds. I can just add to that journal as I plan to be back in measures this year.

So you may be seeing Bethy on her Bethy bike a little more this spring. Have fun and don't remind her. I've scared her enough. And you'll soon see the tandem back out. Just on windy days the little sprite gets blown around so let her tuck in.

Brent Myers

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