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Five years ago this November I found myself in the local hospitals emergency room. I had gone to my doctor complaining of chest pain and he immediately called for an ambulance. I waited in the emergency room for blood work to be done and then was transported by another ambulance to Aspirus Hospital in Wausau, WI where I had an angiogram.

I had extensive blockage (99% in the major artery, 70-80% in others). They placed a stent in one of the arteries and hooked me up to a pump/filter to take some of the pressure off my heart. The following morning I underwent coronary bypass surgery where they preformed 5 bypasses. I was 47 years old.

Before being discharged from the hospital it was determined that I also had type 2 diabetes. Not only was it a terrible shock to have undergone such extensive heart surgery now I was being told that I had an additional disease to deal with. At first I was on insulin and then metformin. I was able to loose some weight after a few years and getting my eating undercontrol. I eventually was able to discontinue the metformin also.

I was, at the time, working as a cook at an assisted living center. I was able to use my recently gained knowledge (and continuing diabetes education) to help control diet for the diabetic residents and also was able to educate the other staff. However, I changed to a more sedentary job and once again am facing a struggle with weight and not being able to exercise enough.

So I am starting over with my doctors help to once again get my blood sugar levels down (cholesterol too). But with web sight like this one and the am heart assoc I don't get discouraged and take one day at a time. As my 5 year anniversary approaches I hope I can once again make some life style changes so that I won't have to go thru this again.

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