Other than the guys who treat the body from the hips down, I had no real doctor to see. After a quick search in the phone book, it was up to the corner GP hoping to get a quick script and back to life. After a listen to my heart and lungs the Doc stepped back to think. His next line was, "Son, my best guess is that you have something seriously wrong with that heart of yours." I kind of laughed and responded with a line about not knowing what a heart that has ran some 100 miles weeks might sound like. I was sure that my heart probably did sound different. Didnt Runners Worlds Dr. George Sheehan warn us not to trust the diagnosis of a non running doctor, or even a non running insurance salesman for that matter? Seeing the Doc on the corner was breaking the rules!
It did shake me up when he said he would not treat me for pneumonia or anything until I saw a cardiologist. Looking back, he was a great General Practitioner. Unfortunately or fortunately, he called it right. My health had taken the dirt road.
The question was no longer could I run, but could I get old? I was give a pretty ugly diagnosis and was told my running life would drastically change. I was in congestive heart failure. A never detected birth defect of my heart had caused my aortic valve to fail prematurely, a whole lot early if you ask me! It only makes sense that when you take yourself to the edge a few pieces might chip off.
Luckily, I was the healthiest sick person in the world. Most cardiac patients are high risk at surgery because of poor health. I was in great health, other than some bad heart parts. I was a candidate for a more high-risk surgery making the repair with human transplanted tissue rather than mechanical or pig parts! High risk because it is a longer surgical process with chance of rejection but a surgical option that if successful, could leave me with a fairly normal heart. Ive had 10 healthy post surgical running years with no medication and few complications. The new heart is about a minute a mile slower than the old one. (The aging process over the past 10 years has now made that 2 minutes per mile slower.)
The moral of the story. Getting sidelined with an injury can be devastating. When you hear a diagnosis that sounds unacceptable, always get a second opinion. After exhausting opinions take your best shot and never ever give up. We are runners; we will survive by endurance alone if thats what it takes. Follow this course and when it does all end, as God intended, there will be few regrets, we
My marathon times are a bit slower these days, but Im out there racking them up.
Run forever,
Randy Step
