I'm not sure how to write this, or why I'm writing it. Sitting here with a cup of coffee wondering about life.....
My Dad and I left last Thursday for a long weekend ride to the Piper Aircraft Museum in Lock Haven PA and then up to Cooperstown for a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We left PA Friday morning and my dad suffered a mycocardial infarction 70 miles in to the ride. The problem was, he didn't know it. He got sick on the side of the road, complained of chest pain and kept riding. He had no other classic heart attack symptoms. He has suffered from achalasia for years and he thought his esophageal sphincter was causing the problem again. By the time we got him to a local hospital, they immediately put him in an ambulance to the nearest heart hospital. That 8 hour delay may have been worse than the original attack.
I am completely sick to my stomach that I didn't catch it and gave him the thumbs up to continue on the ride. He is now in Cardiovascular ICU and has suffered severe damage to the left descending. The Cardiologist also says there is significant blockage in the other three. We are left wondering how -- good health, good blood pressure, skinny, active with exercise, low cholesterol and no complaints. Quadruple bypass is scheduled for 10AM this morning.
This is one of my favorite pictures of my Dad. This was taken three years ago when he and I rode to Lake Placid for a long weekend riding around the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This was him hamming it up for the camera on top of Whiteface Mountain. He'll be 68 in December.
My Dad is the reason I am a rider and a good person. He's been my hero as long as I can remember. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you.
My Dad and I left last Thursday for a long weekend ride to the Piper Aircraft Museum in Lock Haven PA and then up to Cooperstown for a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We left PA Friday morning and my dad suffered a mycocardial infarction 70 miles in to the ride. The problem was, he didn't know it. He got sick on the side of the road, complained of chest pain and kept riding. He had no other classic heart attack symptoms. He has suffered from achalasia for years and he thought his esophageal sphincter was causing the problem again. By the time we got him to a local hospital, they immediately put him in an ambulance to the nearest heart hospital. That 8 hour delay may have been worse than the original attack.
I am completely sick to my stomach that I didn't catch it and gave him the thumbs up to continue on the ride. He is now in Cardiovascular ICU and has suffered severe damage to the left descending. The Cardiologist also says there is significant blockage in the other three. We are left wondering how -- good health, good blood pressure, skinny, active with exercise, low cholesterol and no complaints. Quadruple bypass is scheduled for 10AM this morning.
This is one of my favorite pictures of my Dad. This was taken three years ago when he and I rode to Lake Placid for a long weekend riding around the Adirondack Mountains of New York. This was him hamming it up for the camera on top of Whiteface Mountain. He'll be 68 in December.
My Dad is the reason I am a rider and a good person. He's been my hero as long as I can remember. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you.