The Old Ticker

Well, "the clock struck one and down he run. Hickory, Dickory, Dock." It was three months ago when Bill first experienced the tightness in his chest. As he swung that mallet through the air, aiming at the wedge lodged in the log he was splitting, a tight feeling spread across his chest. he stopped, scarcely daring to breathe, as he did a quick assessment. "What was happening?"

We talked about the cough that persisted and if he could have pleurisy. We wondered and worried and days passed by. Bill went to the doctor and the PA thought it could be pleurisy after all. But the pain, a tight burning sensation continued and began traveling down his arm. The next doctor visit landed him on a treadmill in the cardiologist's office.


The left anterior descending artery was blocked 95%! Now this Bill of mine is no ordinary man with an ordinary heart. He is an oatmeal eating, garlic crunching, sardine snacking fellow who eats slivers of ginger and sprinkles tumeric and cinnamon on everything he eats. He exercises every morning before getting out of bed; all core strengthening movements guaranteed to wake me up at 5 am. Even though heart disease may run in his family, it wasn't going to wrap it's icy fingers around Bill's heart, no siree. I expected a rebellion but got none. Bill acquiesced and welcomed the chemo release stent, plavix pills and the generic statin guaranteed to reduce his cholesterol. He remains optimistic, cheerful and the lovable man I married over 40 years ago. His old ticker will keep on going, given new energy with the help of a tiny stent. Hickory Dickory Dock.