I’m sure you’ve heard that old cliche, “You never know what a day may bring forth.” Let me splain an incident to you that happened to me last Saturday.

I’d been feeling pretty draggy and a little out of breath for a couple of weeks or more. Kinda ignored the symptoms because there was no pain involved.

Our son, Mark, came down from Atlanta to visit for a week. We’d had a lot of fun looking at trucks, searching for my favorite fox, playing Scrabble, Yahtzee, etc. Mark scheduled lunch for Pat and me and his wife’s parents. (We always hope that when our kids get married, we’ll like and get along with their spouse. In this case, we not only feel that way about Mark’s wife, Beth, but her parents as well. We enjoy good friendship and fellowship with them.)

We met at the Country Crock. That’s my name for a restaurant that sits, in clone form, at Interstate exits all across the country. (If you want the real name and can’t figure it out, shoot me an E-mail and I’ll let you know.)

I got out of Tonka and walked to the row of wicker rockers (say that phrase three times really fast.) When our name was called, I got up to go inside. About four steps later, I grabbed Mark’s arm and said, “I’m about to fall flat on my face or on somebody, throw up stuff I haven’t even eaten yet, and pass out.” He helped me back to the chair. After sitting for a few minutes, I felt well enough to go in for lunch. Didn’t feel well, though, not at all. I managed to drive home and get into bed.

On Sunday morning, I still had this fluttery feeling in my chest. Didn’t pay much attention because I’d felt that for awhile. I took a couple of aspirin and went back to bed. After all, the grandkids were coming over (with their parents) to watch the Super Bowl and visit our home. I wanted to feel better in order to participate in one of our special family times.

Everybody who saw me that day commented about how tired, ashen, and horrible I looked. Pat’s brother, his wife, their children and their grandchildren came by. I met a cute little four year old named Brandi for the first time. She came running across the living room, jumped in my lap, gave me a big, giant hug and said, “Papa Jerry, why do you look so awful tired?” None of this buoyed my spirits.

Later Sunday evening, I just couldn’t handle things any more. Three or four steps left me feeling very weak and extremely tired. Couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen. Wondered and worried about all kinds of possibilities.

Emergency rooms aren’t anything like they appear on television. Oh, I got into a room rather quickly. Some preliminary tests were done. Spent seven hours there with Mark and Pat waiting for “someone” to find me a room and move me into it. Now, I’m not saying that I was neglected or maltreated. Not at all. It just seemed like it took an incredibly long time to get to my next room. Pat and Mark were so kind and helpful.

Things began to hum after I arrived on the cardiac floor. I had more wires attached to my skin than I could even imagine. The IV tube and I became close friends for a day and a half. It’s really hard to turn over in bed when you’re all wired up like that. My heart, pulse rate, etc. were being monitored 24 hours a day. I went into the bathroom, shut the door as best I could and here came the boss nurse. “Mr. Meyer, Mr. Meyer, are you all right?” “Yep,” I answered. “I’m just trying to perform a natural function.” “Okay, okay,” she said. “We just noticed your rate shot up and wondered what you were doing.” No privacy! However, I did manage to wear my jeans and sport shirt the whole time I was there. None of those backless gowns for me.

Speaking of monitors, wires and tubes, everything surrounding me seemed designed to make sleep impossible. My blood pressure and pulse rate were checked every 15 minutes. The nurse would do her job and then encourage me to get some sleep. For 13 minutes? Gimme a break! I learned a lot about cat napping! No, not kidnapping cats! Just sleeping in little, short bursts of nitey nite!

Ah, sweet slumber. How I craved just a little bit of restful sleep in a quiet, dark room. My first roomie snored. I mean, he really snored. He was 81 years old and sounded like a freight train when he slept. We laughed about it. However, I thought of finding a size 8 cork and stuffing it between his teeth! My second roomie was a television addict. Ran the thing 24 hours a day whether he needed to or not. Problem? The volume control on my bed rail was broken and I couldn’t shut off the sound!

I ended up with a really fine doctor. Seemed to be on top of everything and up on the very latest diagnoses, treatments, etc. To balance all that knowledge, he was conservative. He told me that he didn’t believe in opening people’s chests to remove a mole from their nose. Now, that’s my kinda doctor!!!

Turns out that my medical problem was atrial fibrillation. My heart was beating at a jackhammer rate…above 160. It was erratic and fast. Left me feeling light-headed, nauseous, and extremely tired. The beat is now within proper parameters on the rate side. The rhythm is still a little erratic. Have to have medicine adjusted on the basis of frequent blood tests and visits with the doctor.

Why am I telling you this whole story? Because I’ve seen how fragile life can be without a whole lot of warning. I lived through two rather bad accidents, neither of which were my fault. This was different. In this case, I’m dealing with a medical problem pretty much beyond my perception that took a while to develop. Something happened with which I HAVE to deal! Chances are that if I hadn’t gone to the emergency room Super Bowl Sunday, someone else would be posting this piece on my page and telling you what a fine guy I WAS!

If you have symptoms that are strange to you, don’t take a chance. No need to be a hypochondriac, but it can’t be wrong to get a check-up. Heart problems, diabetes, lung problems, etc. are illnesses with which we shouldn’t fool around or postpone diagnosis and possible treatment.

AND, if your wife tells you that you look like death warmed over and eating a cracker, and suggests that you MIGHT want to have it checked out sooner rather than later, CHECK IT OUT!

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