Bitter pill to swallow

[Harold Pickens]

I was supposed to be in Kansas right now with Kenny Graft( SXS Ohio) and his buddy Steve, but I am still at home--Dr's orders. During the second week of my UP hunt, I was getting very wore out, and felt I couldn't get enough oxygen. Thought I had a walking pneumonia, and eventually left a day early.
My office is in a hospital, so my first day back, I saw my family doc in the physicians lounge, told him what was happening, and he listened to my heart and lungs there in the lounge. He looked at me incredulously, and said I had a significant heart murmer that he had never heard before. Well, many tests later, the cardiologist is telling me that I have a very serious mitral valve prolapse/disfunction, and my tricuspid valve is also not functioning properly.
Bottom line, I will soon be having heart surgery at Ohio State. I meet with the surgeon this Friday and will be told when and how they will do the surgery.
I was a marathon runner for25 years, finishing in the top 25% of the Boston Marathon at age 50, and at 55 ran stride for stride with Australia's Iron Man Masters champion. I play tennis 3-4X per week also.I have never spent a day in a hospital, and never been on any medication. My blood pressure is still
90/60, pulse rate in the 50's, and my coronary arteries are running like fire hoses. How this could happen so suddenly is beyond my comprehension, but I will be back out there next year. Hopefully being in good shape will hasten my recovery. Heart valve surgery is very common these days--I bet some here have had it. So God willing, I will see you all at the Southern and at Hausmann's this spring.