At the age of 59, I crossed off one of my “Bucket List” items: I hiked the Grand Canyon from the Bright Angel Lodge to Indian Gardens (a round trip of a little over nine miles). There were no signs of any health problems during my training for the hike, or the hike itself.
About a year later, around noon on May 11, 2011, I went to the gym to work out, which was a normal thing for me. After my routine — lifting weights, walking and running three miles on the treadmill, I was finishing my workout when I felt a sudden pain in my chest area. ‘Maybe I pulled a muscle,’ I thought. I finished my workout, but now I was sweating and having greater chest pain.
What I did next should not be done. I should have called 911 immediately. Instead I got in my truck and drove about a mile and a half home. Pain and sweat were increasing, and I called for my wife, Aleta, telling her that I had pain in my chest.
She drove me to the hospital, about five miles away (she, too, should have called 911). When I entered the emergency room, they rushed me to a room and then onto a cart. Then they gave me medication and did...READ MORE
