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Faith Friday at GracePoint-A personal story

$50 may have saved my life!

My birthday is next week. I’ll be 61 years old and will celebrate with a triple coronary bypass; not really what I was expecting. I was thinking more of a quiet dinner with my beautiful wife Becky. Still, I thank God for the pending bypass surgery and that I will have it before any damage was done to my heart. I had a heart catheterization yesterday and my cardiologist told me that one artery is up to 70% blocked, one is 90% blocked and one is 100% blocked.

What is confusing to me is that I’ve not had any noticeable symptoms: no chest pain, no trouble breathing (except when I had pneumonia last year) no excessive fatigue, no problems with extremities and no irregular heartbeat. So, how did I find out I had heart problems?

I spent $50.

At my annual physical in January, my doctor was concerned about my cholesterol level and suggested medication. I asked if I could have six months to try to reduce it through diet and exercise. She hesitantly agreed but said she wanted me to get a heart scan or what is often called Cardiac Scoring. It’s a simple CT scan of the heart area to identify potential arterial blockage. Insurance doesn’t usually pay for it but it only costs $50 and both Parkview (877) 225-5747 and Lutheran (260) 435-7377 hospitals offer it.

I agreed and scheduled the test for the following week. I had the test on Monday and early the next morning I got a call from my doctor’s office asking me to come back in the next day to talk with the doctor; never a good sign. On a calcium score scale where over 400 is bad, mine was 948. Fast forward to today: after a stress test, a consult with a cardiologist, an echocardiogram and a heart catheterization, I’m planning for triple bypass surgery followed by a week in the hospital and a two-month recovery.

And I’m praising God that it’s going to happen. Two thousand years ago, God healed people through the hands of Jesus and his disciples. Today he heals through the hands of doctors, nurses, technicians, medical device inventors & manufacturers, and many others. And I’m grateful that He does. Sure, I would love to get prepped for surgery only to find that my arteries have been miraculously cleared. I know God can do that, but I also know it is more likely that it will be His will to use others to create the opportunity for healing.

As I learn more about the heart, I’ve discovered that there are a lot of people out there like me. Men and women who are not significantly over weight, eat in moderation, don’t smoke, and are seemingly healthy. But like me, they have heart problems and don’t know it. Some of them are not as fortunate as I am. Some didn't discover the problem until experiencing a major heart attack that significantly disabled them or even caused their death.

That’s why I wrote this post. If you have never had a Cardiac Scoring test, schedule one now. Perhaps like me, you’ll discover significant blockage before your heart is damaged. Or, perhaps you’ll discover minor blockage that can be easily treated without bypass surgery. Better yet, maybe your arteries will be clear and your $50 will just buy peace of mind. If so, I think that’s still a good deal, don’t you?

As a Long-Term Care Planning Specialist, my job is helping people plan for the future so they can Grow Old with Grace. I would like the opportunity to Grow Old with Grace myself. With God’s grace, a triple bypass surgery might help me do just that.

And it started with spending just $50.

Jim Cates

P.S. If you've read this far, thank you. I'm going to ask a favor of you. Please share this post. I wish I had been more aware of how valuable a heart scan was five years ago. I might have made changes in my diet and exercise in time to avoid my pending surgery.

Please take the time to share this so someone else might benefit from my experience. Thanks!

P.S.S. These onion rings tasted wonderful but I've learned that their cost and the cost of other foods like them is just too high.

Short read with good ideas.

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