Stories from the Heart
By Bud Pickett, Executive Director of U.S. Amateur Jump Rope Federation
Thanks For My Life,
Jump Rope For Heart
It was Saturday. I was playing tennis for the fourth time that week. I was in good shape and having a great time, but this Saturday I was in a tournament 40 miles from home. During the semi-finals I felt a little pain in my back. But, all older players have those, and I had no other symptoms, so I played the finals against a 32-year old man (I am 63). I won the match, picked up my trophy, and drove home. I had no idea that I had suffered a heart attack before that last match.
That night I was in the local hospital. Tests revealed that I had indeed suffered a heart attack. I later learned that some of the staff wanted to life-flight me to Houston as a critically ill patient, but no one had told me. All other tests were normal. On Monday, my local family physician made arrangements for a heart catherization at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.
Tuesday, my wife Jane, my beloved brother, and I went to Houston, expecting to be there just one day for a simple test before returning home. Around 4:00 pm on Wednesday, three doctors started the test, saying that it would take a couple of hours. If they could find a problem, they said they would try to fix it. But, within 20 minutes they stopped, amidst whispers and private consultation. All three came to the head of the patient - me - and the cardiologist simply said, "You have very critical heart disease. You are a walking time bomb, and I don’t know how you were able to walk into this room. You cannot get off of this table, and you will never leave this hospital in this condition. You are minutes away from having a really bad heart attack."
At 4:30 pm they showed me, on three large color TV screens, six blockages. Two of these were 99% blockages, two were 90%, and two were 40% blockages. Surgery was the only solution, and not next week, but as soon as possible! The finest surgeon was called to do the surgery. A man of few words, he simply said, "you are so close to dying, you will be first into surgery tomorrow morning." His associate was instructed to begin preparation
immediately for the earliest open operating room.
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He gave me no guarantees for the future;
except that he felt I was strong enough to undergo the triple bypass, open-heart surgery, but even that was not 100% guaranteed.
From 5:30 to 6:00 on Wednesday a doctor was with me to handle the bleeding from the earlier procedure and to watch for reactions as I lay in the recovery room. Unfortunately, I did have a reaction, but the doctor’s quick response saved me, and I was able to go on with the scheduled surgery. I shall never forget what he said: "I am not regularly here for surgery. I am involved in research at the Texas Heart Institute, but I come over when they need me; it helps me to stay in touch with critically ill heart disease patients. You are really in bad shape, but you are in the right place. I am working here under a grant from the American Heart Association. We are funded by a program called ‘Jump Rope for Heart,’ where kids raise money to allow us to study better ways to treat patients like yourself, who are so close to dying. In fact, the doctor who will do your surgery has developed a new technique in which you will be technically dead for about 45 minutes...not two hours as has been the practice in the past. And, though you’ve probably never heard of the great work these kids are doing, Jump Rope for Heart is really helping you out."
I was amazed, because that day I had been scheduled to drive a jump rope team to Dallas (EDS) for a JRFH event that was later reported to have raised $24,272. I had often seen Jane and her jump rope team - the Palpitations -raise similar funds and I had seen videotapes of other JRFH teams. I never knew that their efforts would help save my life. Early the next morning I had open-heart surgery. Nurses came for me just after 5:00 am. This "walking time bomb" almost died and never knew it was about to happen. Thanks to Jump Rope for Heart, my life was saved.
I now know what real living is all about. I hope all of you realize how important your efforts with the Jump Rope for Heart program are and I urge you, please, never give up your commitment to this great program. You may be the one who helps with the next major improvement or cure for heart disease. I’ve been there. I’ve seen and felt the results of your efforts. You are making a difference! Finally, to all who have participated in this very important rope-jumping event: THANK YOU SO MUCH! You saved my life. I thank God for every person who does JRFH and my renewed heart thanks you. And to think, I never really knew I was sick. |
The
Team