My patient was prodded by his wife to visit me. “I don’t need to be here Doctor K. I feel good. I’m what you call shatter proof!” He was in his young 60s, had borderline high blood pressure, and still worked six out of seven days. I had never seen a shatter proof patient before so I recommended he undergo a stress test.
During the test, he became quite winded and images showed part of his heart muscles weakening. After going over the results, we scheduled our patient for an angiogram, where one takes pictures of the coronary arteries. A critical blockage was found in his left heart artery and angioplasty (opening up an artery with balloons and stents) was successful.
Several weeks later, while our patient was climbing a ladder, he felt a snap in this thigh. He was diagnosed with a torn muscle, which required hospitalization and surgical repair. During one of the nights, he yelled and screamed that the ceiling was on fire and the spiders were eating his flesh. His son came to the bedside to help his dad. And when the morphine was discontinued, the fires subsided, and the spiders disappeared.
One month after the thigh accident, my patient noted partial blindness of his left eye upon awakening, but didn’t seek medical attention for 48 hours. Two months later his vision has not returned, though he is recovering very nicely and is pleasant as ever.
I marvel at how much our human bodies can take. I marvel at the odds we face on a day to day basis. Did you know that one American will die of cardiovascular disease every 37 seconds; that every 40 seconds, one will have a stroke; that in 2009, an estimated 800,000 American will have a heart attack?
I guess after living life 101, I’ve come to the conclusion that none of us are shatter proof. All of us need some kind of assistance. That no one can arrive alone. That by God’s grace, loving family, and kind friends, we will face times of pain and stand the test. And in the shattered moments, the fire will ultimately subside, and the spiders will leave the building.
For further information on your cardiovascular health, contact Dr. Kojoglanian, the Mender of Hearts, at 661-259-1711 and visit drrap.com. The Mender of Hearts is located at 24868 Apple Street, Suite 103 in Santa Clarita.