Good morning!
I would love to share a story with you this morning. This is the tale of a celebrity who died on July 4, 1995, yet somehow managed to help save my patient’s life decades later.
Apart from the air being a touch cooler and damper than usual, it was a typical Wednesday morning in the Chest Pain Unit. The ticking of the second hand was audible across the nurses’ station. I looked up to grade myself on this morning’s efforts to get out of the house. 6:58 a.m. Perfect, not quite starting time.
The first case I was to see this morning was a non-emergent patient admitted overnight with atypical angina (chest discomfort). Hot coffee in hand, I perused Epic (her electronic medical record). Good, nothing alarming. Setting the cup down and picking up my phthalo blue stethoscope, I headed into room 11 (actual room number changed for HIPAA) to see our patient, ‘Nancy.’ “Nancy! Good morning. My name is David Sabgir (unlike ‘Nancy,’ I’m not protected by HIPAA), and I’m a cardiologist here. Please tell me your story. I’d love to hear it.”
“So, Doc, my regular exercise is with Bob.”I assumed she meant streaming The Biggest Loser and its popular trainer, Bob Harper. Well, you know what happens when we assume.”I was halfway through Bob, and I’ll be darned if my right arm didn’t start aching. Then it started going into my left arm!” “Excuse me. Bob?” “Yeah, ya know, Bob Ross (also not HIPAA-protected in this scenario). I paint every day with Bob. Wet on wet. Been doin’ it for as long as I can remember. Years!” she proudly announces with a smile that lit up the room.
“But last night, halfway through, my arms started hurting. I had heard on the TV that women can have different heart symptoms than men. So, I called 9-1-1 and chewed four baby aspirin (awesome).”
She pauses again and tilts her head to the right, awaiting my approval.”Great move,” I confirm. “With your cardiac enzymes (troponin, CK-MB) being normal overnight, we’ll consider the full clinical picture as we determine the next step in your evaluation.” “Will the stress test be done with oil-based paints?” “No, ma’am. It’ll be done with a treadmill.” “I can’t do the treadmill because of my knees. Got Ol’ Arthur. I need the medicine one.” “That’s okay, not your fault.”
Long story short (too late, David), ‘Nancy’ had a positive (abnormal) stress test and ended up proceeding to the Cath Lab (where we take a long, skinny catheter through the wrist to inject contrast into the coronary arteries). She was found to have 95% blockages in both her LAD (left anterior descending) and circumflex arteries and received two drug-eluting stents.
Nancy is now enrolled in our cardiac rehab program and doing extremely well, painting to her heart’s content (pun not intended but left in).That night, after I had tucked the dogs into bed, I stood in our front yard. I stood on wonderful green grass, gazing into the deep azul sky, searching for and finding one or two happy titanium white clouds.I thanked Bob Ross, saver of lives, and wiped away a tear before heading inside. I felt complete.
Then, I lay in bed for over two hours trying to figure out how in the world Will Ferrell has never portrayed Bob Ross in a skit or movie.
I guess that’s what makes life so exciting, always full of mysteries.
David
Disclaimer: This is fiction. “Any similarities to persons living or dead or to actual events are purely coincidental.”
David Sabgir, MD, FACC
Cardiologist and Founder/CEO of Walk with a Doc
About Walk with a Doc:
As an international non-profit organization, Walk with a Doc is committed to inspiring communities through movement and conversation with walking groups led by local doctors, healthcare providers, or medical students.
Started in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, the program now extends to hundreds of communities throughout the world. The walks are a fun, free, and safe place to get physical activity, learn tips for healthy living, and meet new people.
Learn more at www.walkwithadoc.org