Posts Tagged sudden cardiac event

George Steinbrenner rest in peace

Love George Steinbrenner or hate him, history will show that what he has done for MLB is far more than any one person has done.  I just discovered on www.cnn.com that Steinbrenner had suffered a massive heart attack and passed away.  Steinbrenner was not a young man or even a terribly fit person, but none the less did not deserve to pass as he did. Once again, it sounds like yet another statistic has been added to the fatality figures associated to the “widow maker heart attack”.

The sad reality of this passing is that it more than likely did not have to take place. For the most part the widow maker heart attack can and usually is something that can be avoided. Perhaps, George in his passing will motivate other persons to take necessary steps to avoid this massive and sudden heart attack. I can only hope that his major stars realize just because they are stars does not make them immune to this very serious cause of sudden death. Just because a person is able to hit home runs, make sparkling plays in the outfield or infield, or perhaps stealing bases does not provide a proof positive of cardiovascular health.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Suffering a heart attack can be a real bitch

Perhaps I should have been more delicate with my title .language. However, I am not sure taming it down would have merely described the suffering of a heart attack and its long term impact. I would consider myself to be a fighter or perhaps a competitive person, but what thing I find is that the mental motor is sometimes a little more sluggish than I would like. I don’t mean to imply that I am not still sharp, because I feel that I am indeed as sharp or in some instances sharper than I was prior to my heart attack. What I am finding of late is it seems that in morning I struggle to mentally start my motivational engines. The feeling is very frustrating to say the least. For almost my entire life I have always been pretty motivated be it morning or evening. What I have found since I went on disability the lack of direction makes me feel like I were a sail boat that perhaps somehow lost my keel. While I do move forward… the lack of keel does not keep me moving forward, but rather sideways and sometimes just simply a direction that I did not intend.

I am not sure if it is the PTSD or perhaps depression or maybe just simply lack of emotional direction but I realize that I must find that keel again. I am waiting patiently for word from the SBA and the back regarding the results of my presentation from last week to purchase The Broken Wheel Ranch in southern Illinois. I find that if I am able to focus on that dream and the multitude of activities and challenges that would go into making the ranch a success I am incredibly focused and happy. I realize that it will be hard work, and I am very ok with that fact. In fact I find myself hugely excited about the chance of having my own business again. I do in fact love to teach, but I think that love may be behind me unless I were able to find a perfect position that needs a business teacher.

Hopefully, by the end of this week I will have heard something regarding my dream of operating a small business in the form of owing The Broken Wheel Ranch.  I think it would be great to market my ranch and the wine tour of southern Illinois to all the heart attack survivors worldwide.  After all they say a good bottle of red wine is good for the heart…… :-)

God Willing this will be mine very shortly

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

President Barack Obama dribbles basketball toward widowmaker heart attack

The President of the United States has proven to be one of a kind in so many ways. He is brilliant, articulate, and passionate about his agenda and from what I see caps that off with a nice jump shot. However, a nice jump shot does not equate to cardiovascular health. So many athletes assume because they are professional athletes think they have great cardio health. Having the ability to run 20 yards, or 100 yards for that matter has little to do with cardio health rather than leg strength.

President Obama while a democrat is a prime example of a fit athlete. He is also a example of a person that has a very stressful life and a prime candidate for cardio vascular problems even if he has none of the risk factors associated with heart disease. I would implore our President to determine if his cardiovascular program is “real” or is just a play basketball and that will do it routine. The United States of America is currently in a very precarious economic balancing act and the last thing humans need world wide is the lose of you Mr. President due to The Widow Maker Heart Attack. Regardless of a persons political convictions, democrat, republican, independent, green your health is critical to the worlds stability.

If it is there the Wild West I would call you out President Obama and challenge you and your dog to a powerwalk  against me and my dog to see if you really are cardio vascular fit.  If you survived the challenge… we could play a nice game of catch as a cool down.  Seriously, President Obama please do what you can to ensure the American people that you are cardio healthy as we need your stability for the foreseeable future.

Should I say high noon…Rock City, Il. ?

Patrick Fox

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chicago Cubs….. Helloooooooooooooooooooo

Attention Chicago Cubs:

I need your help to accomplish a life goal. I have written a book “The Widow Maker Heart Attack at age 48″ and in it I write a great deal about the Chicago Cubs and what they have meant to me.  I have been coaching for 19 years so I don’t think I will throw a wild pitch and I have been singing quite a bit over the years so I won’t completely blow “take me out to the ball game”. 

If anyone out there knows anyone with the Chicago Cubs, please I could really use some help making this happen.

Thank you

Patrick Fox

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dreams do come true for heart attack survivors

A couple days ago I had the incredible opportunity to present a business plan that I have been working on for the last 5 months. For the last 5 months I have been almost non stop focused on creating a business plan for a horse campground in southern Illinois. The current owner lost his wife to cancer in the last 6 months and no longer wanted to own and run a ranch.  I have been working with horses for 12 years now and I love working with people and chatting so I thought it would be a great opportunity.

A couple days ago I had the opportunity to make a presentation to a bank and the SBA and I felt great. I was so focused and pumped for the moment that life was as perfect as it could be. Regardless of the outcome… I have loved every moment of planning and ultimately the presentation. What a great feeling.

Patrick

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heart Attack Recovery is mental and physical….big time

The survival of a massive heart attack is just a small part of the challenge I have found. When I say small…I really mean small. The emotional side of recovery is something that day to day levels of challenge can change much like the difference of ever wave in the ocean. There will be days when all is calm and life is nearly like winning the powerball mentally. Other days I have found is similar to that Kevin Costner movie “The Perfect Storm” when the boat is vertical versus the customary horizontal in the water.

Since Oct. 7 I have found myself on teaching disability and in many ways the waves have subsided for the most part. I have found however that even small waves can be tricky. What I have found in the last several months is the importance of finding something to plan for or get excited about to keep the mind active and hitting on all cylinders. For me I have found pleasure in planning the ins and outs of a new business idea. I have been working on web sites and business plans for three months and they are nearly complete. I have an appointment in Marion, Il. this Tuesday to present my business plan.  Nervous all ready…but in a very positive way.

The physical side of things is difficult to say the least. Changing eating lifestyle from very good to incredible is a real bit_ _. My wife is fantastic in that area and I am trying to be nice with the adjustments, but that does not always happen when I have a erotic desire for a pepperoni pizza or something equally outside the rule box.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colorado Rockie President Keli McGregor dies of natual causes…BS

Hello Media:

News Flash… Colorado Rockie President Keli McGregor dies of natural cause is total BS.

There is nothing “natural” about dieing of a heart attack. A person passing away during ones sleep at age 92 could with some argument be considered natural causes.  A person that appears healthy to 100% of his friends and family, does not appear to be obese or a chain smoker does not die at age 48.  Get a clue media. If Major League Baseball (MLB) perhaps accepts that statement about “natural” causes then they believe steroids are really Fred Flintstones vitamins.

A sudden death or a massive heart attack that likely was the cause of Keli McGregors death is “NOT” natural. Natural would be something that is unavoidable or perhaps a accident.  Time to wake up and smell the roses media. The Widow Maker Heart Attack or sudden massive heart attack is “IS ” avoidable. In fact it is time to accept blame and understand that The Widow Maker Heart Attack is very avoidable in 95% of its cases.

I look forward to starting my new position with Major League Baseball (MLB) as my previous blog post stated. Mr. Selig while you may not yet understand the need to in fact hire me for the position…perhaps understanding that Keli did not pass due to “natural” causes will go a long way in my hiring process.

FYI: Last night I went to be saying a prayer for Keli McGregor and his family. As a person that suffered a Widow Maker Heart Attack at age 48 almost exactly replicating McGregors experience I felt somewhat of a close bond. What came to my mind was the conversation I had with my wife days late as to her experience the day of my heart attack. When she hurriedly arrived at the hospital and asked the nurses of my status she was told that “it was too early to tell, and that it could go either way”. My wife was devastated at that response. Knowing that the widow maker heart attack only has a 10% survival and a window of 5 mins from the impact time to treatment survival is difficult in the best of circumstances. I wrote “The Widow Maker Heart Attack at age 48″ to help explain the physical and emotional sides of the widow maker heart attack as I hope others can learn from my experience, thus giving me a reason for the experience.

Patrick Fox

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colorado Rockies Team President… RIP

Major League Baseball will be impacted for some time at the passing of President Keli McGregor. While it has not been confirmed I have to wonder given the reports that he was known to be a healthy, very active young man if in fact he did not suffer the devastating heart attack that this web site is dedicated.

What is sad is that heart attacks in particular The Widow Maker Heart Attack seems to impact those that are least likely to be impacted.

I pray for his family and his team as they move forward.

Patrick Fox

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lee Majors and the Bionic Man is not my goal

Today is the day after getting hit with blood test results last night that I put myself on a workout / eating routine that will change ALL my numbers in the next 6 months. I was told that I need to lose 25 lbs and I am not one to dodge a good challenge or consider amputation, so I will attack the challenge with gusto…

Just sitting here typing I think I can feel my muscles tighten up… :-)

Stay tuned…..

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Outlaw Trail Ride..

This morning I searched out one of my “Living List” objectives. I was very pleased to discover that The Outlaw Trail Ride had updated their website. I have to tell you that my heart started beating just a little bit faster as I found myself getting excited about next summer already. Granted not every heart attack survivor has a life goal of completing the 110 mile Outlaw Trail Ride, but I for one have it ranked in my top 5.

The Outlaw Trail Ride http://www.rideoutlawtrail.com/ promises to be a fantastic experience. The more I contemplate my “Living List” the more excited I get about life. I would suggest that all heart attack survivors find their “Living List”. Please share  your “Living List” with us as perhaps we could join you if that opportunity exists.

If any of you folks would like to join me on my trip next summer please let me know. I would love to have a heart attack survivor Outlaw Trail Ride.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,