Playing golf at Wellington which is at about 6500 feet AMSL is great fun and the course is challenging both in terms of physical effort because it involves some steep climbs and golf skills. On 14 May 2008, we had finished playing 12 holes and stopped for a cup of tea at the WGC. As usual I lit a cigarette with my tea and soon resumed the game. But something didnt feel alright. I felt my neck muscles and tendons a bit stretched and the chest felt full as if the lungs were inflamed. There was no pain so we continued and finished the remaining four holes, spent some time at the club house and returned home to my friend Harry's lovely house.
Had another shower but the 'odd feeling; remained. My Dr wife checked my BP which was alright and so was the pulse, but had no appettite nor felt sleepy. Finally at about 4:30 PM that is some four hours after the discomfort began, went to the MH and the ECG confirmed that everything was not alright. The Dr called it coronory insufficiency and I was diagnosed as suffering from 'unstable angina'. After spending five days in the ICU with the usual ration of medicines that are invariably given in such situations I was transferred to AF Command Hospital at Bangalore, which we reached at 1430 on Monday 19 May but there being no bed in the ICU I waited at the casualty sitting on a plastic chair for over four hours before I was finally in an ICU bed. All this while I was completely asymptomatic as the discomfort/neck muscle stretch had disappeared the second day at MH Wellington.
I was scheduled for an angiogram the next day. The stern no-non sense type of Nursing Officer asked if I was prepared for the procedure to which I said ,'yes'. But little did I realise that 'prepared' was a euphemism for getting rid of all the body hair as the cathetar is inserted in a vein in the groin. So off I went to the staff bathroom and did as told and after a cold shower came back to the bed. Thank God I am a man. Cannot imagine what women go through routinely depilating whatever areas of their bodies they want. In fact the whole experience is so humiliating. Ugh.
The angiogram is a simple procedure but the room and the apparatus looks intimidating. Within minutes of inserting the cathetar the Dr had announced that the circumflex artery of the heart was totally blocked. Another one was less than 60%' and the rest were normal. The good news was, collateral arteries in fact capillaries had begun supplying blood to the affected area quite efficiently. When it came to putting a stent to open the block, the Dr found that the plaque that was obstructing the circumflex artery was just too hard and so he had to leave it alone. Since the collaterals were so efficient I did not need a bypass and conservative medicine would be enough. The blockage had apparently happened some years ago and I was blissfully unaware of it. The only symptoms were a mild ST wave depression in the ECG/TMT and mild hyper tension for which I was on medication for about four years. I was soon wheeled out and told to take all medicines, pace out my daily routine and walk as much as I could comfortably do, carry a Sorbitrate in case of emergency. Change life style!! But how does one do that at 62? I don't drink nor eat meat, used to smoke four to six cigarettes a day for over 44 years but usually remained resonably active with lots of walking and golf. And thats what saved me I think!! Luckily there was no infarct and hence no damage to the heart. Moral of the story: DO whatever you like but in moderation and avoid smoking. The medicines especially Ecosprin that is given for thinning blood causes GIT upsets, Ramipril bad cough and Clopid, Statin and Metroprozol have their own side effects which one has to live with!! I am trying to find some suitable alternatives though!!
So I am back in circulation in Pune and hope to play as much golf as possible. My Guardian Angel saved me. Finally the day after the episode, I experienced a unique sense of liberation, a feeling of freedom. Been there done that has acquired a new meaning altogether.
