I haven't written at all here about my recent health journey. It began last fall as I noticed breathing issues and lightheadness, plus heart palpatations at age 55 and a few weeks. I wrote it off as both age and stress. But in early November I was pet sitting in Fort Myers near FSW (the college) and riding my bike to the Publix Supermarket across from there on Summerlin. It was a casual ride of maybe half a mile. A sudden attack of lightheadedness as a result of shortness of breath made me stop in my tracks. Standing there straddling my bike, I was worried I might faint and hit my head on the sidewalk or concrete utility “pole” next to me.
That surprised, startled and scared the BEJESUS outta me! None of the previous symptoms had been that severe or sudden. I gathered myself and rode onto get groceries. It took 3 or 4 more episodes, the final one nearly sent me onto Gladiolus off my bike, a shooting pain up my left temple, to get me to the ER.
The photo above left is dated November 7, 2023, at Gulf Coast Medical Center. My good friend, brother and bandmate, Craig, prodded me for two days to go get checked out before driving my stubborn ass to the Ft. Myers hospital. He sat with me all day in the ER until I was assigned a room, through a litany of scans and tests, including an ultrasound of my legs.
The diagnosis was two deep vein thrombin (DVTs) in my legs, one with little chance of movement, and a small pulmonary embolism in my left lung. Two of them could have dislodged and sent me to an early grave. I was glad to have gone and gotten checked out. I really appreciated my brother (not by blood) for helping me out and laughing with me all day Nov. 7th. I was prescribed blood thinners and released.
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| Here I am upon release outside GCMC |
