Heart Walk Co-Chair John Greer: ‘Lucky to be alive’
 |
Public service announcements by the American Heart Association helped save the life of Dental Branch Development Director John Greer, pictured with wife Shari. |
By John T. Greer, Dental Branch
I was lucky. I listened, and I’m here today.
Just over a year ago, I started feeling some of the classic “warning signs” for a possible heart attack; shortness of breath, rapid heart rate after simple exertion, and shooting pains down my arms. That, combined with my father having heart surgery the previous year, put me on the track to a cardiologist, who found a 95 percent blockage in one of my major arteries. Twenty-four hours later, I was on the operating table.
Here’s where the “lucky” part fits in. I was lucky enough to know the warning signs, thanks to American Heart Association literature and public service announcements I read in my past life as a radio newsman. I was lucky to not have waited for a heart attack. I was lucky to be in the Texas Medical Center, blocks away from some of the finest surgeons and facilities in the world. And, I was lucky to have the encouragement and care of my co-workers and friends at the Dental Branch and throughout The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Today, I’m 20 pounds lighter (and more would be better); my body doesn’t revolt at the onset of exertion; I have one more thing in common with my dad; and I have this neat racing stripe down the middle of my chest. And yes, I’m the lucky one. Many people either don’t know or ignore the warning signs that made my choices easy. Thanks to those warning-sign messages on the radio years ago, I knew this wasn’t just a part of growing older. I had a choice to make, and I’m here today because of the decision to take care of myself while the time was right.
Dr. Larry Kaiser has asked me to co-chair this year’s American Heart Association Heart Walk effort for UTHSC, and I am honored to assist in spreading the news about heart disease and what we can do to help more people be “the lucky ones.”
On Nov. 7, please join me and your fellow UTHSC associates for the Heart Walk. Get a team and walk together; gather pledges, and have a good time. By doing so, you will let people know that reducing the risk of heart disease is something we all can do.
Let’s help make more people feel lucky. See you on Nov. 7.
|
