Here I am, 51 years old, actively playing soccer in an "over 40 league".  That means a game on Sunday and practice on Wednesday nights. In addition, I am running two or three times a week, 3 to 4 miles per ride.  Not to mention, two or three times a month having a twenty mile bike ride!

It is during one of those soccer practicing nights in early July 2000 in Austin, TX. when the temperature is still in the high eighties that I notice I am having trouble breathing and running. The other players are yelling at me for not running as usual. After the practice I don’t feel great and have a slight pain in my jaw and chest.

Coming home I tell my wife that I am developing a cold or having allergies. So I decide to just walk with her during the long 4^th of July week-end and hopefully things will clear up. Well, even during walking, I am having recurring pain and shortness of breath. My wife tells me "I think it is time to see your doctor."

Two days later, I am visiting with the doctor and I explained my symptoms to him. He does a quick examination, and tells me I don’t have a cold and/or allergies. He advises me to go see a cardiologist because he believes I might have heart problems. I am surprised and actually argue with him, saying "I just played soccer and run three times a week etc, how can I have heart problems?"  He again strongly advises me to see a cardiologist and I reluctantly agree and tell him I will have my secretary make an appointment. My doctor tells me, "Joseph, I already made the appointment for tomorrow morning 9 A.M!"  Again, I argue because I have a big customer meeting and tell him that it won’t be possible to visit a cardiologist that soon. He then looks me squarely in the eyes and says," are you willing to risk a heart attack? Because if my diagnosis is right you might have heart issues."

So the next morning I go to the cardiologist, who puts me on the treadmill.  After just three minutes I am starting to have pain and shortness of breath and he stops the machine. He tells me that I need to go the Heart Hospital of Austin to have an angiogram, because he believes I have blocked arteries. Now, everything goes in fast forward, I call my secretary and tell her I will be out for the day to have a procedure done but I will be back at work the next day. The day was Thursday. Now, you won’t believe this, but the angiogram reveals two 100% blocked and two 95 % blocked coronary arteries!

The rest, is history.  The next day I had quadruple coronary bypass surgery, five days later I went home and, thanks to that good doctor, I did not have a heart attack, so no damage was done to my heart.   Happily,  I am playing soccer and running again three weeks later. Today, almost nine years later, I am still playing soccer and exercising. I am leading a normal life with the exception of taking some medication. 

The signs are not always there, but make sure that when you start getting older, you have regular check -ups with your doctor, eat healthy, and have plenty of exercise. You might never know…