My Heart

Tonight we aired a story by Lori Tucker about a new heart scan at St Mary's Hospital. We taped the segment several weeks ago and talked about how best to tell this story.

The technology is amazing. The scan shows a patient's arteries in 3-d. If there's a problem, this machine will find it. The potential for saving lives is great.

To tell the story, Lori decided we needed a patient. At first, she volunteered herself, but because she had few risk factors and she's a woman(some radiation is involved), it was decided she would not be a good candidate.

I, however, was a good candidate. At 52, overweight and a former smoker, I had enough risk factors to make this procedure worthwhile. And as it turned out, it was that and more.

The scan found a slight irregularity in one of my arteries. Something that, over time, could become a problem for me. Fortunately it is completely reversible and with the right medication, diet and exercise, it shouldn't have any impact on my quality (and hopefully longevity) of life.

Still, confronting the possibility of a heart attack and my own mortality, is sobering. I wish I could say since taping the segment that I eat better and exercise more, but I can't.

But I am trying. And I guess that's the importance of these types of stories.

This machine is not for everyone. But if you're at risk, it could save your life. Knowing where the problems are is the first step in helping you overcome them.

There are many folks in East Tennessee with heart troubles. Many a lot worse than me.
But if I can change my behavior, even slightly, to make myself better. Then hopefully that can be an example for others to follow.

I hope so.