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Friday. May 9, 2008
Dear Friends and Acquaintances:
I survived a significant heart attack on Monday evening, May 5, a day
after my 58th birthday. I was getting ready to leave the office for the
day. Luckily, my wife, Fran, was nearby. While I gobbled two aspirin, she
drove me to Kaiser Permanente Hospital. The next morning, an angioplasty
was performed, and I had two stents placed in the major coronary artery
going into my heart. I had 90 percent blockage. I have 20 to 30 percent
blockage in two other coronary arteries. There is heart muscle damage
from the attack.
I was released from the hospital on Wednesday. I'm back in the office
doing a little work. I'm on a slew of meds now (cholesterol, blood
pressure, blood thinners, aspirin, etc.).
I'm lucky to be here. Coronary Artery Disease runs on both sides of my
family (both of my grandfathers died from heart attacks at early-seniors
age). The docs say that taking the aspirin immediately probably saved my
life. I was under unusual work pressure...
I'm starting to plan major lifestyle changes...Smell the roses...
My cardiologist has encouraged me to get back to hiking (starting slow)
soon. After hip replacement surgery a little over a year ago, I may have
to delay a little longer a return to running.
I guess I join the Jim Fixx and Alberto Salazar club as a very junior
member-- if 30 years of running and about 40 marathons qualifies me.
Thank you, friends, for your support of my endeavors in our sports of
track and field and long distance running over the years. It means more
to me now than ever before.
From the heart,
Mark Winitz
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