Preface: I have lived with the effects of having a genetic disorder called familial hypercholesterolemia. My dad’s dad died of heart attack at 54, my dad died of heart attack at 58, my brother died of heart attack at 43. My mom’s mom died of heart attack at 61, my mom’s brother died of a heart attack in his 40’s and my mom died of heart attack at 62. In my late 40’s I started having angina and at 48 I ended up having emergency quad bypass surgery. At that time my total cholesterol was over 500. That was 19 years ago. I have been on statin drugs ever since my operation and eventually my total cholesterol has been in the low 200’s. Gradually I have been getting plaque buildup in my carotids. There is a blockage in the artery to my left arm and they can’t feel my pulse any more. Over the past year I’ve been experiencing fatigue and achiness in my thighs when I walk which has become worse lately. Went to a chiropractor to see if I had any spine/nerve issues. She ordered an xray of my spine and told me I had a lot of calcification in my abdominal aorta. Long story short, my cardio dr. is going to refer me to a vascular surgeon.
Do I need to say, this is pretty scary at this point?
Here’s my story – it took place yesterday. I had an appointment for a massage for my hips and legs at 12:00. I got a call asking me if I could come 45 minutes later just as I was backing out of the driveway. So, I decided I would go window shopping or something – in other words, I had a little time to kill. Now mind you, if I had to be at my appointment at noon I would have been on a mission to get there.
So as I’m driving down Graves Creek Rd. I come around a bend and see a pigeon sized white bird standing in the middle of the road. As I passed it I was surprised that it didn’t take flight. Looked in my rear view mirror and saw it still standing in the same spot. Well, I did have the time, so I turned around and went back and pulled over to the side of the road. It still didn’t move. Another car comes by and thankfully threw on the brakes to avoid hitting it . . . whew! I looked around inside my car and lo and behold, there was a sheet (don’t usually drive around with a sheet in my car). I walked towards the white bird and it then finally moved – walked, didn’t try to fly. I was able to throw the sheet over it and wrapped it up and called a vet friend – she told me I could take it to the Atascadero Pet Hospital and that they would get a hold of Pacific Wildlife Care. So I drove over there, they took the sheet in the back and put the bird in a cage. I asked them what kind of bird it was. They said it was a dove.
Done. Now I had to get over to the other side of town for my massage. You know how we get busy and sometimes don’t have or take the time to reflect? So I go from a somewhat hectic situation to laying on a table in a serene setting, having someone taking care of me (Alitorias Therapy). And at some point a song comes into my head – I can only remember a few of the lines to it: On the wings of a snow white dove, He sends His pure sweet love . . .
On The Wings of a Dove by Dolly Parton
Well, it stayed with me after I got home, and when I had time I went on YouTube and found the song – and these lyrics that just touched my heart: “When troubles surround us, when evils come. The body grows weak, the spirit grows numb. When these things beset us, he doesn’t forget us, He sends down His love, on the wings of a dove.”
It is difficult to express what those words meant to me. The vessels in my body are clogged up. I could have a heart attack or stroke at any moment. No matter what happens, I have been given a peace about it. But I also have a fighting spirit and I’m not going down without a fight. There is an uphill battle I’m facing and I’m taking it on. That entails researching my options, which, believe me, is not an easy task. I have many to thank who have been an encouragement to me along the way. Including since only today, Catherine Davis Ahmed, the Director of Outreach at the FH Foundation, who gave me some invaluable advice on where to seek the best care available for my condition.
Ultimately though, what I want to express is – always have an open heart, ears to hear, eyes to see, the little (or big) signposts that are set before us that we can easily miss in our busyness, our haste, our focus on a goal that diverts us from being able to recognize the message of a dove . . .
This Day 