Friday, January 13, 2012

One Advocates Story: Meet Larry Calhoun


            Larry with his wife, Karen and grandchildren

Five years ago in June, I completed a 75 mile charity bike ride--a proud achievement and testimony to my level of fitness to complete the ride.   The next day I didn’t feel at my best and wrote it off to the heat and the fatigue from the day before and thought nothing more of it.  Then about  a week later I went to bed early not feeling well.  I awoke at three in the morning with a pain in my chest that felt like someone tightening a strap around it and had a VERY rapid heartbeat.  I drove myself to the local ER and called Karen, my fiancee, on the way.   About halfway there all the pain went away and my heart rate returned to normal.  I decided to continue on to the ER and have all this checked out.  The ER Doctor checked me out for all common heart issues since my symptoms clearly indicated a heart problem, but all the tests turned up negative.  Just as they were readying to release me, recommending that I go see my family practice doctor for more testing, the heart monitor and alarms started going off!!  Karen and I  were startled with all of the noise in my room and knew something drastic had happened.  The ER doctor rushed in and studied the heart monitor and declared confidently, “You have atrial fibrillation.  We will need to transfer you to the main hospital for further testing.”  Thus began my journey from a fit man in his 50s to a heart patient overnight.  Karen began a journey with me, but also resumed a journey she had previously traveled .   Her father had AFibs and had died from a stroke caused by his AFibs in 1991.  I was unaware her father’s  AFibs had caused his premature death, and it was awhile before she revealed this to me.  So that day we both began a journey with her family history and my experiences.    

Following my transfer from the ER, the Wake Med cardiologist assigned to my case ran  a battery of tests on my heart.  After my release from the hospital, I started regularly seeing a cardiologist.  After  three months of ever increasing medications after each new episode of AFibs, my cardiologist referred me to a local EP (Electrophysiologist).  After his involvement,  we were referred to another EP specialist at the Medical University of SC to have  an ablation preformed. I studied intently what was involved in the ablation, and with my background in computers and engineering understood the high tech nature of this still experimental procedure. Without research dollars these specialized procedures would not be available.   My ablation was preformed in Charleston and after extensive testing I was  declared cure of AFibs!!!  Only then did I find out about Karen's dad.

I knew that my procedure would not have been possible without intense research into atrial fibrillation and the work of organizations involved in heart health.  We knew that we needed to support the American Heart Association with our gifts and work.  Karen and I support the heart walk and make a yearly donation to the American Heart Association. 

This year while vacationing in Florida with friends, I again started feeling badly--light headiness, dizziness and fatigue with my heart racing at times.  We scheduled a visit to my local cardiologist and he determined that I fall in the 15% that experience relapses after having a successful ablation.  We decided that we needed to do more to help the American Heart Association in both their efforts to fund  research as well as in educating the public about heart disease.

We have both joined the “You're the Cure” team  (www.yourethecure.org)  of the American Heart Association.  We want to be able to impact our lives and those of the lives around us.  We are especially concerned that future generations do not have to suffer with heart disease, especially atrial fibrillation. We encourage all of you to contribute your gifts to them and join us in the You're the Cure team.  Future generations depend on us!