“Don’t die with your music still inside you.”

I have been spending time trying to perfect my “message” and small business “brand” about meaningful careers, work-life balance and the mind-body connection. Quotes floated through my brain such as Dr. Wayne Dyer’s

“Don’t die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive
inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul.”

But I let time pass while I tried to get my message “perfect”

Friday afternoon my husband went outside to do some yard work. After about an hour of pulling kudzu vines, he came in and said he wasn’t feeling well. A couple of minutes later, from the other room, he said he thought he was having a heart attack and I should call 911. “NO” he didn’t have chest pains, but he didn’t feel well. Since we live about ¼ mile from the hospital, and I try to be cognizant of healthcare costs, I suggested that I drive him there.

When he couldn’t rise from his chair, I realized this was REAL, and called the paramedics. He didn’t have chest pains, but was feeling nauseous and weak. The paramedics connected him to monitoring equipment. Hubby said he was feeling a bit better and didn’t think he needed to go to the ER. After some mumbling between the paramedics while they viewed the screen of the monitor, they very calmly said “Ready to go to the Emergency Room?” Hubby responded “Well, if that’s what you suggest”. They responded “Not sure but we think you are having a heart attack”.

They told me to stay calm, and drive slowly. I still arrived before the ambulance. After a few minutes a nice lady escorted me into a lovely room, with beautifully polished floors (I was thinking about how my husband planned to sand and re-finish ours that weekend). She told me not to worry. I wasn’t.

A couple of minutes later the ER doctor came in, blurted a lot of words very quickly. I could pick out “Cardiac Cath Lab” and “heart attack” and “stent, maybe bypass surgery”. “WHOA” I told him. “I don’t speak this language. You have got to break this down to me slower.” He paused and asked “Don’t you watch TV?”. “NO!” I said (but failed to add that I do enjoy American Idol from time to time).

He very kindly explained that my husband was having a heart attack, and explained what would happen next. Within one hour and 45 minutes after I dialed 911, my husband was resting comfortably in the critical care unit after having a heart attack and a stent inserted. Doctors said that the heart is strong, and there was minimal damage.

Later that evening the paramedics came into his room, to check on him. One paramedic told me that they actually SAW the heart attack occur when he was being monitored in our home. That explains why hubby said he didn’t have chest pains until he was in the ER.

So there Mr. ER Doctor. If I did related this all to TV, I wouldn’t have called 911 until I saw him falling back, clutching his chest like Fred Sanford, and shouting “Elizabeth, it’s the big one” (then I would have still wasted precious time asking questions about who was Elizabeth).

So here are a few things I’d like to share:

1. Maybe it’s not a bad thing that I haven’t watched much television since the 70′s (ok, except for American Idol). Heart attacks don’t always cause chest pain. As a matter of fact, because we called the paramedics early, he was in great hands when the actual heart attack occurred.
2. The next time someone tells me to call “911″, I will call the first time they ask.
3. Although I have many opinions about how to reform healthcare, Cabarrus County EMS, Carolinas Medical Center Northeast, the Emergency Room/Chest Pain Center, and the Heart Group of the Carolinas appear to be able to handle things quite well without my help.

I don’t plan to spend more time discussing my husband and his rehabilitation. But while wrestled with using the “perfect” words to share my message about “meaningful careers” and “work-life balance”, I faced some real life “meaningful” questions about my own “work-life balance”.

Did you know that “High blood pressure continues to be the most prevalent chronic condition in the United States, with 30.6% of adults reporting having been diagnosed with it in 2009, up 1.2 points from 2008.” (Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index March 30, 2010)

People who are uninsured or have concerns about the cost of medical care are more likely to postpone seeking emergency care for a heart attack. A study, reported in the April 14, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that, even among people with private health insurance, money worries are associated with delays in getting to the hospital for treatment.

The article continues “National health-reform legislation will expand access to coverage, experts say, but it’s no panacea for Americans’ concerns about paying their share of the health-care tab, including deductibles and co-insurance for hospital admissions. ”

Sure I am a career coach, but I also want to help you look at and balance all areas of your life. Most of us are relatively competent in the work that we do. But here are a few questions to consider:

1. Are you taking responsibility for choices you make in your career and life and being alert to opportunities around you?
2. Are you engaged and believing and trusting in a future filled with unlimited possibilities yet to be created?
3. Do you have clarity about your purpose and values that resonates with what’s really important to you?

Now excuse me while I watch American Idol

“Don’t die with your music still inside you.”