I wanted to share recent developments with some friends and thought that this would be the most efficient way to do so. I’ve been told several times in my life “don’t be stupid.” Like my mother telling me “don’t be stupid, you can’t jump off the house using a handkerchief as a parachute (the Army gave me a real one a few years later); my Dad saying “don’t be stupid, use axle stands when you’re under your car, not the jack.” My wife saying “don’t be stupid, you’re not good looking enough or rich enough to have women like that be interested in you.” You get the idea. On Thursday, July 10, I, my business partner and our Florida field representative drove back to Park City from Las Vegas. After arriving in Park City I put my bags in my car and started driving home to Heber City. As I reached the Jordanelle Reservoir (high mountain lake on US Highway 40 for my California friends) I was struck with a severe heart attack. I “presented classically’, i.e. pain, radiation into my arm, nausea, profuse sweating, etc. This was at approximately 7 PM.

    I stopped to consider my options and decided to continue to my home (4-5 miles). My wife Gail was asleep (she works graveyard shift) and here I came stumbling into the house asking her to call 911 (after she put the cats away so they didn’t get out and become some woodland creature’s lunch) because I had a problem. I scared the poor thing half to death. I was transported to the local “community” hospital who carefully determined that I was not quite dead (yet). They then stuck me in an ambulance to a big hospital in Provo, UT. Upon arriving in Provo the hospital people learned to their horror that I had no other medical insurance than the VA, which means I am treated like a “Medicare” patient. They did check me out and found that I had a partial obstruction in a diagonal artery to my heart and a full and complete obstruction to the primary artery in my heart (I forget the medical term but they call this one the “widow-maker”). They put me into surgery and cleared out the diagonal artery. Then then brought me to recovery and told Gail that there was nothing that they could do about the primary artery. They would ship me home in a day or so and that I should follow up with the VA as soon as I could. They added that I should do so quickly because my heart muscles had started to die. So had I.

    My shy, reticent Southern Belle wife went from zero to apeshit in an eye bat. The nurses told me that she had the cardiologist backed up against the wall. In any event I was suddenly placed back in another ambulance and transported to the George E. Wahlen Salt Lake City VA Medical Center (named after a local Medal of Honor winner). I was met in the ER by six people, one of them a world class cardiologist from the University of Utah Medical Center located across the street. He looked in my eyes and told me to relax; that they weren’t done with me. I was then rushed into surgery where they spent over 4 hours working on me. I was in and out of consciousness during this time and remember thinking about my wife, my business, my grandchildren and how it was all coming to an end. And then I heard cheering. I couldn’t believe my ears. Cheering. I was clapped on the shoulders by everyone in the room and was told “we got it!” Instead of my ticket being punched it was re-set. I had been given another chance to live. And I’m going to be just fine.

    The care I received from the Doctors (some of whom look like they’re 12 years old!), the nurses and the medical aides was exemplary. The Chief Cardiologist from the VA area visited with a number of student Doctors. When I tried to thank him for his people fighting for my life he quietly thanked me for fighting for theirs. I was speechless. The VA is a huge medical care program that operates without the knowledge of funding in future years. I can think of few things more stupid and ridiculous. The “bureaucracy” can be daunting and I’ve had my issues with it, but when it came right down to the ten ring the care was world class, selfless and dedicated. I was not just an old Vet who washed up in their ER that day. I have work to do to recover but I will do it. So, the final word is “Don’t Be Stupid.” If you’re a Veteran and are not signed up with the VA, whether you need them or not, DON’T BE STUPID! SIGN UP NOW!

JACK CLIMER