It can’t happen to me.
I have not been to a Doctor since February 1961 when a military Capt said I was well enough to muster out of the US Army.
The only prescription drug I ever took in my life was for an eye infection.
Friday night October 8, 2005, 11:30PM.

Bill O’Reilly is coming on TV, computer shutdown while Bill is on, that’s the rules. 1 pint of Hagen Daas peaches and cream, rule 2.
Ice cream didn’t taste right. I had a bad taste in my mouth from the enchilada I had for lunch. Blamed that on Chris Colangelo, Tiny Treasurers.
Started watching Numb3rs. About half way through I got a terrible feeling in the top of my head, spread down my neck, my upper arms, and my upper back.

For 45 years my normal routine for any pain is to start a relaxing exercise at the top of my head and relax all pain out through my toes.
It worked!!! For a few minutes. Of course I thought of a heart attack, but shouldn’t there be some chest pain? Shouldn’t there have been some warning? OOPs, my shoulders hurt a work today and a couple days ago.

Ok lets get down to ER and see what they say. I drove down about 10 minutes. Walked in and said I’ve got chest pain!!! Huh, why did I say that. Its not chest pain.
Whats your name? Gene Trimble. Take a seat. Excuse me, are those other 57 people ahead of me. Maybe, the triage nurse will let you know.
1 hour later all pain was gone and only 2 of the 57 had been called by the triage nurse. That’s it, I’m outta here. Was home in 10 minutes. Guess what the pain came roaring back in about 1 hour. Another 10 minutes I was parking in front of the ER again. As I walked in the nurse says “I’ve been looking for you, where did you go?” I wasn’t stupid enough to tell her I went home to wait for her call. A simple outside smoking pissed her off.

The usual blood pressure (excellent) temp (right on) time 1 and ½ hour after I 1st showed up. She asked questions, didn’t care for most of the answers.
Family Doctor? None.
What drugs are you on? None.
What drugs are you allergic to? How would I know?
When was the last time you had a check up? I figured her for 29 or 30 and said 15 years before you were born. She said 1961?????????? At least I was right about your age.
This was a nice lady and I was not being combative, just truthful.

“Take a seat and I will call you as soon as I get a bed.”
A BED???? Ain’t you got some pills? What about that nitro stuff, I hear it blows a heart attack out the door.
“Speaking of the door, don’t go out it again and give me your cigarettes.”
I don’t have any cigarettes, I just said out smoking because I did not want you to think I drove home while I was waiting for my number to come up.
“Drove home!!!!!! Give me your car keys.”

BTW all pain went away during this conversation and it has never returned.
5 hours later I hear my name, woke me out of a sound sleep. Got your bed!
2 nurses later same questions, same answers, still no nitro!!

In bounces the blond guy from the last Starskey and Hutch movie.
“ I’m Dr 1234, wow heart attack huh?”
Duh, how do you know that?
“I went over your charts, ekg, ultra sound, xray.”
Wow this guy is good! I’ve only had one aspirin since I got here 5 hours ago.
Starskey looked over the chart and LITERALY YELLS “Orderly - get xray in here now and find that idiot with the ultra sound machine. He bounces out.

30 minutes later ekg, ultra sound, xray is done.
30minutes later Starskey bounces back in. “I told you it was a heart attack.” I believed him this time.
“Here is the drill, who is your family doctor?
Its on chart.
“Who is your primary care Doctor”
1st time I heard that one. OK its on the chart too.
“wait a minute there are no doctor names on this chart.”
“Are you telling me you are here without a doctor of any kind.
I couldn’t find one that would answer the phone at 1:00AM Sat morning.

“Ok forget the family doctor, I “ll sign on as your primary.”
“I ‘ll get a team together. Angio plastic Monday AM 1st thing. We’ll stint you up, ICU for 24 hours and you can go home Tuesday.”
Please let Hutch came and get this guy.

10 hours into the odyssey. I never saw this guy again. But I was smart enough to know it was time to ask some questions.
A few minutes later as I was being moved to a private room, “PRIVATE ROOM” who’s paying for this????, I started asking questions.
I was at Valley Hospital home of the finest chest cutting team in NV. Finally something is right with the world.

About 4:00PM a young asian girl walks in my room. I guess 15-17, 5ft 2 inches, beautiful, she could have just finished shooting a scene from a Jackie Chan movie.
“My name is Dr Winn, I Will be your surgeon.
OH NO, I’ve died and gone to heaven. Fade to black!!!!
“My team will handle all except your primary care. You need to choose someone”
Do you know a guy that looks like Starskey?
“sorry no.”
Whew that’s good news.
Dr Winn I don’t know anyone.
“What are you expecting from my team?”
I expect to be out of here in a small amount of time as possible with my normal life back. I will do what ever you tell me to do, no questions asked.
“I will send Sinha to see you. He is from India and a little un-orthodox.”
I like him already. Do you think he will agree for me to have a pizza on Sunday after I get out?
“If you agree with Sinha then we will proceed with an angio plastcy Monday, I don’t expect it can be done but we need to try. If it does you can be out in 24 hours if not we will perform open heart surgery Wednesday. If you don’t lay around in bed after the surgery, you can be out the following Monday. This can only be accomplished if you follow my teams instructions.
Open heart was scheduled for 6:00PM Wednesday. It did not start until 11:30PM. I woke up at 6:00AM Thursday sitting in a chair being fed, 1 hour after the surgery ended. Nothing slowed down for 5 days.
I left the hospital at 4:00PM Monday. I expect to be at work this Friday, maybe not the whole day.
Sunday pizza is on!!!!