Sam Morton: Living With Heart Disease

For this WebMD Community member, having a chronic heart condition and diabetes means choosing to live each day to its fullest.

Medically Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on December 12, 2005
2 min read

I've discovered that most of the time, my life with a chronic disease can bemuch like everyone else's. I am 41 years old. I am a father, husband, uncle,nephew, and son. I am an ex-cop. And, to either the bemusement or bewildermentof my friends and family, I am a former professional wrestler-the raucous,fake, TV kind. I am a writer and the token male member on my office's women'sadvancement committee.

I am many things to many people. Most of all, I am a man with advanced heartdisease, aggravated by type 2 diabetes. When I was 38, I had quadruple bypasssurgery. One of my arteries was 99% blocked, the others a mere 90%.

After the surgery, I had a stent [a tiny mesh-like tube used to prop openclogged arteries] inserted. A week passed before I felt "normal." ThenI was back into a routine-insulin pump management and medications. It's mydiabetes that has sped me along this path to heart disease, and I can't affordnot to manage it properly.

Before having the stent placed, I was taking nitroglycerine to relieve someminor but noticeable angina. Recently, I haven't touched it. I take that as afantastic sign, but my cardiologist is always a bit more cautious. However, Iam quite optimistic about my next follow-up appointment.

Life, with or without a chronic disease, cannot be a constant pity party.Attitude and good mental health are keys to good physical health. Theresponsibility for taking care of myself lies within me. I can diet, exercise,manage my diabetes. I can faithfully take my cholesterol medications.

Lately, my biggest concern is finding my son's lunch box and my daughter'stennis shoes so we're not late for school. I can live a normal life. Togetherwe can go to the beach, the mountains, camping. With my friends and extendedfamily, I can celebrate the births of their children or grandchildren. I canwatch my daughter perform ballet and my son compete in karate. I can hold theirhands and wipe tears. With or without a chronic disease, this is"normal." This is life.


Originally published in the January/February2006 issue of WebMD theMagazine.