ONE OF US
I’m grateful that I got a physical that day. I tell people that Medica saved my life. She said I needed to go to the hospital right away. At first she wanted to call an ambulance, but I didn’t want to do that. My wife was out shopping, and I wanted to wait to have her drive me to the hospital. When my wife got home, all of a sudden I had two women ganging up on me, so I didn’t have much choice! At the hospital, the doctor decided to keep me overnight. They started to do a stress test in the morning, but they only got halfway through it. As soon as my heart rate went up they knew it wasn’t working very well. They rushed me to surgery for a stent to open up the heart blockage. After surgery the doctor said that my main artery was 95 percent blocked and I was close to a big heart attack. I’m grateful that I got a physical that day. I tell people that Medica saved my life. I really appreciate my Medica benefits. Medica covers everything that Medicare doesn’t. I take lots of medications and I’ve had so many hospitalizations that have all been covered. And Medica gives me a gym membership through SilverSneakers. What would you recommend to other people who are facing health challenges? The most important thing I would recommend is to try to stay positive.
Coon Rapids YMCA
When the nurses were prepping me for my liver transplant, I was joking and laughing with them. My wife didn’t understand how I could keep laughing right before major surgery, but I think trying to stay positive even through those hard, scary times is really important. Being around people who support me also helps. Between my friends at the Y and my family, I’m lucky to have a lot of support that has helped me through all of this. When negative thoughts start coming in, I talk to people and try to get myself back on a positive note. I also recommend to people that they start exercising. For me, exercise is so important for both my physical and emotional health.
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MEDICA MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020
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