Heart Surgery – The Biggest Race Of My Life
I started this journey into lifelong fitness when my mom taught me to swim at 4 years old and signed me up for swim team. This fueled my internal fire to challenge myself and I soon realized I was competitive. I've always been fortunate to have enough physical ability to work hard and reach my goals.
Initially after swimming in college and gaining 40 lbs after college I just wanted to lose the weight, however my first dreadful Columbia Gorge Marathon in 1998 only fueled my fire even more. I soon lost the weight and felt great! Over the last 12 years I've raced all over the country while completing over 100 triathlons including Xterra World Championships, 3 Ironmans, 15 marathons including Boston and 1 ultra marathon. I've truly lived life and enjoyed the journey my way. I feel so blessed to have accomplished my goals and most importantly meet some incredible people along the way. I believe life isn't about money, race times or material things. It's about faith, experiences and special people we meet along the way.
My life changing endurance story began while training and racing the Boise 70.3 Half Ironman in 2011. I'll never forget this story for many reasons. As I was suffering through the run I kept remembering something my parents taught me long ago which I will pass on to my son. It involves making a commitment to do your best and finish what you start! This experience reinforced many parallels of life as we all know life doesn't always go as we plan, however I feel we learn much more about ourselves through the trying times.
Where do I begin, the good, the bad or the ugly?
We had a great group of friends in Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club (www.teamblazespokane.com) begin the journey training for the race in January. Everyone trained consistently through wet and cold weather, weekend after weekend, and arrived on race day ready for the 70.3 mile challenge ahead!
As for Boise, everyone did great considering the conditions of the day, and all 21 TB athletes finished through broken bones, kidney stones, dehydration and cramping! As a coach I was very proud of the consistent effort, commitment and determination all the athletes displayed in training for Boise and racing in brutal windy conditions on the bike! In 10 years of racing triathlon/marathons I've only raced in conditions that windy once at the Las Vegas Marathon in 2003, when the porta-potties and aid stations all blew over!
As for my journey...
I felt really prepared and fit for this race, however as many of you know things don't always go as planned even when we train consistently and follow a realistic plan.
I had an OK swim and bike through 50 miles. Although the wind was brutal 25-30 mph the whole way, I obviously didn't hydrate enough. I ended up with both hamstrings seizing up off the bike and severe pain in my right kidney. I started to feel pain in my right side as I began to run and it didn't feel like an ordinary side stitch, it felt like a knifing pain as if someone’s stabbing and twisting a knife inside. I continued to try to run/walk and soon the pain became more than my mental toughness could handle. I was frustrated, light headed and short of breathe. As the run progressed, the pain worsened until finally the last 5 km I could only walk while short of breath, light headed, and holding my side to manage the pain.
After crossing the finish line I was in shock. I had to be taken to the medical tent. Based on my symptoms, the doctors determined I was passing a kidney stone. This explains the intense pain and other related symptoms.
It's very frustrating as I really felt ready for a good race, however I hope everyone can take away the importance of hydrating consistently in hot and windy conditions. I don't want this to worry anyone, but instead reinforce the idea that triathlon hydration and nutrition is as important as swim, bike and run. Adjusting to the conditions on race day is key!
I tried to stay positive at the end; however I was in complete survival mode. Upon returning to Spokane, I went to a doctor which reinforced what the doctor at the race sight diagnosed. I was passing a kidney stone during the race. I got the lab results back indicating blood in my urine. I thought I was through the worst of the experience as I returned to the pool and bike, however unfortunately when I tried to run I began to cough up blood and feel short of breath. Little did I know the kidney stone nightmare was the least of my worries.
A week after Boise I really thought everything was moving in the right direction and I felt much better after a few days off. However I then started having a few challenges while running. This situation became more serious on Wednesday night June 23rd during a Team Blaze practice tri when I felt fine swimming and biking trying to take it easy and then I took 10 steps on the run and started coughing and as I tried to run around Medical Lake I was coughing up something orange and ended up having to walk the last 3/4 of the mile.
My legs felt heavy, I was frustrated and light headed, although my awesome team mates were there to walk with me and get me some water. I coughed all the way home and noticed in the shower I was actually coughing up blood. So my amazingly supportive wife said we're going to the ER now! I was admitted to SHMC for few days and the following week I had every test done to try to figure out what is going on with my body.
They came to the general conclusion that my mitral valve had a leak which wasn't life threaten although scary all the same and I also may possibly be experiencing SIPE (Swim Induced Pulmonary Edema). I received an inhaler, they scheduled another test on 7/1 to check out a leaky mitral valve in my heart and look into the rare SIPE condition. For more information about it check here:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15302723
I went in for a stress test the following day and honestly had prayed that the ECHO at the hospital was wrong. Unfortunately that wishful thinking was wrong. As they gave me the drugs to speed up my HR to 156, I soon realized the test confirmed my worst fears. I had severe mitral valve prolapse and regurge. How could this be happening? I was a former college swimmer, 3-time IM finisher, completed +100 triathlons and 15 marathons, so why was this happening to me?
My cardiologist in basic language explained that for some reason my heart isn't able to function like it should when my HR is elevated above 150. My heart had also thickened over time and my mitral valve isn't effectively closing like it should which has lead me to where I am now.
I tried to stay positive as it's the only way I know to deal with this situation. I've ask myself a thousand times why and why now? My answer so far is that things happen for a reason. I’m still searching for my reason. Fortunately, I knew I was loved and supported through all of this as the future was uncertain. As we all know life has no guarantees and we all experience bumps in the road which I feel give us incredible perspective and guide our journey to understand who we really are deep down. Is all this fair? No. But one thing I learned while playing sports is that life isn't fair and a hard/positive attitude doesn't always get us to the finish line with our goals met. Does it mean we failed? No. It just means, for some reason, it wasn't meant to be.
At 37 years old, in a matter of 6 months, I now had a cardiologist, heart surgeon, and was preparing for heart surgery. This required me to make a life changing decision. I’ve learned in life we all come to a crossroads or point in life where we need to trust that the decisions we make are the right ones. For me that decision like this surgery was mentally weighing me down for months. Fortunately I had family and friends to pick me back up. My surgery and decision was now only days away.
My surgery was scheduled for a robotic mitral valve repair, which now has become more routine (so I hear). This is my heart and I really hope the repair is successful. Before I went into surgery Dr. Siwek (my heart surgeon) had to ask me if I wanted a biological or mechanical valve if the repair doesn't work. I read endless research articles and talked with several medical professionals. The list of Pros versus Cons has consumed my thoughts. The reality is that I wouldn’t know of the outcome until I woke up after surgery, so I tried to prepare for both outcomes.
So what would you do? I hope everyone reading this doesn't ever have to decide. I can go with biological valve and probably be fine for the next 10-15 or so years, although it would eventually have to be replaced. Ultimately just like anything in life there is no guarantee. I could get the mechanical valve and it might last the rest of my life, although it might not. If I decided to go with mechanical valve I'd need to take blood thinners for the rest of my life and I already don't like to take anything. This really was the most difficult decision of my life and I hoped that by Monday morning I could make the decision with more confidence than I had two days before surgery.
I've had so much on my mind that I feel I'm running the race of my life mentally every day. My surgery is serious business and as much as I prayed for a positive outcome my life will literally be in the hands of another. Scary thought! I know the surgeon is excellent, however like anything in life there is no guarantee.
I found myself for the first time truly reflecting on my journey through life from a different perspective. I'm asking myself questions that I've never really thought much about. This was major surgery and I had more anxiety than I've had at any time in my life. I've tried through this process to maintain my spirit, focus on the things I could control, and come to understand that god truly does have a plan for all of us.
But the questions are still there… Why me? What was I suppose to learn from this? What will I change in my life moving forward? How did I go from feeling in the best shape of my life in June to heart surgery in November? How can I use this experience to help others? Are my parents, wife, son, family and friends proud of me? I know the answers to some of these questions and planned to resolve others after surgery.
OK, OK.... enough of these questions. My point is that I think all of us take life for granted at some point and forget to enjoy the little things or small successes along the way. I know I have a long life to live, so I prayed god would let me continue to inspire and touch the lives of others. It may be through supporting my family or helping teach people to live a healthy life of balance with goals to be all they can be. I encourage everyone to find a way to give back and take time to enjoy the journey through life.
Did I think at 37 years old I'd be having heart surgery? Of course not, however one thing I've learned through this process is that life is completely unpredictable. All I can do is maintain a positive outlook, faith, and spirit as I put my life in the hands of others.
On Monday, November 15th at 4:45 AM I arrived at Sacred Heart Medical Center to prepare f or the race of my life to have surgery at 7:15 AM. Of course I always try to think positively, however with any major surgery there is no guarantee. I prayed for the best case scenario which in my case would have been to get my mitral valve repaired. I knew going into the surgery, the valve function wouldn't allow for a routine repair due to the fact I had severe mitral valve prolapse and regurge. I had prepared myself for both the repair and replacement options.
After 4hrs of surgery the surgeon came to my wife (Tristin) and explained he wasn't pleased when they tested the valve function after the repair. The valve function had improved, however he wasn't sure it would hold up over time. So he confirmed with her again that I would in fact want a mechanical valve. He also gave the option of taking up golf and just changing my lifestyle completely, which Tristin quickly informed him wasn't an option. Thanks honey for being my #1 support!
My surgeon headed back in to finish the mitral valve repair. All together my surgery took about 6 hours and they stopped/started my heart twice. (Crazy when you think about it!) I did put my life in someone else's hands and feel fortunate to have Dr. Siwek in Spokane. He's an amazing surgeon. However I hope to never have to use his services again!
Once I finished surgery on November 15th, I spent until 9 PM with a tube down my throat (probably the worst part of the whole experience). I stayed in the ICU overnight and then at 8 AM the next day they wheeled me upstairs to my own room. I was so thankful to be making progress, although the first day everything was moving slow. It was great to have so many family and friends visit me in the hospital. I knew I had many amazing people in my life and this experience once again confirmed it. Words can't begin to explain how good it felt to be alive and on the other side of this surgery.
On November 16th, I think I walked 150 ft twice during the day, my throat hurt worse than anything because of the tube irritating plus I had fat lip too. But I wasn't complaining as I was glad to be feeling alive! I didn't have much of an appetite, coughed all night and popsicles and ice were amazing treats. I used the spirometer and spend most of the day sleeping. I was coughing a lot (painful!) and running temperature. That night, sleep was rough due to the sore throat and coughing. The highlight of my day was seeing family and friends throughout the day!
On November 17th, I didn't sleep well due to the coughing, sore throat, and multitude of tests. Although it was again great to see family and more friends come to visit me. I really started feeling better and walked more, double the distance of the day before. I tried to eat, but that was limited to jello, pudding, and apple sauce. As the day progressed I continued to run a temperature of 100, although they did remove the big tubes from my neck! I started to look forward to all the little things that indicated I could get out of the hospital! At the end of day three I thought I might end up there until Friday due to the fact I still had a few tubes in my chest. I just kept trying to do as they instructed and found the coughing did finally start to subside.
On the November 18th during the rounds the PA said they were going to try to get me out of there today. I was pleasantly surprised and now I just needed a few chest tubes removed. I was finally able to get out of the hospital and go home by 2pm.
Some days it's still hard to imagine that I had heart surgery and then I hear the ticking in my chest. I’m pleased to report I'm getting stronger each week. I'm realistic and I know I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. My road to recovery is just beginning, yet my life is filled with endless possibilities. I've learned so many lessons about myself through this process. I only hope to continue to grow as husband, father, son, friend and coach to live my life in a way that inspires and supports others. I realize that I want to live a life of giving more than I take.
I'd like to share two amazing resources I came across through this process to help me during this experience. I found people that are dealing with a similar surgery and provide amazing perspective and support. If you know someone that is dealing with any life changing decisions regarding heart surgery I encourage you to share these two websites:
www.cardiacathletes.org.uk/forums/index.php
My road to recovery is now at 3 months and I feel so thankful to be free to live my life. In moving past this bump in the road I realize the challenges of life have a way of providing insight into the true character of people and importance of family and friends. Thank you all for supporting, encouraging and inspiring me through this process!
Lessons learned…
I truly enjoyed the journey training more than the race.
I need to learn someday to hydrate better on the bike!
Kidney stones are brutal and I don't ever want to experience that pain again!
The results don't always match up to the training/fitness.
I know I can get through any tough race or workout and finish what I started!
As I reflect back on Boise, I'm glad I finished the journey and completed the race. It taught me again about never giving up. I try to learn something from every race or journey preparing for a race. This experience was definitely reflective of the good (all the great friends in TB), the bad (tough race conditions), and the ugly (my 13.1 mile painful nightmare at the end of Boise 70.3).
I truly appreciate how fortunate I am to have family, lifelong friends, and awesome athletes that have supported me and my family!
You see my son Reece is so small he doesn't really understand about the reality of this situation which is probably for the best. All he knows is my engine wasn't working quite right. You see kids help give us perspective and bring us back to reality with their honesty, innocence and spirit. Years from now I hope to swim, bike and run with him as I'm not going to let this change my spirit.
Thanks everyone for all the support and providing me with much appreciated perspective. As I told Reece I'll be ok and my engine (train talk) just isn't working like it should. I'll press on trying to hold on to my positive spirit, loving family and supportive friends as we all should do, trying to do our best to be the best we can be, one day at a time.
My life is a journey and my heart has truly given me perspective as I move forward on my journey one step and one day at a time. I’m now connected with the Iron Heart Racing Team, www.ironheartracing.com, and Nick of Time Foundation, nickoftimefoundation.org, to help raise awareness about prescreening and early detections of heart conditions.
Thank you to everyone that has supported me through this bump in the road journey through life. Live an inspired life and in turn give back by inspiring others. Stay safe, be positive and remember to enjoy the journey!
Coach Scott Roy has a blog at sroyswim.blogspot.com and competes with Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club in Spokane, Washington.