On Tuesday, June 26th, Father Ralph was awakened early in the morning with chest pains. He immediately called 911, chewed an aspirin and Father John anointed him.

This quick action, the grace of God,and the skilled staff at Winthrop University Hospital has led to his recovery from a heart attack.

The major artery to his heart was completely blocked and there was some other blockage. A stent was placed to open the main artery.

The lesson for others in this is "don't wait to call for help if you have heart attack symptoms." The staff at the hospital noted that the heart damage could have been much worse if Father Ralph had waited to seek treatment.

        
     

A Message
from Father Ralph

June 27th

Dear friends,

Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. I feel so well right now that if I didn't know that I had a heart attack, I wouldn't suspect there was anything wrong with my heart.

I expect to be in the hospital for the next few days as they are monitoring my progress. Then I was scheduled for two weeks of vacation in early July so I'll be away to recover for a couple of weeks.

I'll post any updates here.

 
         
                       
     

June 30th

I was released this morning. I continue to feel fine. I'm taking my scheduled two weeks of vacation -- good timing, huh?

People have offered to help in any way they can.
Here are a few ways that YOU can be of support:

    
     
       
  • I now have to take medication every day for the rest of my life. If you could say a little prayer for me each day too, that would be very healing too. Daily prayers are more comforting than daily Plavix™.
  • Yes I already know I have to exercise and watch my diet.
  • If you've ever had a heart attack, an angioplasty, a stent, etc., you know what this is like. If you know of friends and relatives who had this, you probably also have some good stories. I'm always glad to share experiences, but please keep away from stories like the one a hospital visitor told me about a friend of his dying three days after getting his stent. (Did he think this would cheer me up?)
  • Yes I already know I have to exercise and watch my diet.
  • Remember that I'm more than a "walking heart-attack". I'd like to talk about other things too. So what's new in your life?
  • Yes I already know I have to exercise and watch my diet.
  • Come to church each week. Nothing does my heart more good than knowing everyone in the "family" is together in prayer.
  • Yes I already know I have to exercise and watch my diet.
  • Take care of yourself. Exercise and watch your diet.

Thanks to all who visited me, sent cards and e-mails and all who have been praying for me. I look forward to seeing everyone soon.

 

  
                                         
       

July 1st

Here I am with friends harvesting raspberries --- actually I'm not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting, so they're harvesting the raspberries. I, on the other hands am allowed to eat raspberries -- because they're healthy and fat free.
They also taste better than Lipitor™.

          

July 2nd

I had a chance to contemplate what it would be like to "push up daisies". It wasn't as bad as you'd think. Now there are a few more things to do for my vacation:

  • Resting in peace
  • Kicking a bucket
  • Shuffling a mortal coil
  • Ringing down a curtain
  • Joining the choir invisible

Keep those prayers coming! I'm feeling a little more tired than usual -- but hey, I just had a heart attack! Luckily on vacation there is always time for a nap.

 

 

            
                             
 

July 3rd

See? I'm resting in peace.
Today the weather was stunning -- clear and comfortable. I can hardly believe that it was just a week ago I was having a heart attack.

A friend of mine wrote today, " I learned in the last 10 years is that each morning when I get up, I am filled with awe that I have another day and what a blessing it is. Take time on your vacation to be overwhelmed with God's goodness..." Amen to that!

 

  
     

July 4th

Independence Day -- and I certainly feel free, knowing that I was spared significant heart injury. I just have to take it easy for a while.

As you can see from today's photo, I'm working really hard at this task. You know, this rest and recuperation isn't as bad as I thought it would be!

Hope you all had a safe and festive 4th of July and didn't get too soggy from the rain.

  
 

July 5th

For those of you who have had the heart procedure I did, you'll surely recognize and be able to name the assortment of pills that I'll now be including in my daily routine. Wait! You don't recognize the yellow, blue and green ones? They're my anti-oxidant pills (aka "dark chocolate M&M's™.")

But seriously, I have to take three pills in the morning and three in the evening. So I'm starting the habit of incorporating my pills into my morning and evening prayers. Since I don't forget to pray, I won't forget to take my medications.

In a week or so, they'll begin me on cardiac-rehab exercise and I assure you, I'll begin each of those sessions with the prayer, "Oh God!"

I'm praying for you. Please keep praying for me.

July 6th

I had a hard time resting today.
First UPS showed up with a box full of "get well" cards from friends.

(Ok, Ok! I'll get well!)

Then a delivery of a fruit basket. (If you look closely you'll see one of my favorite fruits: "Reese's™") Then a dish garden including a beautiful orchid.

Thanks to everyone who was part of these surprise deliveries.

 

July 7th

I made a one-day trip back to the parish...I was looking forward to Ryan's baptism (and the wedding anniversary blessing of his parents Jeff and Amanda). In the afternoon I celebrated Nick and Catherine's wedding. It does my heart good to celebrate Sacraments with my "flock."
At the end of the day I was really tired, but it was a good tired.

Sunday, July 8th

What a beautiful day for a walk on the beach after Mass. It was God's gift to me and I took advantage of the gift. Hope you prayed for me at Mass today and had a delightful Sunday too.

Wednesday, July 11th

I was readmitted to the hospital with new chest pains. Luckily it was not another heart attack,
rather there was some inflamation around the heart -- the doctor says its a "classic" symptom following a heart attack because of the damage that was done to the hearrt.

Another catheterization was performed (that's where they put a thin tube up into the heart through the groin, looking for blockages). No further blockages were found and the stent that was put in seems to be in good shape.

Another overnight in the hospital though.

Thursday, July 12th

I'm out of the hospital. I'm to restrict my activities for a while longer. I was planning to come back to the parish this coming weekend, but I need to take some more time for recovery. Please keep those prayers coming. Thanks.

Friday the 13th

Among the psychological side effects of a heart attack are anger and depression. Til now, I've not been aware of either of these. I've had a good sense of humor. I've been appreciating all the love and concern people are sharing with me. But since yesterday I've been describing my mood as "grumpy".

Today I feel angry. The anger is like a bull charging around. It's like a two year old stamping his feet and saying "no" very loudly. It's like a kid whining "it's not fair!" If the anger was a color, it wouldn't be hot red, but rather murky brown. Kind of like the prophet Jeremiah in the pit who tells God, "You duped me oh God, and I let myself be duped."

Of course my head tells me how lucky I am -- having access to great health care. I'm alive and relatively well. I've got it better than many. But then I feel angry about how bad so many other people have it. My regular physician is away in Iraq with the army for a couple of months and he wrote me: "I'm in a desert region in western Iraq that is very ugly and dusty and hot, with ground not of flowing sand, but as hard as concrete with huge jagged white rocks everywhere. The work is different than what I do at home: the damage wrought by these IEDs set by these radicals just shreds the human body in horrific ways.... I am caring for more Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police than Americans."

So I'm angry about the war too. And I realize that if I had had my heart attack only a few weeks ago when I was in the former communist block countries in Europe, I might not have survived it -- at least not well, because the standard of health care is far less than what it is here in America. So I'm angry that someone my age is probably dead or disabled simply for living in a different place. (Not to mention all that live here without health insurance.)

I know that what I feel is only a phase I'm going through. Yet I also realize what I think and know about the conditions of the world is not a "phase" that will be over when I feel happier. So as you pray for me, please shift some of your prayer and concern for the countless unnamed people who have it much, much worse.

I had planned on being back at the parish this weekend for a wedding and Sunday Mass, but based on my doctor's advice and how tired I feel, I'm not going to be back that soon. (I feel guilty about that, since I always pride myself on keeping my commitments.)

P.S. Be glad you're not with me today. Grump, grump.

 

Sunday, July 15th

It's wonderful how God reaches out in times of need. I went to mass this morning at a local parish. The deacon gave a wonderful homily about the Good Samaritan. But what grabed me with the communion somg.

The words to the refrain were:
Deep within
I will plant my stent*
not on stone
but in your heart.
Follow me
I will bring you back
You will be my own,
and I will be your God.

* Ok, the word wasn't really "stent", it was "law"

The verse continued:

I will give you a new heart, a new spirit within you
for I will be your strength...

So I have this sense that despite the setbacks,
God is working on my heart and will soon bring me back
to life at St. Brigid's.

PS What gave you comfort or challenge at today's mass?
e-mail me