MY PRESENT...
MY BATTLE WITH HEART DISEASE
by
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This book shares the thoughts of a man who smoked cigarettes, sometimes two packs a day. He drank too much alcohol, coffee and soda pop. He loved to eat, and really enjoyed it. His diet consisted of all the so-called good foods including:
- Steak, of large sizes and varieties
- Hamburgers, loaded with everything
- Bratwursts and sour kraut
- Ribs, any way they came
- Hotdogs and buns
- Ham, and lots of it
- Eggs,
- Fast food restaurants and that entire menu
- Buffets, all you can eat
- Fish fries, with good tasting batter
- Snacks and dips
- Pies, cakes, sweet rolls and all the sweet goodies
- All this washed down with lots of milk, coffee, pop, wine, beer or whiskey.
At the age of 43, heart disease struck. He survived quadruple bypass surgery and now lives a heart healthy lifestyle.
He shares the secrets of his success (and much, much more.)
I’ll always remember the thoughts I had months before surgery. I knew deep down something was wrong. I knew my lifestyle needed a major change. I didn’t know that I had heart disease. I’m not sure if I even knew what that was. I vividly remember how the pains hit me. I couldn’t walk 50 yards before getting winded and would have to stop and catch my breath. During this time I would have a very heavy feeling in my chest. It felt like a 2x8 across my chest from armpit to armpit with a dozen cinder blocks stacked up pushing against me (heavy pressure). My neck felt tight and stiff, along with shooting pains in my elbow flying down and out of my left wrist or fingertips. My mouth would go dry and I’d finally have to stop and catch my breath, as my breathing was short and fast. It would double me over and sometimes bring me to my knees. This would go on for several minutes. This started several months prior. I was able to hide and conceal this for a while as the pains only hit a couple times a day, then more and more. Finally that last week it progressed from every hour to every half hour and sometimes more. I hid it from the guys at work but, Janey, thank God, saw this and didn’t give me a choice. Once in the hospital, oxygen helped and, of course, it went away. The story “My Present” begins. Just think, this wasn’t even a heart attack. I hope I never feel what that’s like. One of the doctors said I probably wouldn’t have felt it. Chances are it would have been a massive one and I would have died on the spot!
Not my time…it was “His”!
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About the Book
In this, his first work, Dave Reed brilliantly captures the essence of the profound physical and spiritual renewal waiting deep inside us all. Suddenly challenged by the major life crisis of acute heart disease with all its grave ramifications, Reed could have simply given in to fear, or anger, or worse yet, resignation. Instead, we read of Reed’s courageous determination to change his life, which inspires the reader to turn each and every page. Ultimately, all who read this uniquely honest and personal self-examination will find themselves sharing in the joys of Reed’s transformations. This is a story of almost impossible change, of the zest for life and for living well, and of the powerful new attitudes, which conquer old habits. Most importantly, Reed’s story reminds each of us of the true hero that lies within, temporarily clouded by life’s choices, just waiting for the motivation and desire to be unleashed. A truly remarkable read!
-Dr. Tim Dosemagen, Author, ‘Prodigies - A Warring Species And The Human Heart’, and The Impossible - A Collection Of Short Stories And Essays’.
About the Author
David was born in
Reed grew up in a large Catholic family of 6 children. David always accepted the responsibility of oldest sibling and took it very serious, even as a young boy. This responsibility groomed him for his leadership roles later in Boy Scouts and in life in general. He served in many different positions while a Boy Scout, earning the highest honor as a youth, Eagle Scout, and again as an adult serving at troop and district level in many different roles, being recognized for his efforts, among others, the District Award of Merit and the Southeast Wisconsin Council’s Silver Beaver award.
David attended St. Mary’s High School in
After working in several different fields, including Boy Scout Camp, odd jobs, landscaping, carpentry, bait and tackle, food vending, and power line tree clearing, Reed was hired as Camp Caretaker at YMCA Camp MacLean in 1989, where he is still employed. Once again his leadership skills have proven to be a valuable asset for him. The position at
David’s new lifestyle includes spending time with his family as often as possible, his exercise routine, which includes walking, running and working out at least six days of every week and writing. He also likes to golf, hunt, fish, camp and anything to do with the Green Bay Packers.
Mr. Reed’s first book, ‘My Present…’ is due to be published in the fall of 2004.