The Optimistic BA’s Health Update
2022 is the year that I would be able to travel to speak in person and I did have a great week in Orlando when I spoke at PMBA. In Mid-May, I attended the IIBA Central Region Summit in Kansas City, MO and I got to meet the main owner of the web design company that manages my website. The summit was Friday night, Saturday all day, and Saturday night dinner. I met some new leaders at Friday night’s dinner and got to see some people I had not been with in person since 2019.
The summit was a good day and the leaders learned quite a bit. Since I am stepping down as IIBA’s GCC Chair at the end of 2022, this summit was bittersweet. The last summit was an enjoyable weekend. The location in Kansas City was perfect as the Fairfield Residence Inn was only a few months old. The two restaurants and the conference center were all within a block of each other. They formed a square just outside the hotel’s back parking lot. The back door opened to the second floor where I was staying. My room was only three rooms inside the hotel.
I thought the weekend was just about perfect but then it took a weird turn. When we left the conference center, we needed to meet for dinner almost right away. Everyone was going back to the hotel to drop off backpacks etc. I have a heavy laptop so my backpack weighs about 20 lbs. I had acquired a box throughout the day so my hands were full. I was leaving at the same time as one of my friends, Craig Leger from Dallas. He offered to carry my backpack. It was a short walk across the hotel’s back parking lot.
About halfway across the lot, I suddenly had the worst back and leg spasms I ever had. I felt like I was walking bent over like someone with osteoporosis. We got to the hotel door and I didn’t feel real great. When we got to my room, I told Craig I needed to sit on the bed. I never made it to the bed and collapsed in front of it. I didn’t get hurt which is a miracle for me. I perform all my own stunts and usually get hurt. Craig called 911 and when I tried to talk I did have a shortness of breath. My spasms and shortness of breath cleared up before the paramedics transported me.
The hospital was a trauma center and real busy for a Saturday night. It was five hours before I got into a room that was home for three more nights. I moved into what I am certain is a very expensive hotel. My EKG was abnormal and my heart enzymes were elevated. They climbed for a few hours but then went down. The people I was with at the summit kept checking in on me. I texted one of my friends asking if she could go pack my room and take my bags to her house. Tamara replied that she and Liz had already talked to the manager and packed all my bags. I always knew that Tamara Copple and Liz Soldwish-Zoole were good friends but they went above and beyond.
I had an echocardiogram and a heart catheterization which revealed I have aortic stenosis and need my aortic valve replaced. This is caused by a heart murmur which I knew that I had but it never bothered me. I also had a visit from a dear high school friend and her husband who live by Kansas City. Val and Chuck Jacques brightened my day while I was waiting to be discharged. Terry got our brother-in-law to drive him to KC on Sunday as I knew I couldn’t drive home.
I see the thoracic surgeon on June 15th and the cardiologist on June 20th. This means I will not be attending BBC in Fort Lauderdale. It was one of my bucket list items to present in person at BBC. That disappoints me more than the impending heart surgery. I always keep a positive attitude and I feel that helps with any illness or surgery. I made the heart cath team laugh way too hard while they were doing the test. I explained that I was the Optimistic BA and it made sense to them. That entire weekend I gathered lots of new material for future presentations.
I am blessed with a great husband and a few groups of friends that make up a fierce group that is more like family. There are also my four IIBA Amigos that are more like siblings. I also have a great family and quite an online following on LinkedIn and Facebook. With all of those people on the bench rooting for me, I have to win. There are two ways they use to replace an aortic valve. The hard way is Open-Heart surgery where the start by sawing your chest bone open. The recovery time is about two months. There is an easier procedure where they go through your groin and use a local anesthetic. That procedure is called TAVR which stands for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. The recovery is about two weeks.
I expect to fulfill all my other planned conferences and events which are later in the year. My Optimistic Bites show will continue as scheduled and I will use guest hosts when I do have surgery. I ask for everyone’s good vibes and prayers. The power of prayer and a positive attitude can not be underestimated. So as I always say, until next time, please keep your glass at least half full! Let’s root for the groin!
