Page 21 - Inspire Health March/April 2015
P. 21
amll “Mr.Testadora”
Charles Moretti has trouble Charles Moretti of cake,” Charles says.“Boy, was I
listening. It began with on his porch
listening to his body and Courtesy of Easton Hospital wrong. My legs were like rubber.”
then continued with listening to his Courtesy of Easton Hospital
cardiologist and finally his wife. But But his drive and ambition
to Charles, it’s really just a case of
testadora — what the Italians call helped speed up his recuperation.
“hardheaded.”
It all began on the golf course. Maybe it helped that he didn’t
Retired from a 21-year career at
the post office, Charles works 40 listen to his wife.“I was supposed
hours a week on the grounds crew
at a local country club. to take it easy at home and Dottie
It was a busy week there. He had
just help spread 90 yards of mulch took off work to take care of me,
at the course.The next morning he
was picking up large rocks, timber but I wasn’t a good patient.”
and branches, but he kept stopping
to take a deep breath. He was going up and down
A young co-worker razzed him,
asking, “Need to take a break, old man?” the stairs three to four times a day
Such a taunt pushed Charles on despite
the discomfort. instead of asking Dottie for help.
LEARNING TO LISTEN
In hindsight, Charles realized he had “When I do something, I am
been ignoring two-and-a-half-years of pain.
“I blamed it on a hiatal hernia,” he says. gung-ho,” he says.
“But I wasn’t really listening to my body.”
A scheduled stress test found the FAMILY MOTIVATION
real cause of the pain. “I was on the
treadmill for about a minute before I He has been gung-ho about
needed to sit down,” he says. His blood
pressure had skyrocketed. his health … with good reason. His
Cardiologist Pradeep Ghia, MD, an
independent member of the Easton father died of heart disease after
Hospital medical staff, wanted to move
Charles right to the catheterization lab, suffering multiple heart attacks and
but Charles wouldn’t listen.
“I promised to complete an errand Later that afternoon, the hospital a quadruple bypass. His aunt, uncle and
for the Exchange Club, so I left the
hospital,” he says. called him because Dr. Ghia was worried. grandmother have similar stories.
Soon Charles and his wife Dottie were at If family was a motivator, travel plans
the hospital.“The staff was waiting for me were even bigger. Prior to his diagnosis
in the lobby with a wheelchair,” he says. of heart disease, Charles and Dottie
THE WIDOW MAKER had a trip planned to Italy. He refused
Tests revealed Charles had what’s to miss it. “Before surgery I told them
commonly called “the widow maker,” that they better do a good job because
where the two main coronary arteries I was going, permission or not,”
are blocked. Charles had blockages of 90 Charles said.
percent and 95 percent, respectively. “But they did better than a good,” he
When the physician realized adds. “I couldn’t have asked for a better
that stents would not be sufficient, team of physicians and nurses.The care
cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Angelico, was outstanding. I thank that team for
MD, came in to perform a double bypass. everything and would recommend them
The surgery lasted nearly seven to anyone.”
hours. Charles woke in the cardiac He did make it to Italy, where he
intensive care unit. “I was tender from toured the country, met family and saw
the surgery, but I felt better and had the place where his father was born.
more energy,” he says So in the end, the Mr.Testadora got his
He decided to get up and take a way, learned to listen better and healed
walk. “I thought it would be a piece his heart.
March § April 2015 INSPIRE HEALTH 21
Charles Moretti has trouble Charles Moretti of cake,” Charles says.“Boy, was I
listening. It began with on his porch
listening to his body and Courtesy of Easton Hospital wrong. My legs were like rubber.”
then continued with listening to his Courtesy of Easton Hospital
cardiologist and finally his wife. But But his drive and ambition
to Charles, it’s really just a case of
testadora — what the Italians call helped speed up his recuperation.
“hardheaded.”
It all began on the golf course. Maybe it helped that he didn’t
Retired from a 21-year career at
the post office, Charles works 40 listen to his wife.“I was supposed
hours a week on the grounds crew
at a local country club. to take it easy at home and Dottie
It was a busy week there. He had
just help spread 90 yards of mulch took off work to take care of me,
at the course.The next morning he
was picking up large rocks, timber but I wasn’t a good patient.”
and branches, but he kept stopping
to take a deep breath. He was going up and down
A young co-worker razzed him,
asking, “Need to take a break, old man?” the stairs three to four times a day
Such a taunt pushed Charles on despite
the discomfort. instead of asking Dottie for help.
LEARNING TO LISTEN
In hindsight, Charles realized he had “When I do something, I am
been ignoring two-and-a-half-years of pain.
“I blamed it on a hiatal hernia,” he says. gung-ho,” he says.
“But I wasn’t really listening to my body.”
A scheduled stress test found the FAMILY MOTIVATION
real cause of the pain. “I was on the
treadmill for about a minute before I He has been gung-ho about
needed to sit down,” he says. His blood
pressure had skyrocketed. his health … with good reason. His
Cardiologist Pradeep Ghia, MD, an
independent member of the Easton father died of heart disease after
Hospital medical staff, wanted to move
Charles right to the catheterization lab, suffering multiple heart attacks and
but Charles wouldn’t listen.
“I promised to complete an errand Later that afternoon, the hospital a quadruple bypass. His aunt, uncle and
for the Exchange Club, so I left the
hospital,” he says. called him because Dr. Ghia was worried. grandmother have similar stories.
Soon Charles and his wife Dottie were at If family was a motivator, travel plans
the hospital.“The staff was waiting for me were even bigger. Prior to his diagnosis
in the lobby with a wheelchair,” he says. of heart disease, Charles and Dottie
THE WIDOW MAKER had a trip planned to Italy. He refused
Tests revealed Charles had what’s to miss it. “Before surgery I told them
commonly called “the widow maker,” that they better do a good job because
where the two main coronary arteries I was going, permission or not,”
are blocked. Charles had blockages of 90 Charles said.
percent and 95 percent, respectively. “But they did better than a good,” he
When the physician realized adds. “I couldn’t have asked for a better
that stents would not be sufficient, team of physicians and nurses.The care
cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Angelico, was outstanding. I thank that team for
MD, came in to perform a double bypass. everything and would recommend them
The surgery lasted nearly seven to anyone.”
hours. Charles woke in the cardiac He did make it to Italy, where he
intensive care unit. “I was tender from toured the country, met family and saw
the surgery, but I felt better and had the place where his father was born.
more energy,” he says So in the end, the Mr.Testadora got his
He decided to get up and take a way, learned to listen better and healed
walk. “I thought it would be a piece his heart.
March § April 2015 INSPIRE HEALTH 21
