Tom Bauerle is back on the air after what was a very scary medical event; a heart attack which led to surgery. I asked him, given the fact that he is still walking this earth, if he felt lucky, “I don’t know if luck is the word. I do feel blessed, but that raises the question of “why me?” Why not some kid who didn’t survive? What could I possibly have done to warrant a favor from God? I won’t give in to “survivor’s guilt,” as I’d rather find or be guided to the affirmative reason for my survival. Every day is truly a gift, and I have a duty to make it count. Maybe there will be some revelation, or I may never know why I beat the odds.”
And he sure did beat the odds. In early December, Bauerle underwent a quadruple bypass procedure in an open heart surgery that lasted several hours. The surgery was successful and the radio talk show host spent several weeks recovering. The healing process is now underway.
Bauerle posted videos on Facebook throughout the original ordeal – leading up to and following his surgery. He’s been encouraging folks to listen to their body – to never ignore signs of trouble.
Photo Credit: Bauerle & Bellavia Facebook Page
Like he did.
Bauerle told me in an email interview – that he’s doing okay now and is quite surprised by the resiliency of the human body, “The surgical procedures I haven’t noticed, in term of pain. The biggest irritation was to the muscles of the neck and shoulder, specifically rectus capitus and levator scapula, as they need to open the chest cavity wide. But considering the alternative, I am beating the house.”
Leading up to the heart attack, there were some signs.
Bauerle had a pacemaker implanted in December of 2012 which he says – may have given him a false sense of cardiac security, “The first symptom I ever had was in February 2017 during a cruise. We were snorkeling in Nassau and I became winded and had some tightness in the pectoral region. But as I had been partying a lot, I just figured it was vacation-related.”
Fast forward to the last Monday in November. Bauerle says he had increasing shortness of breath and tightness – along with a sense of impending doom. Still, he went on living life, “So, I worked all week and on Saturday night went out to The Cove to see Hit N Run. I had to sit down twice during the first set, and then we went to a house party at our friends Justine and John’s and I just sat there all night not feeling well. Who wants to be hypochondriacal or catastrophize things? I should point out that every night from Monday through the house party, I chewed three aspirin before bed on the off-chance it was a heart attack.”
Then on Sunday, Bauerle finally broke down and went to urgent care. They urged him to go to the ER.
He didn’t go. Nope. He went home to rest.
The pain got worse and he knew what was happening, and knows now what could have happened by waiting, “I am no doctor but if people have any of these symptoms, denial is death. I beat the widow maker and other arterial blockages and statistically should be dead.”
So, lesson learned – and hopefully one taught, too. For now, Bauerle is back on the air, grateful for his loyal listeners,
“That was overwhelming, in a positive way. There were days in the hospital I spent crying out of absolute gratitude for the thoughts and prayers. Still get happily emotional about the outpouring, and I lack the requisite verbal skills to give my feelings full expression. People have a lot going on in their own lives and families, and I will always be pleasantly shocked by their kindnesses.”
Warning signs of a heart attack
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Heart Attack Signs in Womem
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
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