Lee Means - Pro Blog 13

Wow, so it’s been a long time. Some of you have asked why I haven’t posted a blog in a while, and I have to say hearing this is very flattering. In the beginning, I thought, “No one is going to want to read this crap. I’m just a rock climbing sales rep. Who cares?” Well, apparently, quite a few of you do, so this particular blog is dedicated to you. Thank you.

Since my last blog, I’ve moved (still in Chattanooga) and started a new job! Part of the reason why I haven’t blogged is because of these new events. And the fact that I’d only been climbing easy routes in this Southern summer heat—so there hasn’t been a whole lot to write about. So, I started an amazing new job. I’m now part of the Über Group representing Arc’Teryx, Eagle Creek, Jetboil, Petzl, Salomon, Suunto, and Waterbox! It’s an awesome group of folks I’m now working with, and we represent some great top-shelf companies!

My main motivation in writing this particular blog, “Lucky #13,” is to shed some light on where I’ve been, but more important, to educate you on what happened to me. Hopefully, what you read will shed some light, inspire, and motivate you to take NOTHING for granted.

The last day of my local trade show in Greenville, S.C., I began to feel a bit weak and chilled; it was that dreaded feeling of, “Oh no, I think I might be coming down with a cold.” I made the effort to mentally fight it off, but the next day I felt worse. I was sweating profusely and had little to no energy. My girlfriend, Julie, went to Walgreens, and the pharmacist said I might be suffering from heat exhaustion. It made sense considering the working conditions of the trade show, and my bad habit of not drinking enough water. But the horrible night that followed and the next day of feeling absolutely miserable assured me that I had some sort of cold/bug. I tried drinking a lot of Gatorade, and Julie had some Amoxicillin left over from a dog bite she had received a couple weeks earlier. Amoxicillin had been prescribed to me in high school when I last had pneumonia, and I thought/felt that I was coming down with pneumonia. That night was worse than the night before. Julie and I woke up the next morning with her being very concerned about how I felt and looked. She said I was turning an almost blue-gray color, and I couldn’t breathe well. She’s a surgical tech at Erlanger Hospital here in Chattanooga and rushed me to the emergency room. What would follow would be one of the wildest rides of my life and my hardest boulder problem/route to date. We’re talking K2-style hard.

In the emergency room, they noticed that I was becoming more blue in color, and that my oxygen level was somewhere around 82% (normal, healthy folks have 99%-100%). They immediately put a little oxygen tube on the outside of my nostrils to up the level. After a while, they switched to a small mask and turned the oxygen level up further. In the meantime, an echocardiogram was done. It revealed that my heart was barely pumping blood; therefore, my lungs weren’t working to full capacity and were unable to absorb the precious oxygen I needed. Blood work was immediately ordered, and I was put on an IV. A doctor arrived to interview me. He further informed me they were going to have a heart specialist come to see me. What I thought was pneumonia was quickly turning into a scary situation. I hadn’t been this nervous since the last highball I climbed. The little mask had upped my oxygen level some, but not enough. They put a monster mask on—similar to the ones mountaineers use for big mountains. This Darth-Vader-looking thing covered my whole face and forced oxygen in and out of my lungs. I remember seeing the concern in Julie’s face, and then fortunately I don’t remember much after that except for some flashback memories (the blanks have been filled in by friends and family). I was apparently rushed into surgery at the Erlanger Cardiac Care Unit where a balloon pump was inserted into my aorta to assist my heart in pumping blood. Twenty-three hours later, I went into my first sudden cardiac arrest and was put on life support. My poor mother was told that I needed to be transferred to Vanderbilt in Nashville, T.N., for a heart transplant! There were no available helicopters equipped to make the flight, so they were going to put me on jet due to the urgency of the situation. However, one of the life support choppers became available, and the incredible doctor/pilots flew me to Vanderbilt.

To make a long story short, the week that followed was a nightmare for my mother, brothers and close friends. Fortunately, I don’t remember most of it. But I suffered six more sudden cardiac arrests! I “coded 6 times,” as they say. I was fitted with a temporary pacemaker, and the doctors began their questioning as to whether I would need a permanent one. Would my heart begin to mend itself?…

WHAT caused this, you’ve probably already asked? Well, because I tend to stress about things, this caused my immune system to become weak, and I caught an airborne virus that attacked my heart! CRAZY! It is very rare, and extremely rare in folks my age (I’m 28 years old). Because Vanderbilt is a teaching hospital, Dr. Walter Clair, a cardiac electrophysiologist, told me that I had become something of a celebrity around the hospital. Finally, It was decided that I would be fitted with a combo pacemaker/defibrillator as more of a “safety net” than anything, and I’m now on the road to recovery!

Vanderbilt is home to some of the most brilliant minds in the World. I had the best of the best teams of cardiac and rhythm doctors tending to me. I truly thank them from the bottom of my heart for saving my life. They are the tools of God, and it is because of them and Him that I’m still here today.

Life is truly short. We are all here for a reason. Don’t sweat the small stuff, especially the things you have no control over. Don’t take being able to get up, walk around, and enjoy the rainy and sunshine days for granted. Don’t forget to tell your family and friends that you love them. Don’t stop living every day of your life like it’s your last…….. CLIMB ON!

Stay up,
-Lee

Like many of you, Lee does not have health insurance. A fundraiser has been set up to raise money for his expenses as he takes the next several months to rehabilitate. No amount is too small--every little bit helps. If you’d like to donate please visit:
http://www.giveforward.com/2thumpsup

Or if you’d like to purchase one of the new Stone Fort or Horse Pens guidebooks, Andy Wellman of Greener Grass Publishing has pledged part of his proceeds to Lee:
http://www.greenergrasspublishing.com/

Also, Lee’s friends are throwing a benefit concert in Chattanooga, T.N., which will be held December 11 at Outdoor Chattanooga:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=165536286795570

Finally, be sure to re-read Lee’s 11th blog on how the Sickle program works which also donates proceeds to Lee:
http://www.urbanclimbermag.com/exclusive/problog/leemeans/lee_means_-_pro_blog_11/