Help with the ticker

Help with the ticker | June 25, 2010

My dad, Woot Dougherty, had a pacemaker inserted May 25 to help smooth his heartbeat. It was performed by Dr. Kennedy at Baptist Health Medical Center’s Hickingbotham Outpatient Center in Little Rock.

He is 74 and always has been in excellent health. He’s been a diesel mechanic most of his life — a good one — except for a few years when he moved to Missouri and sold heavy equipment. He talks about not being as strong as he once was, but he’s still one of the strongest men I know.

He had experienced a couple of bouts of dizziness and fast heartbeats several months ago, but didn’t care for the prospects of having the pacemaker surgery. A recent recurrence of the symptoms helped him change his mind.

My brothers, Pat Dougherty of Carrollton, Texas, and Andy Dougherty of Marion, Ark., drove in for the surgery. My wife, Nancy, and I were there, as was Terry Sayers, the pastor at Pine Grove Baptist Church, where my parents are members. They were married in that church, near Sweet Home, nearly 57 years ago, though not by the youngster, Terry.

He did have to make a stop at Homer’s Cafe, on Roosevelt Road near Little Rock National Airport, on his way home from the hospital the next day.

Dad is doing better — his recovery at home has gone well. He said the pain was still there from the surgery for the first week or so, but he feels much better now. During his second week, He asked me to drive him down to the cemetery to check on a worker the church had hired to mow the grounds. When he pulled himself into the passenger side of his pickup, I chastised him for using the arm nearest the pacemaker, and he told me, “I’m not putting weight on it. I’m just using it for balance.” Sure, Dad.

We’ve all told him that even though his two weeks of “taking it easy” is over, he doesn’t need to rush into any heavy lifting or projects that require long periods in the sun.

When I call the house and ask my mom where Dad is, she’ll say, “He’s outside.” I’ll say, “It’s too hot for him to be outside,” and she’ll reply, “It’s OK. He’s just checking on the garden.” Whether that’s what he’s actually doing, she doesn’t know, but that’s what makes her feel better, so that’s what he tells her.

Mom has had trouble getting Dad to retire. After he closed his business, he continued to do projects for longtime customers. Maybe the pacemaker will get him to slow down some. On the other hand, maybe his continued activity is the reason he’s in good health at 74.

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