| Hello everybody. I just want to say 'Thank you' to everyone who sent me energy and love while I was in the hospital. I've had a rough couple of days but thanks to my friends, family, God, and my angels. I have come through this ordeal as best as I could have expected. It all started Tuesday morning when I awoke with what seemed to be indigestion. I took some antacid and tried to go back to sleep. The pain was increasing and I started to get worried--heart disease runs in my family so it is something I take very seriously. I called [group tour manager] Doug and told him what was going on, and the next thing I knew I was off to the emergency room here in Atlanta. After an EKG showed that something indeed was going on, I was whisked out of the ER and into pre-op. As you can imagine, by this time I was a nervous wreck not knowing if I was going to live or die and the doctor talking about 'open heart surgery,' and heart stents. All very troubling words for a young man like me who sees himself at the peak of health. I do yoga, play drums, don't drink, take drugs, or smoke. Many things were going through my head. Family, career, heaven.............hell. Mortality becomes a very stern face when you are looking it in the eye. The doctor told me that because of the inconclusiveness of the EKG, that he was going to do an angiogram. Basically what this is, is this: they make an incision in a large artery in the upper leg area and thread a tube up through your circulatory system towards your heart. They then inject dye into the bloodstream and watch its progress with an MRI. This all took place in about a 40-minute period. All in all a harrowing experience. The good news is that my heart checked out. No damage. Basically a small build up of plaque on one of my arteries. This combined with stress, fatigue and all of the other good things that go along with being on tour was the cause of my pain. So obviously we had to postpone the end of the tour while I recover. It should only be a week or so until JC is ready to rock again. Once again I thank all of you from the bottom of my Heart for your prayers, letters, and love. Jimmy Chamberlin, 10/31/07 |
