Anyone Can Have A “Broken” Heart
Realizing that not all of my readers know who this behemoth athlete is, I want to assure you, this post is not about his career as a professional wrestler. But in fact, regardless of his physical condition, many of us can relate to him, at least with one of his life experiences. For those that do not know who he is, his name is Paul Levesque, and to wrestling fans, he is “Triple H” (Hunter Hurst Helmsley), also going by the nickname “The Game.” Extremely successful as a pro wrestler, he rose to the ranks of the industry when he married the daughter of the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, where he still holds a high up management position. So, you now know all you need to know about Triple H for this post.
A video came across my feed this morning, and admittedly being a wrestling fan (at least used to be), the text labeling the video got my attention, especially with the recent passing of a young fellow superstar wrestler, Bray Wyatt. You take for granted, that as good a condition these athletes are in, while yes, some may be enhanced, still, they are in great condition. You expect to see these guys get injured doing what they do. And while many professional wrestlers do struggle with their health, HHH was the last one I expected to see discuss this.
A little over a year ago, Helmsley did an interview with Stephen Smith on the show “First Take.” He was telling the situation back in 2021, when we were still dealing with crushing Covid19 cases, he had developed pneumonia which continued to get worse, eventually getting the attention of his wife. Further studies revealed that while he did not have Covid19, he did have fluid in his lungs and around his heart. A major indicator of an issue with the heart, is called “ejection fraction,” simply put, how well the blood is being pumped through the heart. A good number averages between 55-60%. His EF was dropping rapidly to 30%, then 22%. He was in heart failure. Doctor’s performed what is called a catheterization, which is when they send a tube, usually through an artery in the leg or arm, to the heart. Then, they are able to get a look at exactly what is going on inside the heart, and what needs to be done to correct it.
During the interview, HHH says that he was diagnosed with a “widow maker,” a blockage of the left anterior descending artery, a main artery of the heart.
A “widow maker” is the same condition that almost killed me as well back in 2008. I will admit, I still suffer flashbacks when I hear the term, or hear of someone I know being diagnosed with this condition. Many of my fellow long term cancer survivors have been on the receiving end of my “GET YOUR ASS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW!” when they describe how they are feeling, because I have never forgotten those symptoms. Fortunately, those that bore that wrath from me, while they indeed have the same condition, were all operated on in time, saving their lives. There is a reason this condition is called a “widow maker”, because a person typically ends up having a major and fatal heart attack.
Helmsley does not explain what procedure was done to save his life. There are two possibilities. Either while being cathed, they were able to place a stent or more, which was less invasive and a quicker recovery, or open heart bypass surgery. As he has retired from wrestling any more, he is no longer seen without his shirt, so I am unable to know if he has the “zipper” scar down the middle of his chest. And though if cathed, he might still be able to physically handle more wrestling, with open heart surgery, I can tell you, having had my chest cracked open, this would not be something I would want to experience a body slam having done to me.
Two years later, he is still doing well. But in his interview with Smith, it was a different situation that caught me by surprise from the tough persona of his, but not as a survivor of heart surgery. Recalling the crisis, HHH mentioned the fact, that he had three daughters, at the time of this crisis they were 15, 13, and eleven I believe. He immediately began to well up and get emotional, clearly at the thought of never seeing his daughters again, and them becoming fatherless. That started me to well up, because I know this feeling.
It should not come as a shock for a father’s emotions to be revealed in such a time of crisis. What may surprise you, as it did me, was how little control a heart survivor has, when that dam of emotions burst. Like HHH, I was afraid I would never see my daughters again. I was only 42 years old at the time, my daughters 5 and 3 years old. Combine that with the face, both he and I were dying. It was not a question of “if,” but “when.” I do not know about Helmsley, but I know myself, prior to this, I rarely showed any emotion, ever, even with funerals of close family members, never a tear. That all changed when I had my heart surgery.
So along with all the support I give to cancer patients and survivors, I now do the same with heart patients. The questions are always the same, “what should I expect?”, with the majority of answers being about wound care, cardiac rehab, pain management, and other physical aspects. I always make sure that it gets mentioned, to seek emotional support, for the very reason that both HHH and I had experienced. It is a mistake to underestimate just how hard the emotions hit, when faced with something this severe.
While I know Levesque is done wrestling, as a father myself, I do hope that he gets as much time that he can with his daughters now. Something I know he will never take for granted.
Paul's Heart 