What’s one trait you might want your heart surgeon to have, besides skill and experience? As Gary Lindberg, Chanhassen resident, tells his story, you’ll see why persistence was a critical trait for his heart surgeon and how surgery changed Gary’s life.

Gary has produced a Hollywood movie, “That Was Then, This Is Now”; is a best-selling author of four books; and he has a big heart for helping people. Here’s what happened four years ago with his heart.

Gary told us, “Five months after my oldest son died of cancer, I had some symptoms which didn’t relate to a heart condition but my internist asked me to take a stress test. During the test I ‘crashed’ and failed the test. A cardiologist watching the test in progress, phoned in and said, ‘Get Gary to see me as soon as possible!’ He set me up with a heart surgeon. They told me my condition required surgery rather than stents, which would have been quite simple. They wanted it (the surgery) as quickly as it could be scheduled.”

Do you wonder, as we did, how you face having heart surgery? Gary explained, “I interviewed the surgeon. I wanted to make sure he believed my life was important. Usually he spends 15 minutes with a patient. We talked for 45 minutes. I really got confidence in him as a heart surgeon but he wasn’t available for a week. We decided to wait a week but I took it really easy so I didn’t stress my heart.”

We asked Gary what else he did to prepare for the surgery. Gary answered, “ I met with a clinical nurse who took me through all of the process. Then they invited two older gentlemen who had also been through surgery to simply explain to me what to expect after the surgery. I liked having that conversation because it meant they expected me to live through it.”

Gary added,“ It was probably the most important thing I could do besides the surgery. They were able to tell me that I would go through a lot of emotional disruptions after the surgery. They said the hardest part was the emotional part.”

About his surgery, Gary shared, “They said the surgery would take three to three and a half hours. Five hours in, nobody came out to tell my wife how it was going. It took over eight hours! About every complication that could occur during surgery happened.”

Gary explained, “The doctor reported that during the surgery, two different times, I died clinically and they had to bring me back. They have to stop your heart to put in grafts to replace the arteries that are clogged. Over and over again they tried to start my heart with tiny paddles. It didn’t restart.”

Gary told us there was a concern about brain death so the doctor “reached in and, for the next thirty minutes this wonderful surgeon, with his hands, massaged my heart to keep the blood flowing so I wouldn’t experience brain damage. That’s not easy to do because it takes a lot to keep the blood flowing.” Finally, Gary’s heart restarted! That’s a heart surgeon with a critical, life-saving trait of persistence. He didn’t give up!

Gary continued, “After the surgery, it was like the two wonderful gentlemen explained in counseling. Something emotionally had happened to me and it made me more open to being able to express my emotions.”

“The most important thing for me is, after you have a life-threatening experience, you start to ask yourself why I was spared. What am I supposed to be doing? How can I pay back the Universe? How can I pay back God? How can I be of service?”

What’s changed? Gary shared, “I did discover a purpose for my life. I have a particular set of skills that can be used in a much more important way. I write books and publish books. From that point on, I’ve been much more cognizant of the books I’m involved in. I’m looking for books that tell important stories that affect people’s lives. I’m involved in writing one of those books now. I’m looking forward to making a contribution such as I’ve never made before. Instead of writing thrillers, I’m writing stories that are important.” We thanked Gary for sharing his poignant story.

What about you? Do you know that February is Heart Month and heart disease is still the leading cause of death in America? We encourage you to listen to your body’s warning signs, as Gary did, and get help as needed. Gary survived death and found new life! You don’t have to wait for a near-death experience to discover your purpose. Each of us has strengths we can use now to help others and make the world a better place. Who knows, one of those strengths might even be persistence!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2020 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.