We’re all sick to death of the snow (that’s a given), but we do have to deal with it, like it or not. On Thursday, January 2 when we got the major snow that was nothing compared to the HUGE SNOW we got on Sunday the 5th, Paul Smoot (owner of the Irvington Flea Market in Irvington Plaza) was shoveling snow off the big wide sidewalk of the flea market, when he got a little overheated. He breathed in the cold air; it felt good at first and then he started having chest pains. He thought it was just muscle pain and that he’d hurt his lungs from breathing in the cold air, but he continued to shovel. He couldn’t sleep that night for the pain that had spread to the inside of his left arm down to the elbow and to his jaw. He finally dozed off at 7 a.m., only to be wakened at 8 a.m. by one of his rental tenants. He felt better and so after opening the flea market, he went and replaced the hot water heater at the rental — including hauling the old one out on a two-wheeler. At the Flea Market that weekend, Paul was talking to a couple of vendors who’d had heart problems and described his own pain and they encouraged him to call a doctor. Finally, Sunday afternoon he texted his doctor, who immediately called him and told him to get to the ER for an EKG. Paul waited until closing time, went home and had dinner first — afraid they wouldn’t feed him before testing, and then went to the hospital. Paul had an 80 percent blockage in the main left artery of his heart. A stent was put in on Monday (the hospital wasn’t sure they could get a surgeon in with the weather). His nurse worked 24 hours straight waiting for backup. Paul was very lucky.
When he had a follow up with his own family doctor a week later, the doctor said that what happened to him was called the “widow maker.” Paul’s doctor said that the reason shoveling snow brings on such symptoms is not as much the physical activity, but breathing the cold air. The doctor said the cold air thickens the blood and makes the heart pump harder and if you have any blockages in your heart, then you can have a heart attack. I had never heard of this in all my years of dealing with heart disease in my own family. The lesson to be learned is — if you shovel snow, wear a scarf or mask over your nose and mouth and DO NOT BREATH the COLD AIR! And of course if you have chest pains, be safe instead of sorry and seek medical attention.
Paula shoveling her sidewalk.
I live in Irvington just south of Washington and I just realized that only me and my 75 year old neighbor Wilma have shoveled their sidewalks in the entire block. During one of the first snows, I saw Wilma shoveling and went down and tried to help her and she said “No, no I can do this don’t worry yourself” — tough lady!
When the big blizzard happened on that Sunday, I knew that I’d never be able to shovel a foot of snow (bad back and I’ve had back surgery), but I could do a couple inches at a time, so I started at 9:30 in the morning and shoveled every two hours all day long. I have nine steps to the sidewalk and my husband is disabled so it’s up to me. Next morning my sidewalk was clear, but of course my car was buried — I should have worked on that a little at a time too. Anyway, there is a Code Sec. 431-106 of the Consolidated City and County that you’re suppose to have your sidewalks cleared within 24 hours after the last snowflake. I guess it’s a good thing they don’t enforce that code or many people would be fined. I live a block from a school and kids actually do walk to school and the poor mail carriers have had a rough year, but if they missed our mail drop we’d be complaining. If the sidewalks aren’t cleared, then pedestrians are forced to walk in the streets, which is dangerous.
I know shoveling is no fun and many fear for their health, but really when two old women can do it — I say get off the couch or get the teenagers off the couch and show ‘em how to do it!
