Death before Change

I heard an interesting and disturbing statistic this week. I heard that more than 600,000 people have open heart surgery (CABG) each year in the United States. Of those 600,000 people, 90% make little or no lifestyle changes and end up right back on the operating table or dead within two years. Those who smoke continue to smoke. Those who are over weight and out of shape continue to live and eat just like they always have.
I work in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Maury Regional Hospital. I meet these people every day. Many of our patients are return customers. I see the disbelief, fear, and dread in their eyes when the doctor comes in and tells them that their arteries have clogged back up again. They say, “How could this be?” “How could I let this happen again?”
A heart attack is a major life changing event – it is literally life or death - do or die. If you are blessed enough to survive the first one you had better make the necessary changes in your lifestyle to prevent the second one. Everyone knows that. Everyone understands that. But the sad fact is that less than 10% do anything about it.
Is it because we fear change worse than we fear death? No, I don’t think so. I’m convinced that the 90% desire changes more than anything – but they are incapable of change. It is like pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. They don’t know how to live any other way.
What would it take to change your lifestyle? We all think that we are above all of this foolishness – I did. I told myself that I was much too smart and well educated to fall into that trap. But fall I did. (Proverbs 16:18)
I had my Heart Cath back in June. While there were no blockages, there was significant Coronary Artery Disease (arterial sclerosis). I admit that since June I have made no changes in my lifestyle. I have actually gained 5 more lbs. I am the 90%