Life can change in a heartbeat

'You are having a heart attack." Precise. To the point. Like apunch in the nose. You can't imagine the impact those words can haveuntil someone looks into your eyes and tells you that your life haschanged forever.

I will be 63 in September. After retiring from the Chicago Sun-Times in June 2001, after 33 years as a high school sports reporter,I thought I was doing nearly everything necessary to stay healthy andfit. I wasn't Jack LaRue, but I wasn't John Candy, either.

I don't smoke or drink. I lost 30 pounds in the past six months. Iregularly spent at least one hour and 20 minutes in my condominium'sexercise room, on the treadmill for four miles, on the bicycle …