Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / June 7, 2000, edition 1 / Page 13
Part of The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Chowan LIFE ——■ Fourteen years after the heart transplant that saved him, Chilcoat savors his life BY EARUNE WHITE Correspondent You’ve probably met him at the Chowan County Fair, or may be the Historic Edenton Visitor Cen ter, or even a Sons of the Legion meeting, because John Chilcoat is a busy man. When he isn’t volunteering, you can find him taking walks or out on the golf course. A retired Food Lion store manager, this father of three and grandfather of three has a lot going on in his life. We recently had the pleasure of meeting this lively man at McDonald’s on an unreasonably cool morning. Over soft drinks we discussed another of his life expe riences - that of being an organ recipient. Chilcoat’s story begins in 1985, when at age 44 he began exper ienc ingfatigue and shortness of breath. Chilcoat knew something wasn’t right, so he saw his physician. When the medication he was pre scribed failed to work, he consulted a respiratory therapist in Virginia Beach. It was there that the doctor noticed John’s heart was beating too fast. A pulmonary specialist told Chilcoat he had congestive heart failure. It was not until Septem ber, 1985 that Chilcoat was finally diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. According to Chilcoat, his con dition most likely resulted from a virus he had contracted. The vi rus, he said, overstrained his heart muscle, causing severe damage. According to medical experts, cardiomyopathy, while not com mon, can be severely disabling or fatal. Inaddition to viral infections, the condition can result from heart attacks, alcoholism, long-term, se *■ /ere high blood pressure (hyper tension) and other causes not yet known. In addition to the symp toms experienced by Chilcoat, oth ers include: chest pain; fainting, especially after physical exertion; lightheadedness, especially after activity; dizziness; sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations); and high blood pressure. Additional symptoms that may occur include: swelling of the legs, ankles, or other portions of the body; abdominal swelling or en largement; decreased amount of urine; need, to urinate at night; changes in mental state such as decreased alertness or difficulty Subscribe to the Herald, call 482-4418 EDENTON EYE CARE LASER VISION CORRECTION *3500 FOR BOTH EYES • Wednesday Appointments ■ Paul T. Rock OD Medicaid Accepted • "Acuvue" Bifocal Contacts That Work (for most people) • Laser Vision Correction - Financing Available • No Stitch Cataract Surgery 10% Off Your Next Pair Of Glasses 101 Mark Drive - Behind Chowan Hospital 482*7471 Wm. S. Blakemore, MD Having found the courage to undergo a heart transplant, John Chilcoat knows well just how precious life is. Here, he shares a relaxed moment with a special friend. (Photo by Earline White) concentrating; coughing; loss of appetite. While the condition is chronic, the progression of the disease var ies from person to person. In Chilcoat’s case, his conditlpn was stable for a while, but in early 1986, it worsened. Though early on John hadn’t considered the possi bilit'y of having a heart transplant to correct his condition, he was beginning to rethink his options. The physical exhaustion was in creasing and he felt something had to be done. His continued short ness of breath and inability to sleep peacefully finally led him to want the operation. After extensive test ing to see if he qualified physically and mentally, he became 115th on the list of those waiting for heart transplants. His surgery was performed in Richmond, VA in October. The anonymous donor was a 14-year old from Pennsylvania. Even after surviving the trans plant itself, though, Chilcoat had other obstacles to overcome. “I al most died twice,” he said casually. One of those episodes occurred during a trip to Salt Lake City. He began running a fever, and for fear of his condition worsening, his wife, Judy, took him to the hospi tal. During that event, which took place in the spring of 1987, he re mained in the hospital for nine days. His other close encounter with death was in 1996 when he caught pneumonia. Because of his condition, he now has to be careful of all the germs that might come his way through contact with oth ers. “Judy tells me to stay away from big crowds,” he said. Chilcoat is no more susceptible to catching colds than anyone else, but he has a greater chance of a cold developing into something worse. Like someone living with AIDS, his immune system is weaker now because he must re main on immunosuppressant drugs to keep his body from reject ing his new heart. It’s been 14 years since John Chilcoat underwent his heart transplant; he has been blessed. After his surgery, the doctors gave him an 80 percent chance of living through the next year. With every year, those statistics dropped sig nificantly. In fact, there were no guidelines for a patient five years after the operation because so few survived past that point. His doctors should be amazed today. His yearly check-ups in Richmond have been positive. He and his wife of 39 years have come a long way. John is thankful for the support his family has given him. He knows that without the support of a strong family, he couldn’t have made it through. Little has changed in Chilcoat’s day to day life in the years since his transplant surgery. Like all of us, he must watch his intake of salt and fat (and avoid a sedentary lifestyle). He cannot be an organ donor himself (because of the medi cation he takes), but everyone else in his family has taken the neces sary steps to be a donor if the occa sion should arise. Chilcoat does have one piece of important advice, though, to offer those with whom he shares his story - particularly those who dread going to the doctor. “If something isn’t right, and everyone knows their own body well enough to know when some thing is wrong, don’t hesitate to check it out,” he said. “Go to the doctor. The sooner there is a diag nosis, the sooner there can be a treatment. Some things cannot be put off until later.” Gene Perry of Edenton, at left, with his buddies Joe Costello of Phoenix, AZ and Joe Tranchita of Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Blair Currie) WWII friendship has grown over the years BY BLAIR CURRIE Joseph Eugene Perry is a well known figure in town, whether it be driving his 1923 Model T Ford in local parades, or just enjoying the company of the morning coffee group at the Chicken Kitchen. A longtime stalwart and past presi dent of the Edenton Lions Club, he is one of the most popular mem bers of this renowned group, but there is also a story many don’t know that involved this fine gentle man. Gene Perry saw service in World War II with the 45th Infantry Divi sion of the Oklahoma National Guard. Originally, the swastika, a good luck symbol, was the shoul der insignia worn by this unit, but with the emergence of Hitler and the Nazis, this symbol took on a different meaning, and was dis carded by Americans. The thunderbird was the new symbol adopted by Perry’s unit, and so the division quite appropri ately became known as the Thunderbirds. The 45th Division has many battle honors: Anzio, Southern France, Ardennes, Rhine, etc. * It was from the Anzio beachhead in Italy that the most dramatic ac tion regarding the division was recalled. Pinned down on the beachhead for 56 days, constantly harassed by German strafing and bombing, was surely one of those terrible situations that gave cre dence to the phrase, “War is Hell!” Gene was featured in an Army’s Stars and Stripes newspaper story concerning an incident that oc curred at that time. An Air Force plane, damaged in a bombing run to points North, plopped down right on top of Gene’s foxhole. Ev eryone survived, but with typical See WW1I On Page 1X-B NOKIA ^ US. Cellular The way people talk around here? Buy a Nokia phone and get a $30 gift certificate for Brickyard 400 merchandise. Plus, enter to win a trip for 2 to see the Brickyard 400. On your mark... Get set ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Minutes for s29.95 Coupon applies to the leisure plan only. «*** includes 200 peak and 1000 off-peak mirurtes pot month. Unused minutes expire at months end. Requites a one-yearserv'ceagrBemert. One coupon per new digital service line act uation. Coupon must he presented at time of purchase. Not combinahle with any other air time offer. Coupon valid only at U.S. Cellular5" stores, kiosks, Will-Marts and par ticipation agents. Other restrictions and charges may apply. See ,0' deU,IS Coupon expires June 30, 20UU. ^ U S Cellular Edenton Chowan Crossing, Virginia Rd., (252)482-0844 Elizabeth City 407 A S. Griffin St., (252)338-9400 Goldsboro 511-A Spence Ave., (919)778-6900 Henderson 208 Dabney Dr., (252)430-8666 Kill Devil Hills Seagate North Shopping Center, (252)441 3377 Reidsville 1537 Freeway Dr., (336)349-5325 Roanoke Rapids 1110 East 10th Street, (252)535-9005 Rocky Mount 2518 Sunset Ave., (252)937-1811 Roxboro 904-B Madison Blvd., (336)503-8997 Smithfield 110 Ava Gardner Dr., (919) 989-5801 Wilson 1700 S. Raleigh Rd„ (252)234-0051 North Carolina Businesses: For an on-site consultation, call (800)231-2355. For other great offers, visit one of our authorized agents. I Shop U S. Cellular” on the Internet at www.uscellular.com Pick up a mail-in entry form at any U.S. Cellular” location and you could win a trip for two to the Brickyard 400’ at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 5, 2000. Entries must be received by iuly 17, 2000 for your chance to win one of more than 100 prizes. No purchase necessary to win Brickyard 400' is a registered trademark of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, used with permission. Offer requires a new one-year service agreement. 1,200 minutes a month includes 200 peak minutes and 1,000 night & weekehd minutes. Unused monthly minutes expire at month's end. Roaming charges,-taxes and tolls not included. Other restrictions may apply. See store for details. Offer expires June 30,2000. _ ’
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 7, 2000, edition 1
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75