A Doctor With A Heart for People
Life is a wild and colorful journey. Successes and fails, joy and pain, peace and anguish, fair and certainly unfair. One solid truth I have found is that no matter what happens, you have to pick yourself back up and get moving again.
A doctor should always be your advocate, your care-giver, someone who watches out for you in ways only a skilled doctor can. That is the way it was in the golden age of medicine, or so I am told by countless older and wiser people, and as seen on such greats as The Andy Griffith Show.
Throughout my 48 years on this planet, through various stages of development, I have always been a healthy, fit, active male. Looking back over the years, I am not sure I have ever experienced a doctor that would fit that description. That is, until recently. I have never had high blood pressure or cholesterol issues, I don't drink or smoke, I don't have any significant family history markers. I am an active runner, skateboarder, snowboarder, weight trainer, dad of three wonderful young boys. Then, I got Covid for the first time last year, and all of that changed quickly.
Once I realized I had Covid, I felt ready and prepared. I had been vaccinated and received all the boosters as I was told to do. Covid came, and covid left after about 5 days. I was feeling better, and went outside for a walk/run to get moving again. And every time I got moving, my chest would hurt. Bad. Like when I used play football in the winter time - that cold, achy burn in my lungs. But this was unique. I couldn't tell where the pain was coming from. But whenever I would stop activity it would go away. Naturally, I thought it was my lungs and began to seek treatment.
All of the doctors I knew, all seem to agree that it was probably long-Covid and that I just need to play through the pain so to speak. I remember saying, jokingly, I just want to make sure I don't drop dead from an heart attack. And of course, with my history, everyone assured me that would not be the case.
Until it was. After about 8 weeks of suffering through this "long-covid" situation, I woke up at 11pm with a massive heart attack. I knew right away as the pain literally knocked me to the floor. All the things I had heard from old men in my life happened, undescribable chest pressure, immediate left arm pain, shortness of breath, sweating. Terror. My wife, brilliantly and bravely refused to call 911 living so close to the hospital. We made our way to the car, and 4 amazing minutes later I was in the emergency room. And 45 minutes later, thanks to an amazing staff and one heart doctor in particular, I had two stents in my heart that relieved 100% blood clot blockage in my RCA, due to either Covid, or Covid/Vaccine combination, not sure we will ever know. And now, I am a full time heart patient whether I like it or not.
I describe that story to circle back to my MDVIP doctor. While I was diligently working through my heart rehabilitation, I would walk by the MDVIP suite every time. And I thought to myself, life is so short, surely there is a doctor out there who might actually care about me in a way that doctors were always intended to. Like the doctors on the Andy Griffith Show - just with new technology, better science and more confidence. I spoke to my pulminologist and cardiologist about this. And they immediately recommend MDVIP, and in particular, Dr. Timothy Dibble.
When I first met Dr. Dibble, I was almost shocked about how thorough, how much care and time he gave me. Literally, a full hour just to talk to me about my health care. I admit, I first thought, great sales pitch, I am sure once I pay my dues it will be back to business as usual. It's been six months now, and I can tell you it has only gotten better. Our relationship has developed more, he is always there when I need him, like immediately, he is always thinking through new approaches for diet, preventive measures, new research and the like. I can say without hesitation, he genuinely cares about my health.
Dr. Dibble should be the standard that all doctors and medical groups look to. His bedside manner, understanding, thoughtfulness, care, knowledge and expertise is unmatched. I have recommended him to my dears friend and business colleague who is 20 years older than me, and even he is shocked at the service, heart and care that Dr. Dibble has to his patients.
I will continue to recommend Dr. Dibble to anyone looking for a doctor. But most importantly, I will continue to be grateful for him and all that he does fulfilling what it really means to be a doctor.