I was shocked this past weekend to learn that my namesake Kevin Ross, the record exec based in Chicago, had a major heart attack a few�months ago. He is a friend on FaceBook and I was wondering why I hadn’t seen him post in a while.
The last time I saw him post he was talking about this great new apartment he moved into near the water in Chicago and he was posting pictures of himself, after�hardcore workouts and applauding his efforts�for achieving his workout goals. We had also talked about a project he was working on shortly after that. Seeing his workout pics inspired me.
We’re about the same age and people have ALWAYS confused me and Kevin and we always joked about it over the years. He even changed his name to Kevin E. Ross and I told him he was wasting his time because my middle name starts with an E too.
Then he posted a pic of his mother for mother’s day a while back and mentioned her name, and I almost fell out of my chair. I told him what are the odds of us working in the same industry, being the same age, having the same name including the middle initial and our mothers having the same name too? This was surreal but true. That was the last time I talked to him. This past week he started posting more often and in one of his posts he stated “It’s been 3 months and 3 days since my Heart Attack…. I was shocked and asked him if I could post his story for Radio Facts readers. He agreed. The story is below.
We urge all of our clients and Radio Facts fans who are Black men to PLEASE get a complete physical with a COMPLETE blood panel to make sure your health is on point. It’s AMAZING what doctors can see with just your blood alone. No matter if you are fat, thin or in the best shape of your life get it done. Our diets have a way of catching up to us and as black men, we are constantly under enormous stress. PLEASE do the deed.
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My heart and the rest of my body was so strong and because I’d not subjected to such abuse, that it found a way to keep itself beating. In all reality, I should have died earlier on that court.
Once I went into recovery a couple of hours later, it struck me. The only way possible I could survive not only the heart attack, but the potential stroke even before that from the elevated cholesterol levels was God’s covering. This is no fluke. No stroke of luck. No “testify and roll down the aisles with your eyes bugged out”. This was God, pure and simple. He has something for me to do. He’s kept me alive all these years operating on less than one third of a heart. Normal, healthy cholesterol levels for someone my age are right around a 100 to 150. Mine was 392 when they tested it. Seven days later, after walking into a hospital under my own power while having a heart attack, I have now walked out under my own power, healthy and expected to make a full recovery. In fact, it is expected that I will be stronger than before. Prior to this past week, I had never spent a day in a hospital. In 52 years. ?
Three months later……. I am a fairly private person (my business notwithstanding). I’m posting this for a couple of reasons:
1 comment
First I’m glad “the Chicago” Kevin Ross, is doing well and I applaud you Radiofacts Kevin Ross for not only running his story but your commentary. Heart disease is the #1 killer in America, it affects women more than men and African Americans at an alarming rate. The #1 cause is family history (hereditary) followed by increased age and then life style choices. Kevin’s testimony needed to be heard and I’m grateful you gave him the platform through Radiofacts.
As one who sells supplemental insurance plans, I know how important it is 1 to get annual check ups secondly to have supplements health insurance (which pays you directly). When you have a heart attack or stroke it’s the result of something brewing for awhile. Heart Disease is the “Silent killer”. Again, I wish Kevin a full recovery (God got you brother) and Kevin I again applaud you for “Stepping outside of the box” to bring information that’s bigger than radio ratings, music sales or the proverbial “Musical chairs”.