Senior Services Patient Story: Ray

Five years ago, Ray Slater went to the emergency room at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. He was surprised when the doctor told him that not only did he have blood in his urine, but he also had kidney cancer.

“Later, I could hear the doctor talking behind the curtain,” says Slater. “The nurse told the doctor he was booked solid for surgery the next day, but the doctor said ‘We have to do something because I’m taking that kidney out tomorrow. It has to come out.’ And he did. I had surgery the next day.”

But that wasn’t the end of Slater’s health issues.

On his fourth day at home after the surgery, he collapsed on the way to the bathroom. He was rushed to the emergency room at Sharp Grossmont Hospital again. His blood pressure was 40/60. He had chest pain. An angiogram revealed 100 percent blockage in one artery, 90 percent in another and 85 percent in two others.

“The doctor said that he didn’t really want to perform the surgery so close to my other one, but he told me that I could have a major heart attack if I didn’t.” Slater had a quadruple bypass. He was in the hospital for 30 days.

“They treated me magnificently. I can’t tell you how well they took care of me. I’m lucky to be alive.”

Slater went through the Cardiac Rehab program at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. He’s doing fine now, but he goes back every three months for a checkup.

Now 73 years old, Slater still struggles with diabetes and weight loss. “I loved fried foods. I ate way too much and I wasn’t doing a lot of things right. My wife takes really good care of herself and she kept bugging me. You’ve just got to take care of yourself.”

Now, Slater walks on a treadmill for exercise. Walking on uneven surfaces is difficult for him because of the diabetic neuropathy in his feet. “I’m careful not to fall. I do a lot of reading. I play poker and bridge. I’m happy.”

When Slater goes back to Sharp Grossmont Hospital for his checkups he says “sometimes a nurse or doctor will recognize me and say hello. The people who work there are really dedicated. I have really good doctors. I can’t say enough about how well I was treated, how I am treated. They take great care of me.”