Augusta has special place in this guest's heart

Most people come to Augusta this week for golf. Ralph E. Harrison comes for his heart.

• Photos

Back | Next

Mike Adams/Staff

Ralph Harrison, 75, of Tucson, Ariz., is all smiles after receiving a pacemaker at University Hospital. He and wife Myra Jay are looking forward to the rest of their vacation. This is the second Masters in a row that heart treatment has kept him from the tournament.

Back | Next

Mike Adams/Staff

Mrs. Harrison holds her husband's hand as they talk.

Mr. Harrison, 75, of Tucson, Ariz., has spent the past two Masters Tournaments at University Hospital undergoing emergency treatment by cardiologist Mac Bowman. Last year, he received balloon angioplasty and a stent to open an almost completely blocked artery. This year, it was a pacemaker.

Last year, the Harrisons had parked their RV among friends and were just about to enjoy dinner on the Sunday night before the practice rounds began. Mr. Harrison was holding a plate when "all of a sudden the plate felt like I was going to drop it because it was so heavy," he said.

"He said, 'My arms felt so heavy I thought they were going to fall off,' " said his wife, Myra Joy.

They went to the Emergency Department at University Hospital, where Dr. Michael Holman told them Mr. Harrison probably needed angioplasty to open a clogged artery. Dr. Bowman performed the procedure the following morning.

"The Lord had us in the right place at the right time with the right doctor," Mrs. Harrison said.

Fast forward to this year and the Harrisons, knowing they were coming back for the practice rounds, scheduled a checkup with Dr. Bowman this week. Though Mr. Harrison had been feeling fine, Dr. Bowman found some problems. Mr. Harrison had something called sick sinus syndrome, where problems with the sinus node that controls the heart beat causes it to become unstable.

"Sometimes it will be perfect, sometimes it will be too fast, sometimes it will be too slow," said Dr. Bowman of the condition, which is also referred to as tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. When the heart is too slow, it can make Mr. Harrison drowsy or dizzy and might even make him pass out; too fast, and it could cause chest pain or a heart attack in someone with his condition.

"Fortunately in his case, we were able to find the warning signs to catch it before he got to that point," Dr. Bowman said.

He installed the pacemaker and started Mr. Harrison on medication that should straighten him out for the long drive home.

"It gives me some peace of mind," Mr. Harrison said.

"It gives me some peace of mind, too," his wife chimed in.

The Harrisons plan to come back to Augusta next year and will stop by University -- but just for a visit, they vowed.

"We don't plan ... well, we didn't plan the last two years," Mrs. Harrison said.

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.