Ron was dead, or at least he thought he was?

I've known this guy for a long time and decided to do a story about him for the Daily American in Somerset, Pa. I like these mystical stories. Researchers say the near-death experience is all a rush of chemicals as we struggle to keep a hold on life. Hey, don't tell Ron that.
Also, I made a nasty editing error on this story and what you see below is not exactly how it appeared in print. What did I do wrong?

By ALAN FOSTER
Daily American

Some people die and go to heaven. Ronald Nicodemus died and went back to work at PennDOT.

By his own account, and his doctor’s, the 57-year old maintenance manager was dead; only a fast-acting emergency medical team, and a jolt from a defibrillator brought him back.
At 9:00 p.m. on March 31 of this year he complained to his wife Hope of chest pain.
“I felt like I was being hit by a sledge hammer or there was an elephant sitting on my chest, “ he said during an interview in his Somerset office. “My wife wanted to drive me to the Bedford emergency room, but I told her to call 911 and they were at our house in just over ten minutes”
At the hospital emergency room, Nicodemus, who weighed 400 pounds, was being transferred between stretchers when his heart stopped. It was then that he saw the bright light.
“When I died I saw the bright light. It was calm, pleasant and strong coming toward me in soft angles. There was no tunnel, no throne room and I did not rise out of my body. It was very quiet. When I woke up I remember looking up at Dr. Fleming’s face, bald head and beard and he said, “Ron, you had a massive heart attack. You died and we brought you back.”

Dr. George Fleming explained that Nick was very lucky.
“When he coded (his heart stopped) and we used the defibrillator he had bitten his tongue and we could not give him a clot buster.” Fleming knew Nick needed a coronary care unit and contacted Altoona and Conemaugh who could not handle the case, but finally Allegheny General in Pittsburgh gave the go ahead to have him flown there by Life flight helicopter. As he left he said to his wife,”Hun, I’m not going to make it,” and she said, “I love you, you fight for me.”

In Pittsburgh Nick was operated on by Dr. Peter A. Sukas,32, a pioneer in the use of a “stint” technique as a supplement to angioplasty (use of a balloon to open a clogged artery) which is a standard procedure in these cases. A stint is a device, when properly used, which will act as a new liner of a damaged artery.

While angioplasty saves lives, many times it is only a temporary solution. The artery will reclog causing another attack or force the patient into bypass surgery. The stint is designed to be a more permanent solution to the blockage problem.
Nick had two blockages that were small, but had stopped the flow completely.
“When the road is closed, the road is closed,” the PennDOT worker said.
Fleming said a normal heart will squeeze 50-70 percent of blood that passes through it with each beat. An Olympic athlete may get to 80 percent. Most cardiologists will not do a bypass on a patient who has less that 20 percent heart function. Nick was at 15-20 percent. Less than 10 percent and the patient is a cardiac cripple. Someone who has difficulty breathing or walking even a few steps. Many of these patients die while awaiting a transplant.
Nick’s road to recovery has not been an easy one. He was weak and felt miserable. He said there were times he woke up at night in tears. Both Nick and his doctor feel his attitude contributed to his ability to regain 40-45 percent of his heart function.
Fleming said a person’s attitude will keep the immune system active and can change the outcome when fighting diseases. On the other side major depression makes us more susceptible to ailments.

Nick is optimistic about life.

“I credit God’s healing power, my instinct for survival and my Marine Corps training for my getting through this,” Nick said. He said he found out recently Rev. Russell Kessler of the Heritage Baptist church had been praying for him. Kessler is also the chaplain of the Marine Corps League. He is also thankful to physical therapists Frank Hammond and Roger Arnold for getting him into “the right mode” and teaching him how to breathe and exercise. “They were the best DI’s (drill instructors) I have ever had,” he said.
Also, exercise and watching his diet have become greater concerns. He has lost almost 100 pounds since that day in March.
“I finished my rehabilitation on November 10 and still walk a couple of miles a day. I use a treadmill, a home gym, a bike and follow the National Heart Association’s diet which calls for no more than 30 percent fat and 1,800 calories,” He said. In the six months since the close call he has doubled his endurance.

While he insists it is not the case his weight did have something to do with the event of March 31. Another contributing factor was the stress he felt from his work. He has been with PennDOT since 1978 and in charge of the Somerset district since 1985. Even while he was in rehabilitation he was thinking about his work.
“My staff and crews are so good, I have nothing but praise for them. Everything went through (during the summer) because we have a good team at Somerset County maintenance. he said. “I think I’m still here to help people and to do a good job. We are as good as any contractor and I think people should take a good look at us. We give good service.”
Ronald P. Nicodemus had no fear of death before this brush with the grim reaper and this experience has enhanced that attitude.

“It is even easier now. I don’t think about it (death). I know I’m okay,” he said. ”All days are good, but some days are better than others. Maybe there is still a little time, as the Masons say, to do good deeds for others.”