He was told he was a walking time bomb, Gerald Manning Benefit on March 24
Gerald and Gloria Manning are pictured above. To help defray medical expenses, the Greenbush-Badger Lions are sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast benefit for Gerald Manning on March 24 in the Badger Community center.
On October 10, 2003, Gerald and Gloria Manning officially became residents of Badger, Minn. After selling their farm at Upham, N.D., the couple moved to Warroad, Minn., where Gerald was employed at Marvin Windows and they both managed apartment units there. From 1986 until the move to Badger, Gerald continued to work at Marvins, driving back and forth until his retirement in January of 2010.
Their daughter, Denise, and her husband, Shayne Isane, are rural Badger residents.
Gerald continued his love of working in the soil only now on a much smaller scale. Each summer many hours have found him tending to two large gardens as well as a variety of flowers.
It wasn’t until recently he began experiencing something he hadn’t noticed before.
“Whenever I did physical work, both shoulders and arms would ache and I would get out of breath,” Gerald said. “I used the golf cart rather than walk when I worked in the gardens. I’d stop and work in one place and then go on to the next. Yet, when I would be in the house sitting in my chair, I had no pain at all.”
In October Gerald began experiencing some chest pain when out in the garden. An appointment was made to see a doctor in Roseau.
“I had always been in good health – just some minor things – blood pressure was good,” he said. “The doctor didn’t really suspect anything.”
A short while later it was time for Gerald’s yearly physical. After telling Dr. Jain the issues he was having, Jain requested a stress test be done.
It was found the blood flow wasn’t going to the heart like it should be. On October 17 Gerald was sent to Altru in Grand Forks, N.D., to undergo an angiogram in the Cath lab. The Cath lab is an examination room in a hospital or clinic with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries of the heart and the chambers of the heart, and treat any stenosis or abnormality found.
It was determined by Dr. Almanaseer Yassar that Manning had three major blockages. The main artery was blocked 100 percent; the other two arteries had about 80 percent blockage. Putting stents in wouldn’t work in this case.
Then came the question — do the surgery now or later?
Denise said the decision was to do the surgery right away.
“Dr.Yassar said I was a walking time bomb,” Gerald said. “He told me, ‘Go home, sit down in your chair and don’t move!’”
After returning home for a few days, Gerald, Gloria, and Denise returned to Grand Forks.
“We stayed at the Sunshine (Hospitality) Home,” Denise stated. “It’s a beautiful facility on the west side of the hospital.”
The Sunshine Home is a place for patients and families affected by critical illnesses, diseases and injuries, who must travel to fulfil their healthcare needs.
October 22 was Gerald’s pre-operative day, which he said with a chuckle, seemed to take most of the day. His surgery was scheduled for the next day, the 23rd.
“That same night my brother, Mark, and his wife Patty, drove all the way from Duluth to be there by early morning for the surgery,” Denise remarked.
Dr. Barry Bjorgaard, M.D. conducted the “CABG” (Coronary artery bypass grafting) x3 with vein harvest Cardio Vascular Open Heart surgery.
To help defray medical expenses, the Greenbush-Badger Lions are sponsoring a Pancake Breakfast benefit for Gerald Manning on Sunday, March 24, 2019, in the Badger Community center. Serving will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free will offering – everybody welcome!
To see the full story, read the March 13 issue of The Tribune in print or online.
