Heart issues lead to medical disability retirement

Sam Springer, who got a pacemaker last year, enjoys spending time with his grandson, Lance.

“I was working for Humble Oil (later Exxon) as a systems analyst, and I had been feeling fatigued. When I went to the doctor through my health insurance he really set me up, you know, with improper directions and the wrong medications. By the time they sent me to Stanford Medical Center, I was feeling much weaker. I was being evaluated for a heart transplant, which I really didn’t want.

“They rented a deluxe apartment for me and I spent about five months there. The doctors had me doing exercises regularly and asked me to come see them once a week or so. There were a lot of bizarre tests, like how much pain can you tolerate before you start screaming. At one point they placed me in a centrifuge and spun me around, which I thought was strange. One thing they were trying to evaluate was if I got a new heart, how would my lungs function.

“As I continued to take their stress test, I kept improving. In the end, they decided that exercise and changes to my medication and diet were more acceptable than a heart transplant.

“Although I was feeling better, my new medications were going to interfere with work. The company wasn’t interested in accommodating some of what that would entail. So two months later, I took a medical disability retirement. I’ve been retired now for more than 20 years.”

— Sam Springer