Asher Sisneros

For my English class, I have been reading Jim Lehrer’s autobiography. In this assignment, I have to write 500 words on the benefits his heart attack had on his life.

Lehrer sat in his bed quietly, making a stress list while recovering from his heart attack. His recent heart attack shook him up, and he was determined to change something in his lifestyle to avoid another heart attack. Correction, he was determined to change everything in his lifestyle. His doctor told him, if he wanted to avoid another heart attack, he had to be healthy and eliminate stress.

There wasn’t anything stressful about his work. The deadlines had become second nature to him, and his partner MacNeil was like a brother. He thought about it long and hard. What is stressful? It was obvious. Cocktail parties were incredibly stressful. So was riding the shuttle to New York! The most stressful thing, however, was giving speeches. Even though he was a TV host and a writer, he always dreaded giving speeches. They tickled his stomach in the worst way possible. He simply wrote, always avoid cocktail parties, speeches and the shuttle. Simple.

His next matter of business was the diet. The doctor said, “You are going to have to change your diet! It’s simply terrible.” Unfortunately, the doctor wasn’t lying. Lehrer had made a terrible habit of eating absolute junk. Sure, he wasn’t obese, but his body was finally punishing him for feeding it absolute junk all those years. His favorite foods were burgers, Tex-Mex, fries, potato chips, and one pastrami sandwich smothered in mayonnaise for lunch every single day. If he wanted to live, he needed a major reformation in his diet. His doctor banned all the food he previously ate and supplemented it with vegetables dipped in non-fat yogurt and tuna. All the new foods were completely foreign to him. The only time Lehrer eats tuna is when it’s covered in mayonnaise. Lehrer was adamant, “If you take away the mayonnaise, you take away the tuna!” However, his doctor was insistent. Begrudgingly, Lehrer backed down and followed the doctor’s prescribed diet, though he hated it. Previously, he ate passionately because he loved the food, but now, it was a wrestle forcing the food down. His body rejected every bite of food by vomiting.

Lehrer also started exercising, which was an important for his heart health. In the hospital workout room, he met two acquaintances, and the three grew close during their tenure at the hospital. After getting back to work at PBS, Lehrer remembered his hospital friends and convinced PBS to make a documentary on heart attacks. People who haven’t gone through a near death experience are terrible at being considerate. It’s not their fault, they’re just ignorant. As someone who’d had a heart attack, Lehrer knew he could relate to other heart attack victims. That’s what he realized talking to his friends at the hospital. They got close because they could relate. Lehrer was correct. He received phone calls about how his informative documentary saved their life.

Even though heart attacks are tragic, they probably saved Lehrer’s life. Because of his heart attack, he improved his health. It also inspired him to make the documentary that saved even more lives. Everything happens for a purpose.