Heart Scene: Stories From The Heart, An Evening at WYOU TV Interactive

Valentine’s Day was not just another day here in Windsor Park. The day started very early in the morning in the edit suite.  At 2:30 a.m., Tony was tweaking the 13th episode of our Heart Scene series. It’s a story about Bob Hapeman and the importance of the EKG.

By 7 a.m. his eyes were so heavy, he had to put his head down and rest.

At 9:30 a.m. he was back at the editor tweaking.

Getting an episode ready for transfer to a master tape for broadcast is a stressful process.  There is no room for error. It demands total concentration.

On this day there were many things on his mind, not the least of which was an afternoon appearance on the WYOU TV interactive program: Stories From The Heart.

Anchored by Eric Scheiner, the program would enable Sid Michaels and Tony to share the highlights of their open-heart procedures.  Dr. Brian Mott, Sid’s surgeon, was invited to help explain Sid's aortic dissection.

Throughout the day, I noticed the anxiety and restlessness that comes when Tony takes on too much. He looks wonderful, but he is still recovering from open-heart surgery. I worry about the endless stream of 12 hour days that began in September and won't be over until April.

At 11 a.m. we were out the door to deliver two Valentine’s Day surprises.  Valentine's Day notwithstanding, Tony takes the Random Acts of Kindness philosophy very seriously.

Shortly after 1 p.m. he was back in the editing room for more tweaking.  After that he answered some e-mails, then he began to prepare himself for the WYOU interactive program.

Following the dictum "To Be On Time Is To Be Early," we were in the car at 4 p.m.  I drove. Tony reviewed his handwritten notes about heart disease, the Heart Scene series and a letter he received from the mother of a friend who did not have a positive outcome from his surgery.

Whenever he speaks, he carries a personal artifact with him for inspiration.

At about 4:20 p.m. we opened the door at 62 South Franklin Street, and we were greeted by two friendly and familiar faces:  the receptionist Lorraine and Cholly Hayes, a WBRE TV photographer we've know for years.  It was a welcoming beginning.

Cholly walked us through the newsroom where we were greeted from all sides with smiles and wishes of good luck.  It was wonderful to realize that many who worked there were once students in our classrooms.  Most important, many have very fond memories of those days when Tony challenged and encouraged them to be the best they could be.

Eventually, we made our way to an area that could qualify as the " WYOU Green Room.”

Located in an alcove just outside the studios, it was decorated with a table and two chairs and TV monitors so visitors can watch television while they waited. 

There we met Dr. Brian Mott, a youthful looking and very pleasant man.  It did not take us long to engage in a lively discussion about broadcasting and coverage of medical news as well as the topics to be covered in the WYOU interactive broadcast.

While we talked a parade of news personalities, weathermen, and sports anchors made their way to their appointed positions in the studio.  There was an air of excitement as everyone was preparing for the 5 p.m. broadcast.

A very accommodating young man, Chris Griebel, appeared out of nowhere. He introduced himself, extended his hand in friendship, and asked us if we had any questions.  His sincerity and genuineness was comforting and very calming.  Chris made us feel right at home

He left with a promise to return when it was time for us to enter the studio.

At about 4:50 p.m., Chris returned, and he led us to the set we would call home for the next 90 minutes.

Once inside the studio Dr. Mott and Tony were taken to their seats. Chris helped them with their microphones.

While that was happening, another engaging person, Kim Schuetrum, entered the studio. Kim is a charming young woman with a beautiful disposition.  She helped each guest with their "IFB.” An IFB is basically an earplug, that enables you to  hear the director and the questions from viewers.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Sid Michaels arrived. As Sid settled into his comfortable yellow chair on the set, I settled into a place behind two studio cameras.  Once there, I began to take digital pictures of the event. It's our ritual, we never go anywhere without a digital camera.

Soon Kim and Chris took over the controls of two studio cameras that would capture the scenes for the audience out there in television land.

Eric Scheiner, Candice Glossklaus and Dave Kuharchik took their familiar positions on the set.

The room grew quiet.  Kim announced the countdown. Five, four, three, two, one. Energized music filled the air as colorful graphics enveloped the screen over the voice of an announcer who told us it was all about you…WYOU Interactive.

We were on the air!

No matter how many times you participate in a studio program,  it is always amazing to watch how it all comes together.  Everyone knows where to stand, how to move from one place to the next, what to say, when to smile and keep it all timed perfectly.  It looks so easy from the vantage of the living room, but it really is a ballet of sorts, because if there is one misstep, it can fall apart very fast.

The interactive segment began with an introduction of the guests and a taped segment that enabled Tony to explain how he ended up in the operating room on June 12th.

When the package finished, Sheiner read a number of e-mails that had been sent in early with comments and questions about the Heart Scene episodes on this season's Windsor Park Stories and how they have helped so many to overcome their apprehensions about open heart surgery.  It was very gratifying to hear how people are benefiting from Tony's hard work in recording the step-by-step process of his heart scene journey.

It was then Sid's turn to recount what happened to him and how he came through an aortic dissection two months ago.  It is a procedure that is not often performed and Dr. Mott explained what had to be done to remedy the problem and how everything fell into place when Sid was wheeled into the operating room. 

It certainly makes one aware of all the things that can happen with that fist sized organ that keeps us alive and how medicine has changed in the last four decades.  In our lifetime, we've gone from "there's nothing to fix it" for many heart ailments to "let's look at what is possible" in the 21st century.  And new things are being discovered and tried every day.

The format of the program allows for comments and questions from viewers during the show as well as from e-mail.  The response from the very beginning was overwhelming,  perhaps because of the statistics about the incidents of heart disease in northeastern and central Pennsylvania as well as the state and nation.

Schuylkill County is the number one county in the state for cardiac problems followed by Luzerne County.  Nationally, one person dies every 30 seconds from a heart related ailment.  Viewers were interested in learning what happened to Sid and Tony and getting the doctor's opinion on their personal heart questions.

The  program is fast paced with segments for news and weather interspersed throughout the hour and a half.  Viewers get not only the news of the day, weather they need but also information on a subject that touches everyone in one way or another.  Heart disease is something that we hear about often either by personal experience or the media and internet.

The first segment began at about 5:15. Sid told his story at 5:16. Dr. Mott summarized aortic dissection at 5:20 . Then, at 5:21, Tony talked about his gratitude for Dr. Michael Harostock and the the team at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

He emphasised the transformational power of the experience. I can attest to that. His approach to life and everyday events is so much different today than before the surgery.

At 5:22 a caller named Michael shared his story, and he asked a question about stents. Can old stents be removed?

The segment ended with Dr. Mott's answer. "Old stents cannot be removed. Restenosis is not as great with the new, coated stints."

At 5:31 we were back on the air. This segment began with Eric asking Tony to answere some of the questions that were e-mailed to the show.

Tony took this opportunity to make a number of points including his reason for producing the Heart Scene series. "I am doing this to say thank you to the people who saved my life. These people are the genuine heroes of our community." He also encouraged people to be proactive about their health and to take advantage of the top notch health services that are available in our region of the state.

The next two questions were called in by Ann from Edwardsville and Barbara from Coal Township. Dr Mott answered both questions summarizing his position with this quotation; "Time is muscle." For Dr. Mott, it's all about prevention.

There was a 20-minute break for guests at about 5:40 p.m. Tony and Sid left the studio to stretch their limbs. It gave them a chance to catch up on what life was now like after their stays in the hospital.  Both agreed that the open heart procedure changed their outlook on life in many positive ways.

News Director, Ron Krisulevicz, stopped by to extend his welcome and to share his thoughts about the program and their appearance.

At 6:13 the final segment of the interactive show began. with shots of Sid's days as a body builder. Both Sid and Tony emphasized the complex nature of heart disease and the reality of death which is with them even on their best days.

In response to a call from Larry, both Sid and Tony talked about something that gets very little attention. Sid said he had difficulty reading obituaries, and Tony said that the reality of death is a constant compnion.

Ed from Mountain Top called with a question for Dr. Mott about Plavix and aspirin.

Then, as dramatically as the Interactive program began at 5:12, it ended ended at 6:22 with these words from Eric, "We're out of time."

At the end, there was an invisible sigh of relief. Everything went extremely well. The response was exactly what they hoped for.  The mikes and "IFB's" were removed, and everyone was free to move around.  It became a bit of a college reunion when so many of Tony's students appeared to say hello and congratulate him on his on-air performance.  During the evening, he talked with Dawn Kearns-Miller, Colin Riccoban, Fred Vito, and Alan Brocavage.

Before we left the studio, the cast, crew and the guests posed for a group picture. As I snapped the picture, I thought to myself, "This is a joyful group."

On the way out, Fred Vito and Colin Riccobon stopped to talk with Tony. These two young men have a special place in his heart. He set very high standards for them in his seminar room, and they met the challenge. Plans were made for a get-together at Windsor Park, a setting familiar to both young men from their days at King's College.

It was a memorable evening for many reasons:  meeting new friends, linking up with old ones, disseminating information that could genuinely help people and sharing experiences and feelings with people who had experienced much of what we did during and after cardiac surgery.

Our evening at WYOU Interactive telling Stories From The Heart left an indelible impression on our hearts.

Thank you Randy, Dawn, Eric, Candice, Dave, Alan, Fred, Chris, Kim, Sid and Brian for a memorable step on our Heart Scene Journey.

As we made our way home, we passed Tony's billboard on River Street. I saw him turn his head to look at it illuminated in the pitch black of the night. The air was filled with silence when he turned to me and said: "Disappointment is the mother of opportunity."

He didn't need to say another word, I knew exactly what he meant.

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