[friedegg]

My dad has this happen shortly after Christmas the year my mom died. They'd been together nearly 50 years, and I don't think he ever really considered that she might die first. After Christmas, after we kids had all gone home, he woke up one morning knowing something wasn't right. He took some aspirin, and drove himself to the hospital. He'd had a massive heart attack, and was in that mid-60's age range where they often kill you. His doctor asked him if he believed in the afterlife, and told him if he did, he must've had someone looking out for him, because he was very lucky to survive. I think a few other things may have contributed, like the fact he was very athletic most of his life, to the point his heart was more efficient than most, and that he helped take care of one of his grandkids regularly, which gave him a reason to want to continue on.