Security pass

I was rushed from my home to the hospital on April 27, 2011, after passing out on my way to the mailbox. I had a pulse of 30 beats per minute. About an hour later the doctors had implanted a pacemaker.

I had a six-month recovery period, the first six weeks of which I was not allowed to lift my arms above horizontal. That was the only constraint, as it’s important for scar tissue to form to hold the wires in place. I was back to playing golf by Memorial Day.

On Aug. 20, my 85th birthday, my wife and I went on an excellent trip to China with Viking River Cruises (800/785-7374), enjoying four days each in Amsterdam and London independent of the tour, returning Sept. 13.

This was the first time out of the US that I needed to explain to security about not being able to go through the magnetic screening devices.

To explain this to security personnel in China, our group’s excellent tour manager wrote out for me an appropriate phrase on a card. While in China, I used it many times — at airports, museums and other security-conscious places. See the photo I took of that “magic” card.

EVANS HARRELL
Marietta, GA