An artist can never be too busy to take care of his health

The author with the legendary Robert J. Sodaro, a well-known comic book writer in the 1980s through the 1990s

A few weeks ago, after a little too much ‘lechon kawali,’ I felt some tightness in my chest. Since I have a history of heart disease, I thought ‘better safe than sorry’ and went to the emergency room at Lennox Hill, just in case.

While they didn’t find anything wrong at first, my cardiologist insisted on an angiogram, and that’s when they found 90 percent blockage to my heart. Next thing I knew, I was scheduled for a triple bypass heart surgery.

Remarkably, among my silly concerns was, “Will I still be able to go to New York Comic Con?”

After 20 years in advertising and perhaps as part of a mid-life crisis, I recently decided to re-pursue my original dream of being a comic book creator, so networking at Comic Con was a big deal!

Anyway, I did indeed go under the knife and had a very successful operation. In fact, my doctors have been quite amazed at my progress in the weeks that followed.

I was lucky in that I’m young, strong and otherwise healthy. But off the top of my head, I can name several other artists, specifically comic book creator friends, who are currently having health issues.

Unfortunately, because of the freelance nature of creative work, health insurance is sometimes something that is overlooked. Fortunately for me, I had a policy. But for those of us who don’t, here are some options.

With the Affordable Care Act, many freelancers can now avail of health insurance at reasonable rates. Open enrollment begins November 15 so now is a good time to think about it. You can sign up at Healthcare.gov although some states will have their own website for affordable healthcare.

Another option is going to a Community Health Center. Most major cities have them, and they can provide check-ups for non- emergency ailments. In New York City, I highly recommend my client, the Ryan Center with four locations around the city. Outside of Manhattan you can use this directory to find one near you.

Community Health Centers are great for check-ups, sick visits, and some can even do ophthalmology, pediatrics, gynecology and other specializations. But they don’t usually do surgery or emergency treatments. So prevention is definitely key.

Good health and good luck!

And yes, I did go to New York Comic Con two weeks later. Doctor said I needed to be walking around anyway.

Ramon at the New York Comic Con with his Spirometer. Photo by Glenda Villajuan