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it might be, causes a man to reflect upon himself and what is important to him. I must admit that when I found out what had happened, it occurred to me that there are certainly easier ways for a man to spend his life than in running for Congress and being a public official, ways of life which are easier on his family, on his privacy, and on his pocketbook.
    But as I talked to my family, it became clear to me that while public life is sometimes difficult, it is also, for the Cheneys at any rate, immensely satisfying. All of us, Lynne, our two daughters, and myself, like being involved in an effort which goes beyond our own personal interest. Trying to achieve goals which benefit many people gives all of us a good feeling, an uplifting sense of purpose.
    On July 11, 1978, I invited a few members of the Wyoming press to our home in Casper and announced that I would be continuing the race.I explained that I would continue to rest for the next few weeks and then would be back out on the campaign trail.
    I traded in the Ford Mustang I had been using to drive myself to campaign events for a large motor home. My dad joined us as our driver, and my mom came along as our cook. Both of them, along with Lynne, made sure I got plenty of rest in the back of the RV between campaign events and I had healthy food to eat. A note from Dr. Hiser to Dr. Davis on July 26, 1978, indicates how closely they were watching my progress:
    Dick Cheney returned to this office on 25 July 78. He looks extremely well and feels as well. Because he is doing well I have permitted him to have two short appearances in his campaign this coming weekend. Overall I think he is doing nicely and I will keep you informed.
    Dr. Hiser had some specific instructions for me:
    We will permit him to have two short appearances this weekend in Douglas and Torrington. He is to ride there in an air-conditioned travel van. He is to rest while going there, he is to maintain his exercise program, and he is to assure that he will get 8 hours sleep each night.
    With my wife and parents along for the ride, I am confident we followed Dr. Hiser’s orders to the letter.
    The heart attack, as daunting as it was, probably helped my campaign. The letter gave me an opportunity to communicate with the voters of the state without asking for anything other than their understanding. And it allowed me to talk to them as a husband and a father, not as a politician. A congressional candidate suffering a heart attack midcampaign was big news, and the event probably increased my name recognition across the state. When primary day rolled around, I won the three-way race with 42 percent of the vote.
DR. REINER
    On September 23, 1955, President Dwight David Eisenhower developed what he thought wasindigestion while playing golf at a country club outside Denver. The president had already completed eighteen holes and was in the middle of his second round when the discomfort convinced him to leave the course and return to the home of his mother-in-law in Denver, Colorado, where President and Mrs. Eisenhower were staying. The president, who was sixty-five, had no prior history of heart disease, but he had been an avid smoker, at one point consuming four packs of cigarettes per day. Eisenhower painted for a few hours, ate a light dinner, and went to bed around 9:30 p.m., but at about 2:45 a.m., he awoke with pain in his lower chest. When milk of magnesia failed to provide relief, the president’s physician was summoned to the Doud residence. Major General Howard Snyder, an army surgeon, arrived at 3:11 a.m. and noted that the president’s blood pressure was 160/120 and his pulse was 90 beats per minute, both elevated, typical for a patient in pain. Although there are conflicting accounts of what occurred next, a handwritten note, which Major General Snyder maintained he wrote at the president’s bedside, states:
    As soon as I arrived, listened to the president’s heart and took blood pressure, I realized it