Former Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians has fought his way through a series of health issues over the years. He recently shared with Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com that a problem last month resulted in a four-day hospitalization.
Arians told Kaufman that, on October 8, Arians experienced severe chest pains.
“On the night before the Atlanta game, we had a house full of people,” Arians said. “We ate and I got these pains way up here, like two knives going in. The more I tried to take a breath, the worse it got.
“I took some TUMS, thinking it was indigestion, but it just got worse. I called Christine back to the bedroom and said I can’t shake this pain. We called 911 and they put me on a stretcher to Tampa General.”
Doctor feared that Arians had suffered a mild heart attack. He was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.
“Thankfully, the scans showed no fluid, no heart damage and absolutely no blockages,” Arians said. “They had a cardiac radiologist look at everything and they ended up giving me anti-inflammatories.”
Arians spent four days in the hospital. He hasn’t traveled with the team since then. He has attended a pair of home games.
Arians will be added to the Tampa Bay Ring of Honor on January 1.