Jackson wrestler returns to mat after heart surgery

Jackson wrestler Justin Miller was feeling physically strong and mentally confident that he could qualify for the state tournament when he began the Indians' Christmas break two-a-day practice schedule last winter.

Miller, then a junior, had posted a 19-4 individual record in the first part of the season, wrestling in the 140-pound weight class.

But then, during the school vacation, he felt some discomfort in his chest area.

"It all of a sudden happened," Miller said. "During two-a-days I was getting insufficient amounts of oxygen, and I could feel it. My heart was beating funny."

Justin informed his parents, Jerry and Dawn Miller, about his pain and they took him to the doctor, where an ultrasound revealed that he had a large hole in his heart. Surgery to repair it was necessary and his season was finished.

"It was really bad because the way things were looking I had a good chance of qualifying for sure, and I had wrestled really good with some of the kids who had ended up placing that year," Justin said. "I talked with the doctors to see if I could finish the season but they said it would be best if I didn't."

Doctors went up through the vein in Justin's upper leg and placed a septal occluder in his heart, which in essence closes the hole.

Approximately 11 months have passed since Justin's surgery, and so far his checkups have shown that the device is working. He still will continue to attend doctor's appointments just to make sure he is on the right track, but he is healthy and back on the mat.

Justin began to prepare for this season after a couple of months of recuperating. And he has high hopes as he enters his senior year in the 152-pound weight class.

"He's really had a tremendous career at Jackson; it was just cut short last year," Indians coach Steve Wachter said. "He's had a really good offseason. He's been training hard and working hard. He and Jamie [Schumacher] are really our mainstay leaders of the team."

A close call

Dawn feels fortunate that her son did show symptoms because she said the doctors told her while it might have taken up to even 20 years, a heart attack could have possibly resulted if the hole went undetected.

She also said the hole was so big the surgery using the septal occluder was almost impossible.

"To be quite honest, if that had not worked, they would have had to do an open-heart surgery," Dawn said. "And his hole was so large that it just barely fit in there."

Despite his body not getting sufficient amounts of oxygen during that time, Justin wanted to finish the wrestling season and undergo the surgery afterward.

"They [doctors] said there was a 1 percent chance something could go wrong," Jerry said, discussing the scenario if his son had continued to wrestle. "Mom had to step in and say, 'A 1 percent chance is not a risk we are going to take.' If me and mom hadn't said 'No,' he would have wrestled last year.

"He lived and breathed wrestling," Jerry added. "It's all he thinks about. It was a big setback for him and for us."

Passion for wrestling

Justin's parents say their son has always had a great passion for the sport since he began in kindergarten, taking after his brother, Jared, who is two years older and was also into it back then.

Jerry and Dawn said they never knew much about wrestling, but Justin has taught them plenty. And both mentioned that one of their favorite stories about his career came a few years ago when he injured his thumb midway through a match.

"He just about ripped his thumbnail off wrestling, and I think most kids would have walked off the mat," Jerry said. "You could see he wanted to cry, but he sucked it all up and held it all in, and they taped his thumb up and he went out the rest of that match and won it."

A couple of months after the heart surgery, Justin returned to his regular offseason preparation. This included training in Greco and freestyle wrestling, lifting weights, attending camps at Missouri and Oklahoma State with his teammates and taking part in practices during the summer with others from the Jackson program.

"I did what I've always done," Justin said of this past offseason. "I've always had it in me to want to succeed in wrestling.

"As of high school, it [wrestling] means everything to me as far as being the best I can be in achieving my goals and placing in state."

Back in stride

Schumacher, Justin's practice partner, said Justin is ready to make up for his missed opportunity last season. Justin and Schumacher both made state their freshman years but missed the cut during their sophomore years.

Schumacher made it again last year as a junior while Justin sat out.

"He's back in it, and he's doing good," Schumacher said of his practice partner. "Individually, we both want to place high at state. Justin could have done that last year. We both want to get there and not fall short."

Justin said it is nice to be healthy for his senior year.

"That was one of the big things," he said. "I'm just really glad it didn't happen my senior year."

Dawn added that her son is feeling better physically this winter, too.

"Coach has already said that his oxygen intake is so much better and he feels like he has more stamina and we know he's going to do well," Dawn said. "He's ready and he's back."