'When Cheney Aproached The Light Turned Green For Him'

"Dick Cheney says his current health is "a miracle" in a frank discussion of the heart disease he suffered over his entire political career and especially when he served as the vice president."

"Two years ago, Cheney was gaunt, carried a sallow complexion and needed a cane to walk. Today, he says he's a new man and feels "fantastic." At 72, he says he has no real physical limits. "I fish. I hunt...I don't ski, but that's because of my knees, not my heart. So, it's been a miracle," he tells Gupta."

"Cheney had his first heart attack over 35 years ago and has been the recipient of many modern heart treatments that seemed to come along at just the right time. He even had a pump attached directly to his heart while awaiting a transplant. He knows luck played a big role in his life. He says Dr. Reiner once made an analogy between the course of Cheney's health and treatment and a person who gets up late and drives to work, but he sees all the traffic lights ahead are red. "'Cheney,'" he says the doctor told him, "'when you get to them, they all turn green.' And that's... a pretty good description," says Cheney."

CBS