Need Some Prayers

#139
#139
Wanted to add that I am only 47 and in what I thought was decent shape. There was an abundance of precaution by my doctor and cardiologist to get the stress test done which revealed some irregularities. They didnt think there was significant blockage, but they order a heart cath just to make sure. The heart cath showed 80, 80, and 70% blockage in the LAD and sent me right into prep for surgery. I only had slight chest pain and I only mentioned to my doctor because we were just talking about anything and everything. Just take precaution with your heart and dont ignore the signs. If I had not gotten this done when I did, I may not have been here much longer.
 
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#141
#141
BearCat204 said:
Wanted to add that I am only 47 and in what I thought was decent shape. There was an abundance of precaution by my doctor and cardiologist to get the stress test done which revealed some irregularities. They didnt think there was significant blockage, but they order a heart cath just to make sure. The heart cath showed 80, 80, and 70% blockage in the LAD and sent me right into prep for surgery. I only had slight chest pain and I only mentioned to my doctor because we were just talking about anything and everything. Just take precaution with your heart and dont ignore the signs. If I had not gotten this done when I did, I may not have been here much longer.
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Can you describe what it feels like? I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. The pains you were having
 
#142
#142
BearCat204 said:
Wanted to add that I am only 47 and in what I thought was decent shape. There was an abundance of precaution by my doctor and cardiologist to get the stress test done which revealed some irregularities. They didnt think there was significant blockage, but they order a heart cath just to make sure. The heart cath showed 80, 80, and 70% blockage in the LAD and sent me right into prep for surgery. I only had slight chest pain and I only mentioned to my doctor because we were just talking about anything and everything. Just take precaution with your heart and dont ignore the signs. If I had not gotten this done when I did, I may not have been here much longer.
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Your story sounds familiar. My triple bypass was at age 73. Today I'm back to walking 3-4 miles daily & doing yardwork; I do STOP when feeling wobbly or dizzy. THank the Lord & the caregivers at Vanderbilt Hospital. (It's rare you'll hear me sing the praises of Vandy, but in this case: KUDOS). Appreciate your update & pray that your recovery continues, BearCat204. :cool:
 
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#143
#143
BearCat204 said:
Wanted to add that I am only 47 and in what I thought was decent shape. There was an abundance of precaution by my doctor and cardiologist to get the stress test done which revealed some irregularities. They didnt think there was significant blockage, but they order a heart cath just to make sure. The heart cath showed 80, 80, and 70% blockage in the LAD and sent me right into prep for surgery. I only had slight chest pain and I only mentioned to my doctor because we were just talking about anything and everything. Just take precaution with your heart and dont ignore the signs. If I had not gotten this done when I did, I may not have been here much longer.
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Thanks for sharing your story. So glad you are on the road to recovery.
 
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#145
#145
feathersax said:
Your story sounds familiar. My triple bypass was at age 73. Today I'm back to walking 3-4 miles daily & doing yardwork; I do STOP when feeling wobbly or dizzy. THank the Lord & the caregivers at Vanderbilt Hospital. (It's rare you'll hear me sing the praises of Vandy, but in this case: KUDOS). Appreciate your update & pray that your recovery continues, BearCat204. :cool:
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Thanks fellow zipper club member :)
 
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#147
#147
BearCat204 said:
Wanted to add that I am only 47 and in what I thought was decent shape. There was an abundance of precaution by my doctor and cardiologist to get the stress test done which revealed some irregularities. They didnt think there was significant blockage, but they order a heart cath just to make sure. The heart cath showed 80, 80, and 70% blockage in the LAD and sent me right into prep for surgery. I only had slight chest pain and I only mentioned to my doctor because we were just talking about anything and everything. Just take precaution with your heart and dont ignore the signs. If I had not gotten this done when I did, I may not have been here much longer.
Click to expand...

I had similar experience when I was 46. I noticed in the Spring that I was having chest pain while mowing the lawn. Then a few weeks later, the same pain came at work. My family doctor immediately scheduled a stres test at a cardiologist’s office. The same pain came during the test but the echos were inconclusive. The cardiologist recommended a coronary angiogram where they found the blockage. They put a stent in and I have been fine since (22 years). I have lost 25 pounds since then and take statin and blood pressure medication. Like Bearcat says, if I had ignored the chest pain, the outcome could have been much worse.
 
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#148
#148
Many people don’t realized that heart muscle, unlike other muscle tissue, can’t repair itself.

A heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) occurs when some of your heart muscle is starved for oxygen for an extended period of time, because the heart blood vessels (coronary arteries) are partially or completely blocked.

If you have a full-on heart attack, as opposed to temporary chest pain from not enough oxygen, you lose that heart tissue forever, to be replaced by scar tissue instead.

The scar tissue can’t contract (squeeze) like healthy heart muscle, so your heart loses some or a lot of “oomph” in pushing blood with fresh oxygen through your whole body. If there’s enough heart muscle damage, you may be looking at congestive heart failure (CHF.)

Get yourself checked out if you’re experiencing ANY of these, especially more than one (from Heart attack-Heart attack - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic):
  • Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching
  • Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly
  • Cold sweat
  • Fatigue
  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
Women may have atypical symptoms such as brief or sharp pain felt in the neck, arm or back. Sometimes, the first symptom sign of a heart attack is sudden cardiac arrest.

Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.
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There’s also often a feeling of anxiety. I get really twitchy when I see a man looking sort of worried, rubbing his (left) shoulder and neck, and looking kind of tired and grey and sweaty. It rarely looks like Redd Fox clutching his chest and shouting to Elizabeth.

My first husband called me at work one day to say that he was tired, chest was aching, out of breath, and sweaty, and should he go to the doctor. I asked: for how long? He said a day and a half. I told him to wait in the driveway, broke multiple laws getting from the VA Clinic on Cedar Bluff to South Knox County and then to UT Hospital. Said the magic words “chest pain”, back he went, got his EKG and labs, was diagnosed with a full-fledged heart attack, and on to the cath lab for angioplasty and stents.

He recovered, but he had to medically retire long before he had planned to and went on disability until old enough for Social Security, losing a career he loved.

Sorry for the uninvited lecture! But don’t screw around with this. Chest pains might well be heartburn (reflux) or muscle pain, but in case they’re early warnings, heed them.

Great to read the stories of those who caught things in time!
 
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#149
#149
Update:

Had my first post op check in with my surgeon and got a great report. Hopefully will be able to drive again in the next couple of weeks and will start working a little from home Monday (not but a couple hours a day). Funny thing about my surgeon, I didnt know him until after they told me I would have to get the open heart and everything just went fast. I did a preliminary research on my surgeon and noticed he has gone to the University of Florida. I didnt have time to joke with him about being a gator until yesterday at my post op appointment. Told him if I had known before surgery that he was a gator, that I might have decided to just skip it lol. He laughed and told me he actually did his undergrad at UT and his first child's name is Neyland. We are now best friends :) Anyway, thank you everyone again for your thoughts and prayers, I really appreciate it and very thankful for this family.
 
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