A bit of timely advice..

[Dewi Sant]

Having had a sizeable heart attack 2 weeks ago, I would urge everyone who's not already done so to go get checked out. Why?  Well, because it came straight out of the blue and was totally unexpected (obviously). Thing is, I dont smoke, don't drink excessively, eat healthily and keep myself pretty fit and active yet it still happened.  I'm now on so many pils that I rattle when I walk, my activities have been severely curtailed for a few months at least (can't drive or ride my motorbike and can't go walking too far to take photographs - I'm VERY bored). I spent a week in hospital and since I got out I've been back a few times and had some pretty horrible things done. All this at a time when we're due to move house any time soon.

I'm not looking for sympathy - just to bring to everyone's attention that it can happen to anyone and I've realised that it's best to get checked out before the event than to undergo an attack - it's not pleasant.  I'll get back to normal eventually but it's altered all my plans for this year - biking holiday down to Andalucia, another bike trip up to Scotland and a trip over to Canada have all had to be cancelled.

It's a big life chaning event, don't let it happen to you - if you've any sense you'll go get checked out now.

Dewi 

[Tony Jay]

You have my sympathies!

Good luck for the future.
Luckily you are in an era where usually there is excellent therapy for your issues so don't despair.

Regards

Tony Jay

[Rob C]

I've had two of the mothers; each came out of the blue, and I gather that the cause was high cholesterol blocking the arteries. The first time I blame on a unexpected cholesterol test done on me several years before the first attack: it gave high readings but nobody had told me that one should not indulge in coffee topped up with lashings of double cream half-an-hour before such tests, and nobody in the clinic had the sense to ask if I'd had breakfast etc. so when it later came to light that my blood test was probably void becaue of that recent burst of high fat content, I discounted the result. Mistake.

I have two stents; the first came after I was back in hospital with my second attack. Why they hadn't picked up on the blockage problem during the six-monthly interval tests I don't know, but I personally blame the hospital (private) for either negligence or incompetence. The second stent came after I had a fainting attack in a restaurant and tests revealed more blockages despite low cholesterol blood readings. By the time of the second stent I'd abandoned private health as a waste of huge sums of money, not helped by the sight of one of the head honchos driving his silver 500 SL into a private parking lot whereas I, the guy paying for it all, had to park in a puddle in a dump. Lots of realities hit one at times; it wasn't only St Paul got vision!

So how do I cope now? I do the best I can, but get tired quite quickly. I find nervous tension hits me very very easily - can't cope well with stupid people/situations at all without getting very wound up and tense and sweaty. In short, I'm glad I don't have to earn my living anymore! But then that's also a by-product of getting old. Irony rules: the first attack came with the pension. Wunnerful; enjoy the rest of your life.

;-)

Rob C

[KLaban]

The heart attack that hit me was the result of my own stupidity. Six years ago I was brought back from the brink with the aid of a defibrillator. Lying in intensive care I swore I wasn't going to become a victim and I'd do everything I could to survive and prosper. I have.

The last six years has been the most rewarding time of my life. Enjoy it while you can.

[Rob C]

The heart attack that hit me was the result of my own stupidity. Six years ago I was brought back from the brink with the aid of a defibrillator. Lying in intensive care I swore I wasn't going to become a victim and I'd do everything I could to survive and prosper. I have.

The last six years has been the most rewarding time of my life. Enjoy it while you can.

It's strange how these things affect different people: the first thing - the only thing, really, that I remember doing as soon as I got out of Intensive Care was to ask Ann to bring me the Complete Works of Shakespeare, a present from my English teacher, as I left school. Neglected ever since, I thought it high time to make use of it! Oh, yes: I do rememebr noticing a PR lady who came into my room with her clipboard and questionnaire as I was walking about in my hospital nighshirt; she looked lovely and my first thought was to ask her if she was interested in modelling. However, I was also very aware of what a pillock I must have looked in that nighshirt so refrained... missed opportunity or just an avoided extra embarrassment? Most likely the latter.

Fear? I don’t believe so, on either occasion. I suppose that I either felt it was nothing, that life would just continue as normal after a couple of weeks, or perhaps a lifetime of self-employment hardens you to reality and you accept it as it comes, realising that much of the time there’s not a whole heap you can do to change anything, that you get dealt the hand you do and that’s pretty much it. That’s when it applies to oneself. It is far, far different when it hits someone you love.

Rob C

[Dewi Sant]

The heart attack that hit me was the result of my own stupidity. Six years ago I was brought back from the brink with the aid of a defibrillator. Lying in intensive care I swore I wasn't going to become a victim and I'd do everything I could to survive and prosper. I have.

The last six years has been the most rewarding time of my life. Enjoy it while you can.

Which is  of course what people in my own situation want to hear, I'm glad you were able to take something from it Klaban - hopefully I can do the same. As already mentioned by Rob C, you play the hand you're dealt, there's no other option. Learn from it and move on.

A little tale you may appreciate.  I'd been in hospital for a day the few days earlier, my wife made me go when I first started getting the chest pains. I spent all day in there hooked up to various devices and had an inordinate amount of blood taken. They kicked me out at 7 pm tellng me there was nothing wrong, but they'd have me back as an outpatient for some more tests.  Two days later the heart attack hit.  While I was in there for the day a young nurse came round as I arrived in the ward and told me she had to check I wasn't a carrier of the MRSA superbug thing that we seem to have here in the UK. She said I had to have a swab taken from my nose and my groin area. She produced a long stick thing and shoved it up me nose then said there had to be one from my groin area too. I thought, hey - it's a hospital, they've seen it all before so as she was turned around getting a fresh stick, I dropped my pants and skiddies. She looked at me, handed me the other swab and said, "Most patients do it themselves" ...turned around, pulled the curtains back and walked out..... Awkward moment )

Dewi

[KLaban]

She said I had to have a swab taken from my nose and my groin area. She produced a long stick thing and shoved it up me nose then said there had to be one from my groin area too. I thought, hey - it's a hospital, they've seen it all before so as she was turned around getting a fresh stick, I dropped my pants and skiddies. She looked at me, handed me the other swab and said, "Most patients do it themselves" ...

...always worth a try ;-)

Best of health to you.

[Justan]

I hope you have a speedy recovery!

I found out a little over 10 years ago that I have CAD. I’ve done a lot to avoid the inevitable but could do more.

The cardiologist told me of what he called “the path of courage.” This amounts to the time one is willing to live with a potential problem before addressing it. The fix is either bypass surgery or to have stents put in.

The problem with stents is that typically, once one or more are installed, the cardiologists give a 5 year clock before the stent becomes clogged. The problem here is that it can be very difficult to remove or replace a stent.

The problem with by-pass surgery is that not only is it very traumatic, but it also is very risky, and even worse, the insurance companies don’t like to sign off for the bills unless they deem it necessary. In the end, it appears that insurance companies would probably rather patients just die than pay for major repairs. While I can’t say I blame them for discouraging frivolous or overdone repairs, they seem to make it unreasonably difficult to approve bypass surgery.

Hmmm. Think I’ll go for a bike ride this morning. At least it’s not raining…………………….

Thanks for posting the reminder!!