Heart Attacks?

[RCMerchant]

Does anyone here on board know any heart attack survivors? Or had one themselves-any advice on how they dealt with it?

[Newt]

(Please tell us this is not about you?)

Of course it depends on the extent of the damage, but a heart attack is not necessarily the end of the world: however it IS a heavy-duty wakeup call.

RC, my blacksmith (the guy who shoes my horses) had a heart attack in February.  Then he had triple bypass surgery.  He was off work for about six months BUT he was told he was exceptionally healthy and fit to start with.  Now he is back at work shoeing horses.  (Keep in mind this is a man who has always pushed physical limits in spite of injuries and high blood pressure: so perhaps not overly cautious or even sensible!)

I think the key factor in recovery was HE DID EXACTLY AS HE WAS TOLD TO by health care professionals.  LOTS of check-ups and advice.

Be under the care of a doctor; cooperate with monitoring progress; be optimistic and BEHAVE YOURSELF.

[indianasmith]

My Dad had a heart attack in 2000 at the age fo 74.  He had several stints put in, and he made a full recovery and is still going strong 12 years later!  Follow the doctor's advice and eat healthy, get plenty of exercise, and avoid unnecessary stress.

[RCMerchant]

(Please tell us this is not about you?)

Of course it depends on the extent of the damage, but a heart attack is not necessarily the end of the world: however it IS a heavy-duty wakeup call.

RC, my blacksmith (the guy who shoes my horses) had a heart attack in February.  Then he had triple bypass surgery.  He was off work for about six months BUT he was told he was exceptionally healthy and fit to start with.  Now he is back at work shoeing horses.  (Keep in mind this is a man who has always pushed physical limits in spite of injuries and high blood pressure: so perhaps not overly cautious or even sensible!)

I think the key factor in recovery was HE DID EXACTLY AS HE WAS TOLD TO by health care professionals.  LOTS of check-ups and advice.

Be under the care of a doctor; cooperate with monitoring progress; be optimistic and BEHAVE YOURSELF.

I went to the hospital Wednesday-they got me on nitro pills.
Im supposed set up an appointment with a cardioligist.
I dunno-this is scaring the s**t out of me.
The fancy word for it is "acute myocardial infraction". 
I call it "notsocute mys**t inpain!" 

[ulthar]

Ronnie, I am sorry to hear this and will keep you in my prayers.

As Newt said, this is a MAJOR wake-up call.

I've known more people than I can count that have had heart attacks.  They are very common.

Best of luck and please keep us informed.

[Newt]

Dammit Ronnie we want you to stick around for a long time: make that appointment.

Of course it is scary!  Knowing exactly what your condition is and how to deal with it HAS TO BE better than not knowing.  Getting the information and advice and following it are the first steps to becoming healthier and stronger.  The sooner the better.  Living with the fears is only going to increase your stress level; not to mention it is just plain torture!

Make that appointment, ask plenty of questions and be good!    

[bob]

I strongly urge you to make the appointment and ask a lot of questions to the doctor.

[Living_Dead_Girl]

All I can say is if something does not feel right then call the ambulance, even if it is a false alarm that is better than a heart attack untreated.

There are diet to avoid heart disease but anything heart attack related should be handled by a doctor!

Unless you have been there done that! Got the T-Shirt and are just looking for like minded people to communicate with.

[Flangepart]

Had one two years ago. Needed a small stink put it. Been okay so far...

[ulthar]

Had one two years ago. Needed a small stink put it. Been okay so far...

Here's to your continued positive recovery! 

[RCMerchant]

Had one two years ago. Needed a small stink put it. Been okay so far...

My Dad had open heart surgery a few years back-but we dont talk too much.
I will take you guys advise-I love and trust you guys. 

[Flangepart]

Had one two years ago. Needed a small stink put it. Been okay so far...

Here's to your continued positive recovery! 

And maybe to reading my post before I send it! Oy...

[Allhallowsday]

Had one two years ago. Needed a small stink put it. Been okay so far...

My Dad had open heart surgery a few years back-but we dont talk too much.
I will take you guys advise-I love and trust you guys. 

You need to quit smoking.  Quitting the drink is probably also a good idea. 
And the word is INFARCTION not infraction.  You may have already had a "silent heart attack" which are also common and though you may have felt ill one day, you may not have had seriously disrupting symptoms. 

We love you.  Please move quickly, get advice, and follow it.  Cut the crap.  Once you're dead, you're done.  Live. 

[The Burgomaster]

I had a heart attack at the beginning of 2010.  I didn't even realize I was having one.  I had chest pains for two days, but I thought I just pulled a muscle or something.  I even spent some time snow-blowing my driveway while my heart attack was in progress.  Coincidentally, I had a routine physical the morning after the chest pains stopped.  I told my doctor about the pains and she ran some tests.  About 2 hours later she called me at work and told me to go to the emergency room because the tests shows that I had suffered a heart attack.  I ended up getting a cardiac catheterization, which showed that the blockage was in a narrow branch of an artery.  It was too narrow to insert a stent and I didn't need a bypass.  So, they just prescribed some pills.  Since then, I've been eating healthier and exercising and have lost more than 50 pounds.  Luckily, I suffered very little damage and am living a very normal life with no restrictions on physical activity.

[Mofo Rising]

When I was in high school, my father had basically the same experience that Burgomaster had. He had chest pains and ended up going to the hospital because, what the hey? It really freaked me out because they pulled me out of class with nothing more than "Your father has had a heart attack!"

So, it turned out that he had a minor infarction. "Minor" in any case should be translated as "Holy crap, I need to change things or I am just about to die."

My father was a habitual smoker for almost all of my life, and kind of overweight. Both things you should get rid of if you can.

There's a happy ending to this. After the heart attack, my father gave up smoking. No relapse or anything. Habitual smoker, heart attack, never smoked again.

That was almost 20 years ago. My father is alive to this day. Long story short, when your doctor prescribes a healthier lifestyle, TAKE IT. In fact, switching to a healthier lifestyle is something you should do right now. You do not want to find that you've been living unhealthily because you're sitting on the wrong side of a heart attack.

A heart attack is not necessarily the end of the world, but it's pretty close. Most of the time it is the end of your world, because the end result is the end result. But if you're willing to do the work and change, and the initial heart attack didn't end you, there's no reason that you can't go on living past the initial insult.

It does take a drastic reconstruction of your eating/smoking/drinking habits. But if you're willing to do that, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of your life.