Heart attack, near miss - Page 2

RVPP · 05-30-2019, 12:54 PM

The look on her face, like that on my wife's, was stunned. Three weeks later we stopped there again, on the way home, to see if she was there and to say thanks. We had a tearful reunion.

CNYCamper · 05-30-2019, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVPP

The look on her face, like that on my wife's, was stunned. Three weeks later we stopped there again, on the way home, to see if she was there and to say thanks. We had a tearful reunion.

What a great follow-up comment to your original post! Congratulations for listening to the message your body was giving you.

ADKdave · 08-14-2019, 06:53 PM

I had experienced a LAD (widow maker) myself 5 years ago. It took me awhile to figure out what it was before I got to the hospital. I had a stent put in and have been fine ever since. When I discussed this with my cardiologist, I expressed to him I didn't feel comfortable going to the hospital to only find it was nothing but some indigestion or anxiety,etc. He gave me some good advice, that when in doubt get to the hospital, "We like sending people back home even if it is a false alarm". I tell all my friends, if you aren't feeling right don't hesitate. Also it is better to call an ambulance if possible and don't drive or be driven by someone. If you are having a heart attack the EMT's will know and they will contact the hospital staff and be ready for you. Time is vital as limiting heart damage is the key to survival.

TitanMike · 08-14-2019, 07:29 PM

Just thought I'd check in on this topic again. It's been 22 months since my heart attack a d AM feeling great. Am half way through one of the many boondocking trips I've taken since my sternum healed enough for me to hook up the trailer myself (quad bypass).

One note I want to pass on is don't ignore all the advance warnings. Got what feels like heartburn that doesnt want to go away? Do you get shortness of breath and sweat a lot with little exercize?

See your Dr and get scheduled for a stress test. Good chance medications, diet, and exercise can keep you from meeting your local paramedics in your house.

I admit I had warnings I'd ignored. Kept coming more frequently and I saw a Cardiologist who had me scheduled for a stress test-------the day after my attack. [emoji15]

llr · 08-14-2019, 08:03 PM

Thought I would add to this as I recently had stents put in do to a pending widow maker. I did not have any of the symptoms listed and just a little shortness of breath with mild activity which started about a year ago and kept getting gradually worse. I did not actually have a heart attack.

We had a trip planed in mid April to go to the Smokies, canceled that and had the angioplasty instead, they said it was unlikely they would do anything except look, then changed the plan and put in 2 stents. Dr said if I made that trip I probably would not have made it back.

Pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, for a long time I just thought it was a combination of age (59) sitting at a desk an poor eating and needed more exercise.

AbdRahim · 08-23-2019, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVPP

My wife, Cindy, and I had spent April on the east coast of Fl. from St.Augustine to Port St. Lucie. We were heading back to NJ on the morning of April 30. I told the DW that I didn't feel 'right'. Nothing I could put my finger on, just not right. We got into Ga. and decided to pull into the welcome center. I didn't have any of the 'classic' heart attack symptoms but I knew something wasn't right.
Got inside the welcome center, walked to the counter and asked the young lady to call me an ambulance. The EMT's were there within 5 minutes, had me wired for an EKG, told me I was having an heart attack. What do I want to do was the question, hospital was the answer.
Strapped to a gurney, loaded in the ambulance and off we went My wife got to ride shotgun (80-85 mph back to Jacksonville) They told me I was going to a teaching hospital (UF/Health) so the ER would be very busy, it was. Within 30 minutes of arrival I was getting a stent through my right wrist. The doctors told me I had a 'massive' heart attack. Had 100% blockage on the right side of my heart and 75% on my left. I got the second stent Thursday and was discharged Friday.
I'm passing this along as a heads up to all of us who are getting on in years, I'm 74. I had none of the classic sighs, I was VERY lucky. It would have been a mess had I had an issue at 60-65 mph. I'm a lucky guy.

Did RV sit at welcome center until you recovered? I travel alone, so this is scary stuff.

CedarCreekWoody · 08-23-2019, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

Did RV sit at welcome center until you recovered? I travel alone, so this is scary stuff.

Not an answer to your question but I pay about $75 a year for a policy that will get my truck and trailer (and wife) home if I can't for medical reasons. They will hire a driver or pay a family member to drive it for me. I've never used it but it gives my wife peace of mind.

TitanMike · 08-23-2019, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

Not an answer to your question but I pay about $75 a year for a policy that will get my truck and trailer (and wife) home if I can't for medical reasons. They will hire a driver or pay a family member to drive it for me. I've never used it but it gives my wife peace of mind.

If for $75 per year it does what you expect it's a bargain. Emphasis on the
"If".

CedarCreekWoody · 08-23-2019, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanMike

If for $75 per year it does what you expect it's a bargain. Emphasis on the
"If".

I'm in no hurry to try it out!

RVPP · 08-23-2019, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

Did RV sit at welcome center until you recovered? I travel alone, so this is scary stuff.

No, we have friends who live in Palm Coast who were kind enough to help us out. They drove to the hospital and took my wife to get the RV. It worked out well on several levels.

Gsykora · 08-23-2019, 09:40 PM

March 4, 2015, I was leaving work early because of an expected ice storm in Dallas. Walking out to my truck and got a sudden and massive headache. Worst pain I've ever had. Couldn't move my neck and the pain is best described as "thunderclap". Managed to drive home and told the wife I didn't feel good. Tried lying down but 5 minutes later I knew something wasn't right. Drove to the emergency room as pain continued to get worse. Made it to the hospital just as the ice storm hit (worst ice in Dallas in over 10 yrs). ER doctor checked me quickly and immediately ordered transportation to the brain/spinal specialist hospital. 2 weeks of ICU later, I'm released and doing well ever since.

I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain. Doctors say 90% of the people that have these, die before even getting to the hospital and 90% of those that make it to the hospital die at the hospital. Truely a widow maker.

I blame it on stress at work (massive layoffs, team restructuring, loss of compensation, etc) and at 55, I was way to young to be going through this. Made up my mind then and there that I was retiring early and taking better care of myself. Went back to work for 1 1/2yrs and got things in order to retire Mach of 2017 when I was 57 and had 30yrs with my company.

Just goes to show you that anything can happen at anytime, so take care of yourself and your family and find something you like to do and enjoy yourself. Life can be short......

TitanMike · 08-23-2019, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

I'm in no hurry to try it out!

Think of it like an umbrella. If you have one it could still rain but when you leave it home it almost always rains.[emoji41]

TeachTexas · 08-24-2019, 01:03 AM

Glad the OP is doing fine and many of the suggestions are great ideas.
One other thing to watch. Nine years ago I had a stress test. The doctor said everything looked fine, no worries. A few months later I was walking in the Davis Mountains at the McDonald observatory and just could not catch my breath. I passed it off as getting old and went about my business. When we got back home a friend had just gone in for a stent after he passed his test and then had an attack. I called up my Cardiologist and reported the symptoms, he said to come in for an angiogram next morning. I said it was only a few days till end of school, could it wait and he said no. I had a quadruple bypass two days later. (1-100%, 1-95%, 1-80% and 1-75%, the 80% was the widow-maker). So, when you chalk it up to just "feeling old"; it may be a lot more. Get checked out. As an aside, one of my friends is an EMT and when he came to visit me after the surgery he told me he has done many a run on people that had a passing stress test only to be picked up the next day in full cardiac arrest.

TitanMike · 08-24-2019, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeachTexas

EMT and when he came to visit me after the surgery he told me he has done many a run on people that had a passing stress test only to be picked up the next day in full cardiac arrest.

I had an appointment for a stress test (due to same symptoms as yours) scheduled for the DAY AFTER I had my "attack".

Cardiologist and I joked how I had performed my own stress test and failed

As one of the survivors on this thread I can't emphasize enough, do not take chest pains lightly. See your Dr and do exactly what they recommend. Even if they determine it's only gas, acid reflux, or some strained rib cartilage, you aren't wasting anyone's time or being a burden. They LOVE giving out good news that it isn't a problem with your heart.

Take it from someone who's Dad died at 58 (when I was 19) after several heart attacks.

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