Lucky to be alive today!

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I had some minor chest pain up camping at high altitude a few weeks ago. More of a burning sensation than actual pain. It went away quickly but started re-occuring when I was active. It finally annoyed me to the point I went in for a checkup and my Doc was concerned enough to get ahold of a cardiovascular surgeon to go over my results. That guy immediately schedualed me for a angiogram (yesterday) to see wtf was going on.

They discovered during the proceedure I had a artery in my heart that was 99% blocked off! They were able to fix it with a stent. The surgeon told me later I will never realize how lucky I was to live through it. Crazy stuff, I'm only 43! It was such minor pain... I was blown away that there was blockage, let alone a 99% blocked off artery.

Thank God it wasnt worse. I think I used up a lifetimes worth of Juju yesterday. I'm still amazed they can fix stuff like this from inside the heart, without surgery.

-DallanC

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Dallan, I'm sure glad they found and fixed that for you! You're a lucky man in that respect. I had a "cardio" scare a couple of weeks back, left arm/shoulder pain and numbness, and the worry alone takes the stuffin' out of you. Luckily (?), after several tests, my symptoms weren't due to a heart problem. However we're still trying to figure out what it is, kinda looking like pinched nerves?

I've heard a number of similar stories about guys sort of ignoring symptoms like that and not coming off so well when it was finally diagnosed. You don't want to be paranoid but don't wait too long either!

Ominivision1 · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Dallan, glad to hear you caught it before anything worst happened, you take care Dallan.

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Glad to hear that they found and fix the problem on time Dallan.
It is scary, its painful, but its better than the other alternative.

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Glad your getting it straightened out Dallan Very Happy

Joe

Aloysius · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Glad they discovered it in time.
May I ask a question? Do you or did you smoke?

fnuser · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Praise and Thanks for sparing Dallan

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Aloysius wrote:

Glad they discovered it in time.
May I ask a question? Do you or did you smoke?

No I have never smoked. My grandmother had a double bypass when she was 33 so genetics might be heavily involved. That said, I'm really going to have to cut back on the type of food I've loved. Red meat is going to become a rarity along with anything else that has cholesterol.

Maybe I can swing Bison burgers though, that stuff is extremely lean Smile

-DallanC

Suzanne · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Thank the Gods Dallan! I've been waiting for that to happen to me, I just know it will. Not that I'm outa shape or anything but I do have atrial fibrillation episodes and a stroke is my great fear. Take the one a day aspirin and watch what you eat for sure. It's scary to know you can flake out in an instant and never be the same again.

Suz

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

Dallan,

Be careful, and good job for catching it early. People procrastinate about health and its the wrong to do, glad you didn't.

Dimitri

Vince · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:24 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

WOW...like everyone else (you included I bet) I am really glad that you caught this insidious problem in time mate. Heart disease is the single biggest killer in the world today.

You look after yourself mate...we don't want to loose you...you are "good people". Keep up the exercise, within the limitations laid down by the Dr, and keep active. I believe the fitter you are, the more chance you have of surviving this sort of thing.

Cheers, Vince

Elvis · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:14 pm Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

great to hear you got treatment in time, take care of yourself and make sure you get out hunting more often it sure helps me to keep fit I reckon I would be a real blimp with out the walking.

Aloysius · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:37 am Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Suz's right: cardioasperine is OK as long as you remember to stop for about a week before you get any kind of surgery.
But since my oldest daughter became a medical doctor, my wife and me are also on Crestor (rosuvastatin), an anti-cholesterol. It seems to be proven that taking an anti-cholesterol-pill makes you live longer. Not that I expect to get the 100 now, but who knows? What doesn't kill them, makes them more clever... so after all: it might have been a good warning.

note: 1 big advantage when you take an anti-cholesterol-pill: I can eat and drink anything I like because at the end I can always blame the pill when things should go wrong Smile

dhc4ever · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:54 am Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

Red meat is going to become a rarity along with anything else that has cholesterol.

Maybe I can swing Bison burgers though, that stuff is extremely lean Smile

[/quote]

Yep you dodged a bullet for sure.
Western diet, male and middle aged,(feeling worried yet?).
Cholesterol is the quiet killer, but that doesnt mean you have to exist on tofu and mung beans. Lean meat and fish etc. Follow the medics advice, get a good dietatician to go over what you are eating and what you should be eating.
Get regular blood tests etc.
Glad its turned out well so far.

Cheers

Elvis · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:47 am Post subject: Re: Lucky to be alive today!

venison is plurry lean too you dont often get fat on a deer.