I Could Have Dropped Dead

[beancurdturtle]

I'll tell a story from my summer, the end result being a feeling of thanks, acceptance, and a mellow peacefulness. An odd road to a bit of personal enlightenment I guess.

 

I keep getting the same questions over and over from friends, family and co-workers, so I'll try to make this story short and tell everyone at once. I've been having chronic chest pain since July 2nd (basically all summer long). I was always tense in my back and shoulders, feeling grumpy, and I was always tired and falling asleep - even in the middle of the day sometimes.

 

I was in the emergency room at the hospital in July. The doctors did all the tests including the stress test running on the treadmill. Everything said my heart was very healthy. There is one more test they could have done, a surgical procedure called an angiogram, but everything looked like I had a healthy heart. I also exercise and my diet is pretty good, so their was no urgency.

 

The testing also showed my cholesterol is OK, but triglycerides (blood fat) are very high. I went on a zero fat diet for 5 weeks and lost 15 pounds. Unfortunately I lost muscle weight too because I can't work out. The triglycerides did not change so something, not diet, keeps my triglycerides extremely high. I'm on medication to deal with that.

 

Two weeks ago I started getting the chest pain just sitting around. I pressed my doctor for an answer and he scheduled an angiogram for September 26, two days ago. This is where they put a thin noodle kinda thing in your artery in the leg, and put it all the way up to your heart. They can take videos of the blood flowing around the heart. They found I had one blockage in all three of the coronary arteries. One blockage was 99% - almost no blood was going to the right back portion of my heart. So my heart is very healthy, but it was suffocating.

 

Through all the tests the doctors have said my heart muscle is in really great shape. My EKG shows that I had a minor "silent heart attack" with no permanent damage between August and two days ago. This plus the restricted blood flow is why I was getting chest pains just sitting. But the heart muscle is undamaged and still in great shape (thank goodness).

 

The doctors opened the 99% blockage in one artery with the angiogram snake thing at my heart and put a stent (like a tiny spring steel cage) in the artery to keep it open. They will possibly do another angiogram in about 10 weeks to check and maybe open the other two less troublesome blockages.

 

So now my heart is healthy, and it can breathe. I have to take medication for a while, and take it easy for only one week. Basically, with the blockages taken care of I'm perfectly fine. The doctors say I'll be in better heart health than I've been in a couple years and I should start exercising again soon. As for me, I have a lot of energy and feel great since yesterday afternoon. I'll be back at work on Monday, without falling asleep at my desk, haha.

 

Based on the findings, I could have dropped dead any one of the many times I had chest pains walking the trash to the dumpster or taking a shower. So today I feel quite open, accepting, and not bothered by much anything.

 

Interesting.

 

Peace,

Edited September 29, 2007 by beancurdturtle

[Cameron]

Dude...

[VeeCee]

It's a good thing that you followed your own instincts and pushed your doctor. Sometimes they are too quick to give the "you're fine" answer when there is no obvious problem. Take it easy and get well soon.

 

V.