In the hospital

alfacliff

Joined Dec 13, 2013
2,458
it dosnt have to be your eating or choice of food to get heart trouble, a year ago, I went to the emergency room after getting up in the morning and having to stop to catch my breath on the way to the bathroom. scared me into the emergency room. I had been getting weaker for a few years and just thought it was old age. they tole me it is congestive heart failure, and put me on diuretics and oxygen. after a couple of days, as they were wheeling me into an operating room and telling me I would probably have stents or a bypass. after a heart catheterization, I woke up with no stents or bypasse. it turned out to be a virus I had a few years ago, no way to know what virus, or when. I found later that my heart was at 20% when I left the hospital and 6 months later it was up to 35%. no cholesterol or other blockages at all. ts been a year now, and I dont know if I am getting better yet.
 

alfacliff

Joined Dec 13, 2013
2,458
they scanned, didnt find any. it was caused by a virus. sometimes even a common cold can do it. I used to walk miles with my son hunting and fishing, got weaker and weaker till I was having to stop and catch my breath 3 times from the parking lot to the shop. my doctor didnt find anything.
 

alfacliff

Joined Dec 13, 2013
2,458
no, only treatment is pills. they took me into surgery for the heart cathetherization, they run a catheter up through your groin to your heart to check for blockages and insert stents if necessary. they have to slice a bit to get the catheter in.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Well I am out. Not feeling so hot. All these new med I guess.

I nearly had another heart attack getting my bill. $240! One item alone Renexa is $230! Have about 8 in total.

I am going to try to go to the Cleveland clinic this week or early next to see if there are alternatives. I do not want to have to take a whole pharmacy of drugs.
If you are stuck taking them, they are $333 for 60 tablets at costco. Don't have to be a member to use the pharmacy. Generally 1/2 to 1/4 the price of other pharmacies (target, walmart, RiteAid. ...). They mark up medication the same way they price everything else, cost + 18%.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
no, only treatment is pills. they took me into surgery for the heart cathetherization, they run a catheter up through your groin to your heart to check for blockages and insert stents if necessary. they have to slice a bit to get the catheter in.
Whew! I thought you meant they sliced your chest open without any dye tests.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
.some doctors lack the wisdom of age. About a year ago some pup of a doctor tried to save me from hydrocodone by giving me fentanyl. :eek:
I went to the doc a few years ago for migraines. he sent me to a neurologist, who ran some scans and then prescribed me topiramate, an epilepsy med. He said it has been proven as a preventative med for migraines. I took it for a few days and the side effects it gave me were ridiculous. I lost a lot of reasoning skills, got pretty damned stupid actually. I had a temper that would flare up over nothing. Half the fights (screaming, slamming doors, leaving the house, etc.) my wife and I ever had were during those few days. For the first and last time in my life I raised my hand and almost hit her, and that's when I knew the meds weren't for me.

I quit the topiramate after less than a week and thought that bad chapter was over. Until a year later when I was denied life insurance because they dug up in my records that I had been on epilepsy meds and therefore assumed I was epileptic. That was fun to explain to people who automatically assume you are lying to them. Took quite a bit of work to convince them that I just had migraines. That's the part that really pissed me off. The doctor just prescribed me that crap without any fine print about the ramifications of taking it.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Maybe you should talk to that doctor about doctor-patient confidentiality...or was it the drugstore that told the insurance company?
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Maybe you should talk to that doctor about doctor-patient confidentiality...or was it the drugstore that told the insurance company?
Who knows. I'm sure Google was in on it. I probably signed my prescription history over to amazon too, among that stack of 8pt font b.s. you have to sign before being seen. There's no such thing as privacy or confidentiality unless you're the government, and not even then aparently. Doctor patient confidentiality, what a quaint myth!
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
That last doc tried to get me to sign over consent to post my entire medical history on the internet. I declined.
That probably won't stop her office staff from posting it anyway. :(
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
That probably won't stop her office staff from posting it anyway. :(
I just got done reading it. You look in tough shape. I also looked at the surveillance cameras from your hospital - I am surprised you didn't end up with a staph infection since nobody was washing their hands. I also saw your ride home on traffic cameras (that truck almost got you and you wouldn't need to worry about your back anymore). By the way, could you wave out your rear window - lean out real far so I can see you with the satellite (I wasn't quite sure which house you walked into).

EDIT, never mind leaning out, I always forget I can rewind. Also, watch your stomach over the next 24 hours, that McDonald's you stopped at on your way home had a "C" rating from the Health Department.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
1) Thank you for the kind words.
2) I did not have any open wounds and that probably saved me from getting an infection.
3) I haven't had a traffic ticket or a collision for 39 years. Credit my cautious driving for missing that truck!
4) My house is the one with the new white roof, red trim, and a blue Aerostar.
5) I don't actually eat at Mikey D's. I was picking up a friend after work.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
1) Thank you for the kind words.
- check
2) I did not have any open wounds and that probably saved me from getting an infection.
- check
3) I haven't had a traffic ticket or a collision for 39 years. Credit my cautious driving for missing that truck!
- check
4) My house is the one with the new white roof, red trim, and a blue Aerostar.
- check (Note: the Aerostar looks like it is ready for the recycle bin)
5) I don't actually eat at Mikey D's. I was picking up a friend after work.
- YOU WILL BE CONTACTED SHORTLY
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Thought I would report in. I am home right now. Had a brief scare last week where I was getting periods off not being able to get warm to sweating hot all within 10 minutes periods. The whole left side of my body got a tingling sensation. I called the ambulance and was readmitted at least for the night. The good that came out of this was I got a CAT scan and MRI. All came out normal with clear carotid arteries in the head and neck. You can't imagine how good that made me feel. They diagnosed anxiety. I think it was the drugs too.

Last weekend, I was driven to Cleveland for a second opinion on my condition. The good outcome of that was the cardiologist took me off a medication causing debilitating headaches along with another that would have been very expensive. The bad news was that he was not going to do the stent the next day. His reasons were to give more time for the clot in my artery to dissolve. The second reason is so that he could arrange a special team of surgeons that specialize in 100% blockages. Cleveland Clinic has highest success rate in the country for this procedure.

And more somewhat good new is the doc said there is a chance the blockage will partially open. If this happens my success rate goes up to 99% as opposed to 80% with the total blockage.

So positive thoughts I need is that the artery opens up. Given how quickly I went from cardio exercising several times a week to being knocked off my feet in just a week or so, I would like to thing there was at least some opening there to only be blocked by a clot.

I thought I was going to have to wait two weeks to 10 days from the date of my appointment last Tuesday but for some reason the doc decided have the procedure done this Wednesday. I'll go up Tuesday afternoon. I get a stress test Wednesday morning. If I fail (doc suspects I will) then they will do the procedure Wednesday afternoon. I spend Thursday in the hospital recovering and check out on Friday.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,218
Thought I would report in. I am home right now. Had a brief scare last week where I was getting periods off not being able to get warm to sweating hot all within 10 minutes periods. The whole left side of my body got a tingling sensation. I called the ambulance and was readmitted at least for the night. The good that came out of this was I got a CAT scan and MRI. All came out normal with clear carotid arteries in the head and neck. You can't imagine how good that made me feel. They diagnosed anxiety. I think it was the drugs too.

Last weekend, I was driven to Cleveland for a second opinion on my condition. The good outcome of that was the cardiologist took me off a medication causing debilitating headaches along with another that would have been very expensive. The bad news was that he was not going to do the stent the next day. His reasons were to give more time for the clot in my artery to dissolve. The second reason is so that he could arrange a special team of surgeons that specialize in 100% blockages. Cleveland Clinic has highest success rate in the country for this procedure.

And more somewhat good new is the doc said there is a chance the blockage will partially open. If this happens my success rate goes up to 99% as opposed to 80% with the total blockage.

So positive thoughts I need is that the artery opens up. Given how quickly I went from cardio exercising several times a week to being knocked off my feet in just a week or so, I would like to thing there was at least some opening there to only be blocked by a clot.

I thought I was going to have to wait two weeks to 10 days from the date of my appointment last Tuesday but for some reason the doc decided have the procedure done this Wednesday. I'll go up Tuesday afternoon. I get a stress test Wednesday morning. If I fail (doc suspects I will) then they will do the procedure Wednesday afternoon. I spend Thursday in the hospital recovering and check out on Friday.
Glad to hear you're back, and from what I've just read, that you have hope of real improvement.
Get well soon, and God bless.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
What? No time to visit the Rock Hall?
Seriously, the Cleveland Clinic has nothing but the best when it comes to heart and vascular. I spent a weel in there and everyone was absolutely great. You are going to do just fine.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
What? No time to visit the Rock Hall?
Seriously, the Cleveland Clinic has nothing but the best when it comes to heart and vascular. I spent a weel in there and everyone was absolutely great. You are going to do just fine.

Ron
Actually I would rather make a visit to Rally's. They were here in Pittsburgh a few years back I used to love those places. Probably not on my menu for a while.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Actually I would rather make a visit to Rally's. They were here in Pittsburgh a few years back I used to love those places. Probably not on my menu for a while.
While my medical degree is Amateur OB-GYN I really don't think Rally's is a real good idea. :)

Sad story here. While I have managed to reduce my bad habit of smoking to a few a day I had a very good friend who was an attorney. Ross was a real good guy and a shooting range buddy. Ross was always on me about my smoking habit. However, the floor of his car was always covered with Rally's, McDonald's and Burger King wrappers. The guy was in his 40s when a massive heart attack killed him. To further complicate things he never had a will, go figure, an attorney without a will. Anyway Spinnaker, you like many of my other friends, are fortunate. The problem has been identified and you have some of the best in the business working on it. Yeah, you may want to make a few diet changes. My wife's brother was in his 40s when he left us with a major coronary and never a clue. You are going to do just fine. There is attached the classic "with a few lifestyle changes".

Ron
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Thanks for the support Ron.

Yep already made changes and more are planned. Watching the fat and salt intake. Plan to make more.

The problem is how to cook on a busy schedule. By the time I get home from work, go work out at the gym or ride my bicycle, it does not leave much time for cooking.
 
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