Heart Attack

[NightTrain]

So, yesterday I had a heart attack.

I'd gotten up at 11:30, and I reheated a baked potato. After eating it, I laid down but I had a pain dead center in my chest. It kind of felt like indigestion or heartburn, so I ignored it and drifted off to sleep.

At 3am, it woke me up and was excruciating. I was panting for breath, sweating profusely and weak as a kitten. I made it downstairs and beat on a buddy's door, he drove me to the ER.

Usually in a place like Barrow, you'll be doing good to find an MD of any kind.. usually you've got a talented PA taking care of business.

As luck would have it, there's a cardiologist specialist - one of the good ones - visiting from Japan. He had me dialed in in short order and eating Nitro. My blood pressure was something like 180 / 130.

They got me stabilized and then put me on a real pretty blue Lear jet to Anchorage.

Rolled in here, and there were 30 people standing by to work me over. 30 minutes later they were installing 2 stents in my blocked arteries.

They're going to keep me until tomorrow sometime, then I can go home. I feel 100%, but they're not taking anything for granted.

[Elessar]

Oh Shit!

Be Good, Be Careful, and do not rush recovery too quickly.

Hopes and prayers offered!

[High_Plains_Drifter]

DAMN bro... WOW... glad to hear you're OK!

Ya know, my doctor CALLED me about the message I sent him on myhealthvet.com and we talked about the statin he has me on to lower my cholesterol. It's working real good. I was only taking half a pill twice a week and it got me down to right on the border line. He asked me some questions and entered some info into some heart attack prediction deal and it said that I had a 30% chance of having a heart attack before I was 70 at my current cholesterol levels. Well damn, that's not good. So he said the amount I was taking usually goes so far and then kinda maintains that level, so we decided I'd take half a pill every other day now. I asked about taking some CoQ10 with it and he said that was a good idea too. He also said that a statin has the ability to not only lower your cholesterol but to also negate it's ability to collect in your veins. No, I don't like having to start taking drugs now but, I'm going to be 63 in just a few days so, what the heck, I guess you can't get away from it forever. Sooner or later you're going to have to be on something.

In any case, take care of yourself, man, and dang, bad about the heart attack, but good that you're OK. Ask a doc about what you can do to prevent it from happening again.

[Gunny]

So, yesterday I had a heart attack.

I'd gotten up at 11:30, and I reheated a baked potato. After eating it, I laid down but I had a pain dead center in my chest. It kind of felt like indigestion or heartburn, so I ignored it and drifted off to sleep.

At 3am, it woke me up and was excruciating. I was panting for breath, sweating profusely and weak as a kitten. I made it downstairs and beat on a buddy's door, he drove me to the ER.

Usually in a place like Barrow, you'll be doing good to find an MD of any kind.. usually you've got a talented PA taking care of business.

As luck would have it, there's a cardiologist specialist - one of the good ones - visiting from Japan. He had me dialed in in short order and eating Nitro. My blood pressure was something like 180 / 130.

They got me stabilized and then put me on a real pretty blue Lear jet to Anchorage.

Rolled in here, and there were 30 people standing by to work me over. 30 minutes later they were installing 2 stents in my blocked arteries.

They're going to keep me until tomorrow sometime, then I can go home. I feel 100%, but they're not taking anything for granted.Take care of yourself. If you croak, Jim'll be trying to come to one of OUR houses next vacation :)

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Take care of yourself. If you croak, Jim'll be trying to come to one of OUR houses next vacation :)
Well if he likes that cold, snowy shit, I guess I'm next in line here in Wisconsin... :laugh:

[Black Diamond]

Oh no. Take it easy and recover.

[CSM]

WTF.... you are too young for that crap. Get better and stay that way!

[Gunny]

I was just surprised it was NT. I thought he was one of the younger folk here. And he's pretty active.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

So, yesterday I had a heart attack.

I'd gotten up at 11:30, and I reheated a baked potato. After eating it, I laid down but I had a pain dead center in my chest. It kind of felt like indigestion or heartburn, so I ignored it and drifted off to sleep.

At 3am, it woke me up and was excruciating. I was panting for breath, sweating profusely and weak as a kitten. I made it downstairs and beat on a buddy's door, he drove me to the ER.

Usually in a place like Barrow, you'll be doing good to find an MD of any kind.. usually you've got a talented PA taking care of business.

As luck would have it, there's a cardiologist specialist - one of the good ones - visiting from Japan. He had me dialed in in short order and eating Nitro. My blood pressure was something like 180 / 130.

They got me stabilized and then put me on a real pretty blue Lear jet to Anchorage.

Rolled in here, and there were 30 people standing by to work me over. 30 minutes later they were installing 2 stents in my blocked arteries.

They're going to keep me until tomorrow sometime, then I can go home. I feel 100%, but they're not taking anything for granted.

Holy crap! I pray you fair well with the new drugs and decide to enter a totally new diet regime as I did when I had my heart attack 8 years ago.
My new diet did wonders for me, WEIGHT LOSS , MUCH HEALTHIER, MORE ENERGETIC AND VITALIZED .
BE SURE TO STUDY, HEART HEALTHY FOODS TO EAT.
Take your meds and reduce streesssssssss.
I was 56 when I had my heart attack and your description of the attack mirrored mine. I being hardheaded worked all day ignoring it until I could not ignore it any more.-Tyr

[darin]

fucking-a Rick.

No no no NO do NOT do that again.

[aboutime]

Nothin' to play with. Been there, got 7 lives left. No games. The Docs know best.

Life's too short. Hang around, and start your new life again. Prayers, and Best Wishes.

Good Luck.

[SassyLady]

Sharon already told you what I think. :slap:

I'm glad everyone's prayers were heard and you're doing ok.

You do what the doctors and Sharon tell you. Don't try to be some macho guy and ignore your body's signals or doctor's orders.

[Old ridge Runner]

Please take care of yourself, I had a heart attack 9 year ago. The VA flew me to Pittsburgh and placed a stint in me and I have been doing ok since than. The only changes I have made to my diet is I cut out all fried foods except fries when I am at McDonald's, but those visits are few and far between. Besides the statin I was placed on, I take 1500 mgs of Niacin at bed time for the lowering of cholesterol, flax seed oil for a blood thinner. Stay well.

[Drummond]

So, yesterday I had a heart attack.

I'd gotten up at 11:30, and I reheated a baked potato. After eating it, I laid down but I had a pain dead center in my chest. It kind of felt like indigestion or heartburn, so I ignored it and drifted off to sleep.

At 3am, it woke me up and was excruciating. I was panting for breath, sweating profusely and weak as a kitten. I made it downstairs and beat on a buddy's door, he drove me to the ER.

Usually in a place like Barrow, you'll be doing good to find an MD of any kind.. usually you've got a talented PA taking care of business.

As luck would have it, there's a cardiologist specialist - one of the good ones - visiting from Japan. He had me dialed in in short order and eating Nitro. My blood pressure was something like 180 / 130.

They got me stabilized and then put me on a real pretty blue Lear jet to Anchorage.

Rolled in here, and there were 30 people standing by to work me over. 30 minutes later they were installing 2 stents in my blocked arteries.

They're going to keep me until tomorrow sometime, then I can go home. I feel 100%, but they're not taking anything for granted.

Quite right, too. Why take needless chances with your health, and over something that serious ?

I'm 63 -- almost 64. I've been taking a combination of blood pressure and statin tablets for nearly 20 years, and I've had a full and reasonably active lifestyle throughout. I'm guessing that with proof you're stabilised, if you get on to a similar treatment regime, the same will be true for you. And ... 180 / 130 mirrors my own blood pressure reading before I started my tablets. Mine averages out these days at 150 / 110, still a bit high, but considered acceptable.

I'd suggest you get a blood pressure testing machine to use at home, and monitor at least daily.

Best wishes for your future health.

[jimnyc]

"WHAT THE FU&^??

Isn't that our mutual greeting now? LOL

Sharon called me, I heard it trembling in her voice and it scared the shit out of me. When in Barrow of all places when it happens, and needing to get to Anchorage. That scenario doesn't sound like one I would like to be in. But hell, a cardio specialist and then a cool ride in a jet? Did you co-pilot him at least and show him the quickest ways to get there?

I'm so so so so glad that it was enough to get you there, stabilized and ready for the surgery. A "widowmaker" while out there and we may have lost my best friend, and THAT is unacceptable until I get the request in writing, in triplicate, and I'll tell you ahead of time REQUEST DENIED.

Get better, get out of the hospital, get home and enjoy the spoiling you'll get. Listen to EVERYTHING the woman tells you at home, she loves you to death and she's the best and knows it all, so listen and enjoy life my friend. LOTS of it left. Can't wait to get out there again!!!

[Kathianne]

Hearing about Rick, when I went to Fry's, they have one of those 'check-up' chairs. I've had high blood pressure now for nearly 20 years. Today the weight was under 110, BMI 20, Body fat 23, and BP 141/69.

I've been healthy eating, with only lapses being planned 'going out with friends' and then anything goes. Right now I don't know a soul here, so it's 'healthy' all the time. I've also been walking 3 or more miles a day and swimming 3 times a week.

The AMA just lowered 'high blood pressure' to 130, but I'm sticking with the old number. ;)

[Abbey Marie]

Doctor Russ and Nurse Abbey need to visit!
(He’ll doctor up some Scotch, and I’ll nurse a Gin & Tonic) ;)

Sitrep!

[NightTrain]

Thanks everyone.

Getting kicked loose today after the behavior modification people have their way with me.

No more smoking, cut out all that delicious butter, that sort of thing.

BP was something like 117 / 63 earlier, which it hasn't been since high school, I imagine.

Can't say enough good about the quality of my friends and family supporting me while I'm down.

Or the wonderful professionals from Barrow to Anchorage who unquestionably saved my life.

There's a chemical in your blood that increases when you have a heart attack, I can't remember what it is but it starts with T. Anyway, the nurse and I were BSing this morning and the usual level for that chemical is under 0.03%, and mine measured over 200 when I got here to Anchorage... I guess that's why there were 30 people standing by, I was still in an active cardiac event.

Anyhoo, I feel great and looking forward to blowing this popsicle stand! Don't know if I can head up to the cabin yet. I'll ask about going remote before checking out of here.