heart attack survivors Community Group
discussions and advice for people who survived heart attacks
Hello all. My name is Joe and I had an MI on 11-02-09. The last thing I thought it was, was anything heart related. My symptoms, to me, were indicative of a pinched nerve, sharp/dull ache through my chest to the right side mid-back accross to the left shoulder and down my arm. Happened on a regular basis and would alleviate with a cigrartte and a coffee. Go Figure. It would occur regularly and I would take a hot bath or shower to deal with my "Pinched Nerve" I only took it seriously when the symptoms would not disipate w/cigarettes, coffee or a
hot shower/bath. Here I was in cardiac distress for months. The symptoms are consistant but also different for everyone
So of course we can do our part to improve or a least curb the damage done to our hearts. Diet, excersise, stress reducing initiatives and the insistance / follow up on proactive medical procedures to help detect an impending event. The technology exists. It is obvious with the mass commercializaion of the specialty hospitals.
One hospital has breakthrough technology which is not available to the general public unless
1) We are aware that such technology exists
2) We understand what the technology can offer us
3) HMO's view the use of such technology as proactive insteasd of elective.
4) Your PCP or Specialist is affiliated with an institution sponsoring inovative
diagnostics.
5) We are willing to demonstrate our responsibility for our health w/ lifestyle
choices etc.
6) Challenge the Paradigm and advocate by action
7) Demand quality care.
8) These professionals are in the service industry, demand a consumers right to
an excellent service or find a different mechanic.
So, in short, you can't be handed your hat if you don't reach out and take it. I have found , initially, a health care provider will balk at your new found ownership. My doctor's felt challenged by me. I tried my best to be assertive and not aggresive. It is working and we have discovered some anomalies that were evident years ago if someone would have taken time and studied the medical history. With due respect a doctor will practice given the information he has at the time. I do whole heartedly believe they have our best interest, foremost in mind. They too may be caught in the paradigm.
We all have created the paradigm. Years ago we had Family Doctors, neighborhood health care providers whmade house calls in the patients best interest. We became intimate with our health care providers, able to share health comcerns. By keeping your health care professionals to a short list, we will nurture an ownership atmosphere concerning our health care.
This is the most important aspect of taking charge of our health. We need to become advocates for our health. We need to obtain test results and records and provide our current provider with the information they need to make proactive recommendations. We need to understand what the test results indicate. This way we can have a dialogue with our doctors and have buy in to a treatment course.
In order to be proactive with oiur health issues, it will be necessary to be reactive initially. In Short we need to attack the low hanging fruit and solve issues pertaining to our health. We must demand interventional strategies where it makes sense and cease the practice of treating symptoms.
I will close with some basic changes I needed to make happen. I needed to:
1) Change my attitude toward my health
2) Learn to express how I feel to the provider
3) Ask questions by being prepared.
4) Adapt my lifestyle to agree with my new attitude
5) Obtain all medical records
6) Study and research the records and what they mean.
7) Provide your health care provider with the necessary info so his treatment
course is based on data, enabling an informed decision based on
two way dialogue and your presented historical data.
8) Be very cognizant of the technology available to assist in your health.
9) Challenge the medications prescribed and the necessity of their use.
10) Develop a relationship with your regular pharmacist. Drug interactions may
not be evident to your PCP.
11) Insist on the health issue to be rectified/solved rather than appeased by treating
symptoms.
12) Develop and nuture the doctor/patient relationship.
13) Insist on definitive answers to your questions and decide on a diagnostic plan to
assist the doctor in providing fact based answers to your question or presented
symptoms.
14) Be brutally honest with your doctor. Articulate how you are feeling and translate
what your bodys voice is telling you. This technique requires us to learn to listen to
our bodys. Problems are often hidden in plain sight.
15) Shop around for a health care provider who will develop a partnership in all
regards tom the above stated conditions.
16) Develop a Demonstrative example of our part in the process.
17) Search out insurance carriers who tend toward proactive practices rather rhan
reactive interventions.
I am starting this thread because of an increased awareness I have developed as a result of learning of your experiences and noticing a common denominator or disconnect in the quality and value of service from our collective health care providers. I, also, have a new confidence in that I need to stop affixing blame to the health care industry when I am equally responsible for enabling this paradigm.
I find this no different than I would attack issues in any business situation. The employees (Patients) need to have an ownership mentality in order for the Business (Health care Industry) to prosper (achieving a healthier me). We ( Doctors and Patients) should focus more on the results/goals aspects rather than the effort expended in achieving those goals. We cannot wait until the machine (Patient) to break in order to justify intervention. We need to be preventive and proactive in pursuing our goals of being the healthiest people we can be. Partner with the healthcare provider and the health care industry insisting on reliability and quality that adds value and longgevity to my years. Everyone involved has a part in the play. A role to act out and performance judged worthy of the effort excerted by all involved.
hot shower/bath. Here I was in cardiac distress for months. The symptoms are consistant but also different for everyone
So of course we can do our part to improve or a least curb the damage done to our hearts. Diet, excersise, stress reducing initiatives and the insistance / follow up on proactive medical procedures to help detect an impending event. The technology exists. It is obvious with the mass commercializaion of the specialty hospitals.
One hospital has breakthrough technology which is not available to the general public unless
1) We are aware that such technology exists
2) We understand what the technology can offer us
3) HMO's view the use of such technology as proactive insteasd of elective.
4) Your PCP or Specialist is affiliated with an institution sponsoring inovative
diagnostics.
5) We are willing to demonstrate our responsibility for our health w/ lifestyle
choices etc.
6) Challenge the Paradigm and advocate by action
7) Demand quality care.
8) These professionals are in the service industry, demand a consumers right to
an excellent service or find a different mechanic.
So, in short, you can't be handed your hat if you don't reach out and take it. I have found , initially, a health care provider will balk at your new found ownership. My doctor's felt challenged by me. I tried my best to be assertive and not aggresive. It is working and we have discovered some anomalies that were evident years ago if someone would have taken time and studied the medical history. With due respect a doctor will practice given the information he has at the time. I do whole heartedly believe they have our best interest, foremost in mind. They too may be caught in the paradigm.
We all have created the paradigm. Years ago we had Family Doctors, neighborhood health care providers whmade house calls in the patients best interest. We became intimate with our health care providers, able to share health comcerns. By keeping your health care professionals to a short list, we will nurture an ownership atmosphere concerning our health care.
This is the most important aspect of taking charge of our health. We need to become advocates for our health. We need to obtain test results and records and provide our current provider with the information they need to make proactive recommendations. We need to understand what the test results indicate. This way we can have a dialogue with our doctors and have buy in to a treatment course.
In order to be proactive with oiur health issues, it will be necessary to be reactive initially. In Short we need to attack the low hanging fruit and solve issues pertaining to our health. We must demand interventional strategies where it makes sense and cease the practice of treating symptoms.
I will close with some basic changes I needed to make happen. I needed to:
1) Change my attitude toward my health
2) Learn to express how I feel to the provider
3) Ask questions by being prepared.
4) Adapt my lifestyle to agree with my new attitude
5) Obtain all medical records
6) Study and research the records and what they mean.
7) Provide your health care provider with the necessary info so his treatment
course is based on data, enabling an informed decision based on
two way dialogue and your presented historical data.
8) Be very cognizant of the technology available to assist in your health.
9) Challenge the medications prescribed and the necessity of their use.
10) Develop a relationship with your regular pharmacist. Drug interactions may
not be evident to your PCP.
11) Insist on the health issue to be rectified/solved rather than appeased by treating
symptoms.
12) Develop and nuture the doctor/patient relationship.
13) Insist on definitive answers to your questions and decide on a diagnostic plan to
assist the doctor in providing fact based answers to your question or presented
symptoms.
14) Be brutally honest with your doctor. Articulate how you are feeling and translate
what your bodys voice is telling you. This technique requires us to learn to listen to
our bodys. Problems are often hidden in plain sight.
15) Shop around for a health care provider who will develop a partnership in all
regards tom the above stated conditions.
16) Develop a Demonstrative example of our part in the process.
17) Search out insurance carriers who tend toward proactive practices rather rhan
reactive interventions.
I am starting this thread because of an increased awareness I have developed as a result of learning of your experiences and noticing a common denominator or disconnect in the quality and value of service from our collective health care providers. I, also, have a new confidence in that I need to stop affixing blame to the health care industry when I am equally responsible for enabling this paradigm.
I find this no different than I would attack issues in any business situation. The employees (Patients) need to have an ownership mentality in order for the Business (Health care Industry) to prosper (achieving a healthier me). We ( Doctors and Patients) should focus more on the results/goals aspects rather than the effort expended in achieving those goals. We cannot wait until the machine (Patient) to break in order to justify intervention. We need to be preventive and proactive in pursuing our goals of being the healthiest people we can be. Partner with the healthcare provider and the health care industry insisting on reliability and quality that adds value and longgevity to my years. Everyone involved has a part in the play. A role to act out and performance judged worthy of the effort excerted by all involved.
I am of the opinion that the information that we obtain on our own gives us the ability to understand as much if not more than the health care professionals. Although, we learn mainly about our own condition.
Sometimes, for me too much information is not good, I can use it in the wrong way... Taking it to the extreme. Through the group I am learning to understand what I need to and let go of what I do not.
Thank you Joe, YOU ARE LOVED....
They were pretty surprised to see such an upbeat attitude for having gone through what I went through. Looking back I don't know what the big deal was all about coz I am still here and relatively happy.
Prognosis is the tricky issue. There have been years of research done in people like me that I probably find many cases that apes mine uncanningly. I understand that therte are no 2 cases alike. Similar might just be good enough.
There are some issues which are pressing which I would like clarified.
1) Cardiac Re-Hab available but not recommended by the Cardio or PCP. They have not provided any suitable answers to date. I have tested their resolve by telling them that I walked the 8+ miles to the VA and they look shocked and they chastised me for being so bold. This is where I throw the question at them. They merely say you cannot be stressing my heart. stressing? I thought it was excersing. So you can see why I would think something is AMOK. This and the NT-proBNP biomarker. The cardio won't elaborate. Why I don't know. He ordered more blood work. He said it was for basic CBC, lipids profile, CPK traces. Asked if he was going to run a cardiac profile. He was adament and said no. They took my blood and wouldn't you know, that NT-proBNP was thrown in there way at the bottom all by its lonesome.
NT-proBNP 637.5 H most recent.. Last indicated value was 587.3 H. This value is suppose to be lowering with meds. Well I can add, and it seems to be going up. The sample collection procedure seems to have a very low rate of false indicators. But this one was increasing. I know that the higher the number the more damage is being witnessed from the L.Ventricle, because this biomarker is specific and unique to the L.Ventricular muscle wall fibers.
My extensive study of the circulatory system has been a wonderful journey. My brother-in-law provided me a pin to go live to angioplasty procedures, stent implanting, open heart surgeries. Really facinating. They did mention the biomarker but just as a data point. But the phrase significant risk of cardiac failure is likely within 3-5 years with levels > age specific values.
So here goes my logical side of my brain. If, just say, my heart has not got many more miles left. And I present no symptoms. Blood work stands alone in this case scenario.. 3 years approahes then 4 coming on 5 and lets say I exist outside the URL on the most likely to undergo an extreme cardiac event chart, why would i wait to get my name on the transplant list? I believe some of the good folks here, Kevk per example, have been on the doner transplant list > 3 years, I believe more and more that, I research all aspects of this disease.
I seek to understand all the meds, as to side effects , interactions, phamacology and exact symptom or raging variable it addresses. Even how the med does that is incredibly Interesting. But this One biomarker is, on my suspicion, A barometer on how well we are doing. Or how not so well we are doing. I may be being sheltered for anxiety and quality of life issues. I am not sure. but the scientist in me is compelled to know by asking, when, where, why and how. If those interogatories are not addressed to my satisfaction as far as logic serving as an ally goes, I get a little inquisitive. So wow Jerry, you write 5 or 6 lines and I give you a littany of rants and raves. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands. Figure?
But please don't stop challenging me as to my inquiries. Keeps it real for me.
Thanks again Jerry.
Your good Friend,.
Just Joe
I read over the last update and examined if I was still in that mindset. Yes. big time and no also. Even though I do have a great concern over what seems to be data being withheld from me, the patient, I may be being being handled with kitt gloves.
I do feel that way but it isn't from a paranoia frame of mindset. I just am not in fear any longer. I have grown to understand that however many hoops I jump through or limbs I rattle. What is. Is. I have control of somethings (mainly my actions) but had to delegate the big stuff upsatairs to the "Big Guy" Here's the kicker not did I only grow to turn it over but I grew to and accept whatever comes my way or must happen to me. I will just do my part and be confident that I have asked God for it to be much easier for me to accept his will and to recognize when it is his will and not mine. So I can do my part even though the outcome is altready defined. I will be safe in a God who I know has the best for me. So I relax and am not flustered by results prognosis, anymore what is going to be will be.
Hope this finds you well