Heart Attack Support Group
Heart attack is a serious, sudden heart condition usually characterized by varying degrees of chest pain or discomfort, weakness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and arrhythmias, sometimes causing loss of consciousness. It occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted, causing death and scarring of the local heart tissue.
Jan 2014 I had a heart attack and required 1 stent be placed. May 18 of this year, 2016, I began noticing I was so winded just during every tennis point of a tennis match? I have gone to my primary doctor and told my cardiologist's office about this and each time I visit them I appear normal? Still...I went to the ER on May 22 because of chest pains not going away and again on June 1 and both times, normal EKG and no heart attack?
Fast forward to now, mid-June. I CANNOT EVEN WALK BRISKLY MORE THAN 3 MINUTES DURATION? What does this sound like to you? My stupid insurance company denied my doctor's request for a much needed stress test that was asked for back on May 27! Finally on June 15 I will have an echo stress test but you know what? I won't be able to exercise on the treadmill because three minutes into it my heart just feels like it's unable to keep up?
Does this sounds like a blockage perhaps? They tell me it's not an "active blockage" whenever I call my cardiologist's office in a panic and they tell me "just to relax". I hate how they have downplayed all my heart problems/chest pains since May 18. I am fine just walking around the house and even working at work unless I have to walk briskly for two or three minutes and then my heart feels like it can't keep up? Does this sound like worsened narrowed arteries or does it sound like heart failure? I'm spending too much time on the Internet trying to diagnose myself since I could never get into the hospital because tests showed normal upon my two ER visits. The stress test will at least FINALLY "get me into the door" of them taking my condition more seriously now. Gosh, just gotta make it three more days to my stress test. Just worried that what they find will require heart bypass surgery like my Dad had to have around this age that I am currently (49) but whatever keeps me alive! Thanks. - Carl
Fast forward to now, mid-June. I CANNOT EVEN WALK BRISKLY MORE THAN 3 MINUTES DURATION? What does this sound like to you? My stupid insurance company denied my doctor's request for a much needed stress test that was asked for back on May 27! Finally on June 15 I will have an echo stress test but you know what? I won't be able to exercise on the treadmill because three minutes into it my heart just feels like it's unable to keep up?
Does this sounds like a blockage perhaps? They tell me it's not an "active blockage" whenever I call my cardiologist's office in a panic and they tell me "just to relax". I hate how they have downplayed all my heart problems/chest pains since May 18. I am fine just walking around the house and even working at work unless I have to walk briskly for two or three minutes and then my heart feels like it can't keep up? Does this sound like worsened narrowed arteries or does it sound like heart failure? I'm spending too much time on the Internet trying to diagnose myself since I could never get into the hospital because tests showed normal upon my two ER visits. The stress test will at least FINALLY "get me into the door" of them taking my condition more seriously now. Gosh, just gotta make it three more days to my stress test. Just worried that what they find will require heart bypass surgery like my Dad had to have around this age that I am currently (49) but whatever keeps me alive! Thanks. - Carl
What you are describing sounds like a lot of heart issues, but also nothing. I know that's not very helpful but it is reality.
Self diagnosis is part of the problem you are facing. So many people today use the internet to self diagnose that doctors and frankly insurance cannot keep up. Most prove to be shall we say from other than medical causes? So that further exacerbates the issue when someone is trying to get to the root of a problem.
You should understand that no single test can identify all the possible issues that can happen with the heart, so you have to have patience and be persistent with your Cardiologist.
Don't worry about the possibility you won't finish the stress test, that at least will tell the doctor a lot. As for the possibility of open heart surgery you are leaping way ahead and making assumptions that could and likely are way off base. Stop driving yourself nuts and just focus on one day at a time.
Good luck on the test.