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.
had my mi on 8/23/2009 one stent quite smoking i work out 2 times a week im 49 has this mi shorten my life?
Your choice of the word stollen really hit home for me. I can understand that completely. We have all been there. My heart attack was 11/08/2008. A year later I am still learning to live a better healthier life.
My life was not over and nor will your's be if you do not allow it to be. Sometimes it is our own fears that prevent us from living. A lot of us here have a great sense of humor and utlilize that in our recovery and life.
Following the doctor's orders, taking the medication as well as eating right makes the new life so much better. The label reading is what took me so long to get used to. Now I know what I can buy and make.
It was a drastic change in my life...A change for the better... I am healtier and happier today. My body and I have an agreement, if I do what I am directed to do it will not die on my again. So I like those terms and have come to accept them...
No matter what, your life has changed. You can make the most of the changes and enjoy living or not. But the choice is up to you...
I encourage you to express your feelings here on DS and make friends. We are truly a large family that share our lives together. We address all of our concerns fears and we truly care about each other... You will find that out as well...
Sincerely, I hope that something that I have shared helps you....
Many prayers and blessings,
Respectfully,
Jerry
i had mine on11-06-09 died twice shocked6 times i now workout 7 days a week 3 at rehab and 4 on my own at a gym what we went throu was a life changing experance but we are alive and they fixed us the rest is up to you eat right dont smoke take your meds and exercise and when you find it hard to deal with that is what DS is hear for their is some very caring people hear to help keep a positive attitude i smoked 3 packes a day drank a pot of coffee a day and soda and junck food now its all healthy i have a glass of wine 1 or 2 beers but its all in moderation make freinds no joke we are a family here we have all been through it and help each other out you can always find a shoulder to lean on hear i know its hard but we have all been through it but try to stay positive my good freind jerry said it right we are family and we are here to help eachother your in my prayers god bless john
I hope you are listening coz all these people hear are the bestest friends in the whole, whole of things. Aug 2009 OK that's 6 months That is 6 more months then you came that close to not having. You Quit smoking. Why is everybody so high falutin about quitting smoking. I have reserved a quit date. That means between me and a power far greater than me, we have made an agreement to cease all engagement in tobaco. The reservation means he can't take me until I stop. Now I would like to make that date Jan 16, 2025. But he would not flex that much. So I want all of you to listen. When I damn well quit, I am going to be the most sanctimoneous ex smoker you will have ever had the mis fortune to have known. I am going to piss and moan and probably will even entertain the idea of drying out some of T'J's cat litter and rolling a quick one. Well hell I eat their food . Remember I read the label on the cat food. It's all good.
So any way card hunter. It's like this, 49 single stent and you don't smoke, work out and are eating correct. Damn the only thing that will take you out now is our off the wall humor. We do have fun and we are, well I will say I am learning a whole new meaning of being given a new chance at an old rule. Love all like I am learning to love myself.
I am doing that here. These good people at DS have been the difference between giving up, and checking out for me. There is nothing that I fear now. Well Maybe that 300# nurse. Because when I come right down to it there is only 1 way of thinking in my book and that way is governed by two basic emotions, LOVE and FEAR. You can share them both right here with us at DS. We will shoulder your FEAR and Share your LOVE if you let us. Your choice. I know, because me and God right now, today I mean have agreed on a couple of conditions for a lasting relationship. Embrace the LOVE and let him shed the FEAR. It's working so far and these good people will testify to that. We welcome you as we were welcomed before you. You are in for a rolling riot CardHunter.
Regards,
Just Joe
PS. Some of us will be sending out friendship requests and hugs. That would be a cool way to start Cardhunter
I think the thing we can learn from this is to work at not having another event, and the way to do that is to persevere with healthy lifestyle changes. You can't lose there, because a healthier lifestyle makes you feel better in the here-and-now regardless of how much longer you eventually live.
See that you charged these folks, the board is lighting up. Cool Minor7th has brought up a very valid, extremley credible question.
A question that I have stayed away from and I haven't seen posted or discussed yet. It really could be it's own topic here, but I will address,
Depending on your age, general physical condition, habits and type of Cardiac event you had, will determine (or be a good indicator)
of your longevity. I had brought it up a little while ago about a Cardiac Bio-Marker NT-pro-BNP. I have asked the experts here at DS and have asked the cardiologists, and there is a really informative couple of sites which explain the criticality of the value of this Bio-Marker.
In short, regardless oif the type of cardiac event this NT-pro-BNP is the most accurate test which predicts " Long Term Prognosis"
In short the higher nthe number the better chance you are going to have a fatal cardiac event. This number can be lowered or increased by medication or life style but not to the degree to effect the prognosis,
This bio marker is unique to the L. Ventricle. We can't do wiyhout that puppy. Do you have any indication of Cardiomyopathy perfuse dilation. Any scarring of the walls of the LV. How is your ejection factor. Give us an indication of what tests you have had done and we can go from there.
Regards,'
Just Joe
I agree with what everyone has said about changing our lives after our MI's. Being a part of this DS family (even if an eccentric family at times! :-) ), has really helped me feel that sense of optimism and purpose about changing what we can to improve our longterm odds. It feels like a major sense of direction in my life, and I hope that being here will help you, too. You've already made some really important changes by quitting smoking and working out regularly, so you've already improved you chances of longevity.
And at the same time, I understand your concern about this, which I've written about in the discussion thread "living, dying". It's hard to suddenly have a greater sense of question about one's future life. A couple of days ago I was telling my sister I got some info from my employer showing that I can retire when I'm 62, when I thought I had to wait until age 65. The thought crossed my mind during this conversation that my sister may have been thinking, "Hmmm, so she still thinks she's going to be alive then. I wonder . . .?" I didn't want to bring it up, but it's weird that not making it to my retirement wouldn't have been an issue last summer (except for the idea of dying in a firey car crash, or maybe a plane crash).
It sounds like Joe has some empirically based predictors of when we may expect to buy the farm. I want to hear more about it, but on the other hand all the talk about the LV worries me a bit since my 100% blockage, and thus stent placement, was in a large branch of my LAD. I sort of don't feel like me LV is damaged, but who am I to figure this out by the fact I can do the eliptical machine and some yoga? I do want to learn more about the hard medical evidence, but it's also just that HARD medical evidence. I'm gonna have a second echo in February. My first cardio provided little info, other than to tell me my EF (the lack of real communication is why I'm moving on to my SECOND cardio).
Keep writing, Cardhunter, and keep working out. Welcome to DS.
We too have a huge input for their data. Age,sex, weight, height, genes, lifestyle etc. And a litany of physical data like EKG's, Echocardiograms, angioplastic results, echocardiograms, Arterial/Venous doplar echo,blood work, urine and presented symptoms. All of this data is crunched and a clear pictures occur for these various specialists. I believe after all data has been collected and interpolated, the Cardiologist and the PCP have the major say in course of treatment.
Some of these inherent bio-markers we have will dictate quite clearly what type of intervention and heroic or routine procedures are appropriate,
ie: You wouldn't see a 90yo man with alzheimers and CHF with a EF of 35 getting a heart transplant. It would not make sense for anyone BUT HIM. But statistics will hold true that the mortality rate of such an operation would indicate > 85% mortality. This is where these indicators we have assist doctors to recommend treatment and the reason why we need to do our part. Excersise, Diet, No Smoking , light alcohol, and here is a biggie, ATTITUDE. A health care provider assesses your attitude toward your health condition and your willinness to do what it takesto better your prognosis. Your specialists may opt to forego any life extending procedure if there is no value added result. Would I go to any length at all to intervene for a chronic suicideattempt case. Probably not until it can be determined that there is no longer a threat
So research all the tests that are being conducted on you and make sure you get the ones you need. Case in point I was having problem with kpelvic and scrotal pain, No prostatitis, no varicaseal, lower abdomenand kidney ultra sound all negative any abnormalities or pathologies
After the Cardiac episode and I was new out of the hospital, I started looking up, demanding and getting what I asked for given the level of research that I did showed a great attitude and the degree of cardiac damage That was done really cements and ties the hands of the professioal as to a course of intervention.
I guess what I am trying to say ios beat the data against a particular clinical trial, There are many of the Mayo, Einstein, Cedar Sinai. Most of the biggies carry research dollars.
So now I finnally get to the bio-marker issue. The NT-pro-BNP cardiac marker is directly associated with the longer term prognosis of the patient and his/her disease.
This NT-pro-BNP marker is unique in that it measures the extent of L. Ventricle muscle damage and if there is any reversible or non-reversible damage. One really critical assertive step that I had to take is trying to get a wide snap shot of the extent of damage using a multi-disciplined approach. Get every sort of test thatb can assess the heart function and be prepared for some shocking results.
My diagnposis, Hypokineteic Cardiomyopathy. EF
EF
Welcome to DS; sorry for the reason you, as well as all of us are here, but you've found a great place for help. There are great people with wonderful encouragment, suggestions, and blessings.
I had my MI on 5/24/09 and it was a very bad one: LAD 100% blocked and had 2 stents. I had lived a pretty healthy lifestyle, ate pretty healthy, didn't smoke. I was doing my morning aerobics when it happened. Cardios tell me I had the kind of MI most people don't live through and I'm lucky to be alive. I prefer the phrase blessed to be alive.
Statistically speaking, yes, having an MI will possibly shorten all our lives. On the other hand, I believe God calls the shots. Like everyone here has said, take care of your health and your odds are better, and it sounds like you are off to a good start on that. Also, give yourself time to heal; you're only 5 months since your MI, so be patient with yourself. Jesus said there's not a sparrow that falls that God doesn't know about it. How much more does He love you?
My prayers and thoughts are with you. Post here or send a message anytime.
Pam
Go Get em Card Hunter. I did forget and everybody here knows why. But Pam made me remember who the most important input on that health team is. And believe me those scientists can't assimilate or quantify the data as far as he is concerned. But this Jesus guy surpasses all measurements and can and does turn statistics uposide dowwn and does these things called miracles.
It will become apparent to you, I hope, as it took me a little bit of time to give any of his input, any weight.
Go get EM
Just Joe
As you can see we all have our own take on the subject but we have many things in common.
I am to start under taking the transplant testing. Not that I am there, it is only to have all of the work done prior to should that day ever come. I do not think of how long i will live. I think of how wonderful my new life is.
One could say that I DO NOT SPEAK DEATH. That is what I call it, I tell everyone that I am going to be just fine. And I will, I speak the positve about my recovery and my health. It is my way of saying a special prayer for myself.
GOD listens, I am the survivor not the victim of my heart attack. I am the one who will be here 5 years from now stating the same wonderful progress that I am making. And if the 2012 prediction of the end of the world, or the Lord returning, I will then be complete having known that I have done the very best.
My dear friends Mr.Joe. Ms Pam, Mr Sue, Sir John are dear friends of mine. During Joe's testing last week, I called every 2 hours and updated all of us here. That is a family, not the traditional family to some, but I define family as those people who love, support and care for you. That does not always mean that they are blood relative. It means that family are those of us here to listen, love and support all of us.
I can not thank you for the topic. I am just glad to know I do not have an expiration date...That I have a longer shelflife then I first thought....
Respectfully,
Jerry
Keep your head up and get ready for that energy. Come Come Heads UP!!!!!! Regards, Just Joe
Loved your comments and agree 100%: We are MI survivors! I believe that positive speaking leads to positve thinking and a better outlook on life. Right now, life is what we've got. Let's live it!
When we do get down it's good to know that wonderful people like you and Joe, and Sue and Lin and everybody else here is ready to help us get up again. Who knows? We may be entertaining angels unaware.
Love y'all!
Pam
Pam
"ENTERTAINING ANGELS"
Careful to entertain the angels. Hebrew 13:1. SOOOO COOOL