An Exciting Week

[Kim]

I’ve had a bit of an exciting week this week. Monday after my regular exercise I had a pain in my chest – not very bad, but it was there nonetheless. My wife said we’re going into ER.  I kinda thought that was overkill, but being the dutiful husband, I let her take me.  We did this once a couple of years ago and I was sent home and told it was likely heartburn, so I wasn't expecting much.

Long story short, I spent a day in ER, the next day getting tested and having a stent placed in my Left Anterior Descending artery (LAD).

I’m fine (great, actually), and at no point did I feel bad.  I felt quite good during my whole stay there (other than the very minor chest pain that brought me in).  I felt a bit like a poser – all these people who were actually sick and needing medical help, and here I was, fully capable, able to walk and do things.  But it’s a good thing my wife encouraged me to go in.  They were able to find a significant narrowing of an artery in my heart and fix it before anything catastrophic happened.

The moral of this story is, listen to your body, even if you don’t like what it’s telling you.  DO go in and be seen for those abnormal things and get them checked out.  I’m certainly glad I did.

Also, I wanted to tell you the angiogram they did to pinpoint the narrowed artery and to place the stent was fascinating.  I was awake through the whole thing (though I’m sure they were pumping me with some kind of calming meds) and I was able to see my heart on the big-screen TV that the Dr was using.  It was pretty fascinating.  It was an amazing experience. One I’m glad I got the opportunity to have.  Had I waited and not gone in there’s no doubt that this would have eventually resulted in a full-blown heart attack, with a much higher likelihood of a bad outcome.

I've been home for a couple of days now and I’m just happy to be online chatting with you all. And hopefully, I'll get a little shop time later today! (I probably could have been out in the shop yesterday but I wasn't supposed to lift anything over 5 lbs till 48 hours after the procedure.  And I was worried that I wouldn't remember not to lift anything - there are a lot of things out in the shop that I lift or move that are over 5lbs!  But today I'm in the clear! )

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you all and warn you to take your body’s signs seriously. And listen to your spouse when they tell you to go get it checked out.  They are right!  Yes, it's somewhat embarrassing and a bit of a hassle.  But it is well worth it!

Kim

[Jo]

Pleased to hear they sorted it out for you Kim before it gave you any "real problems"  Stents are an amazing technology (as, I have been told, is watching them put them in).  Taking it easy for a few days is a good idea 

Never be embarrassed about getting things checked out: it can save your life and let you know about a problem before it gets worse  .

Jo

[Art K]

Kim,
Glad to hear everything's ok! Two years ago on the 4'th of July my boss did have a heart attack.  They did 8 stents before he left the hospital.
Art

[cnr6400]

Good to hear you are OK. Quite a few of my colleagues and friends didn't listen to their bodies and spouses and the result was catastrophic. Take it easy for a while- this will likely require some conscious thought. I had a bad neck injury last September and the hardest part of the recovery (harder than the surgery etc) was NOT doing the usual heavy tasks/lifting I did previously, thinking before doing the old habit tasks. Cheers!

[Dave Otto]

Hi Kim

Glad to hear the everything worked out ok, and hopefully it will be the last time that you have to go through that.


Dave

[Dreeves]

So glad to hear things went well. I had a heart catheterization 1 month ago. I did not need a stint and they found no issues. It was cool watching the catheter in the heart. Did they go in the wrist? 

Dave

[Vixen]

Kim
So pleased everything went well for you. It's sureal laying there, watching your own heart beating on the screen and seeing the catheter wiggling it's way in.

Get well soon

Mike

[Admiral_dk]

Glad to hear that all of you who had the procedure are OK 

I have known about the procedure Dave (Dreeves) had, for rather many years, so Jo surprised me with the comment about Stents - had to Google that one.
Turned out I kind of knew about it - just not in that combination ....
My father had one inserted (maybe not the metal version though) in Scotland in 2012 (strange kind of termination of an otherwise great holiday together). It was placed from the 'last valve in the heart' and some 5cm. (2") into Aorta in an open heart surgery - he is still fine @ 85 now 

Take care Kim for a few days more, take good long walks and don't lift too much - or put in another way - do light steady exercises, as these will do every part of your body good, without harming anything 

Best wishes

Per

[scc]

Well Done Kim     Glad all is well. Take it easy for a day or two.        Best Wishes     Terry

[cwelkie]

Good advice for all Kim.
Glad you are home and doing well after catching this "change in performance" early.
Charlie

[propforward]

Glad to hear you are doing well Kim, wise words for sure. All the best.

[Kim]

Thank you all for the well wishes and kind thoughts!

And now that I've been through it, I know what Mike and Dave went through!  It is quite the experience!

And yes, Dave, they did the cath work through my right wrist.  Now all I have to show for it is a little red dot on my wrist (and a bit of a bruise there).  The spots where they drew blood look worse than the point of entry of the catheter!

Kim

[MJM460]

Hi Kim, glad to hear that your wife was on your case and attended in time.

LAD!  I am another who knows it too well.  Over 25 years ago now, but I did have a serious heart attack over it.  Only in hindsight did I know I actually did have those little warnings but thought it was unimportant.

Totally agree with your comments to be sure and follow up such warnings.  You will be so much better off for having caught it in time.

Good to hear that you are all well again.  We will overlook the gap in posts in the circumstances.

MJM460

[steamer]

Very glad to hear this Kim

"Mama" has saved the life of every member of this family at least  once....that's three saved lives.....

"listen to mama!"

Dave

[Hugh Currin]

Kim:

Glad you're on the mend. Good to hear.