Author Topic: I've been away... (Read 2273 times)

cwlongshot · « **on:** January 17, 2009, 06:41:44 AM »

Hey guys,
I have been absent for this week, if you hadn't noticed. I spent the week in the hospital. Tuesday I had a heart attack while at work. Just 42 FREAKIN' years old and I was having a heart attack!!!!

I am a guy after all, so of coarse I didn't want to admit or succumb to the facts and didn't do anything at the first signs. Overall crappy feeling with tightness in the chest and sore arms, like you worked out hard the day before, but hadn't. That passed with about 2 hrs of just a bit of a crappy feeling. (Hi blood pressure). Just aft lunch, the feeling was back with a vengeance followed by nausea. I found a nurse and my BP 180/100 and off to the ER I went.
Once there, my BP only shot up a bit, but my left arm alone now was "dead feeling" and my chest now officially hurt. Blood work, EKG all showed OK... Another BP said different, 195/114 !

Doc, comes in about 10 that night and says, CW, you had a mild heart attack.
Rush me over to ICU followed by more blood and IV NITRO.... WOW... instant head ache and blood thinners!! More EKG's, more needles, IV's and X-Rays, then more blood.. OH and rest. Yea right, rest, how do you do that with a pounding head and a nurse poking and proding you every couple minutes? Spend the night there... "resting".

In the AM I'm off to another hospital for a procedure. A heart catheterization, basically, they go in thru your groin, into the femoral artery. Up to your heart valves, where they inject a die to "see" how things are working and where the blockage is. Then fix it while they are in there, no additional, surgery. (If they do there job right) They found a blood clot almost completely blocking one artery and about 60% in another. There are only three and that one is the important one, it was clear. Of coarse they are all important, but if that clear one was blocked that would have likely killed me. Its the major one that feeds the heart. (I've only just had a crash coarse here and don't know names and how stuff works.) They put in one stent, where the complete blockage was. That other, will be dealt with, with diet, drugs and exercise.

I laid in the hospital for two days while they checked and adjusted my meds and watched my incision. After all it was in my femoral artery, if I started to bleed badly, I could be dead before they called for a code blue!! Its a major artery. I survived and got home early, last night.

I'm OK and will have to adjust to a new way of life, but will survive. Just thought my cyber buds would like to know.

CW

Hofs01 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2009, 06:58:52 AM »

Holy Crap!!!

Thank goodness your ok!

Keep it slow and stay healthy!

Your work here on Earth is not complete

BCall · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2009, 07:01:22 AM »

Sorry to hear about that man. Not anything to mess around with. 42 might seem young, but a very close friend of mine had a heart attack at 37, it can come on fast. Now he's been great for the last 5 yrs, and just had another child. Take care of yourself, and you'll be back to normal before you know it. Shawn was pretty weak for about 6 months, but now you would never know it happened to him. Take care, billy

dep869 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2009, 07:03:29 AM »

-Close call. I'm glad you're on the road to recovery. Due to my family history, I started exercising about five years ago. Usually I get in three runs a week and a couple of work-outs on my total trainer. I'm forty now and my resting BP is typically 116/68. Doc says to keep doing what I'm doing. As a plus I lost 18 lbs. and have pretty much kept it off. Bottom line is for some of us, proper diet and exercise is just mandatory. Take it a little at a time and enjoy your new perspective on life!!

Manion

buckslayer · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2009, 07:14:23 AM »

of course we want to know! get better man, and take it easy!

Spanky · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:00:43 AM »

Thank God you are alright.
Take it easy and do what the doc's say.
42 is WAY TOO YOUNG to go away brother!!
Like I said before... You're one of the good guys.

Spanky

OR-E-Gun Bill · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:09:45 AM »

That's some pretty scary stuff there CW!
Glad the Good Lord saw fit to keep you amongst the Handiholics here for a while longer.

Bill

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:17:38 AM »

Welcome back!! That's a real wake-up call, glad ya got it under control and you're doing well!!

Tim

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2009, 08:35:27 AM »

Glad everything is OK CW,

It's all genetics. I'm adopted so I have no family history. Find out what yours is and do what you can to counter act the problems in the making.

By all mean do what you can to reduce stress. Nothing can reduce stress like gentle shoulder massages while inhaling the residue of nitro cellulose combustion.

buffermop · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:12:04 AM »

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. It certainly is a wake up call! Angioplasty took care of my immediate blockage problems. It still left me with heart damage. Isn't life great? $:-\$

Troyboy · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:48:40 AM »

Wow!!!!! So glad your ok.

petemi · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:54:05 AM »

CW, glad you're going to be o.k. They say if you make it through the first one, your chances are really good. We gotta all impress on Ty what recoil can do to a person. I guess you won't be makin shims with Atlaw for a while either.

Stay well!

Pete

mauser98us · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:19:52 AM »

Amazing how fast things can go from feast to famine. Late November last year one day I,m feeling fine next day my skin is as yellow as a lemon and I find my self looking at the ceiling of an ER room. My gall bladder went south that quick. Much longer and I would have died of blood poisoning.Now I see why opium dens were in vogue in the 1800's. A place to die Happy,cause there would have been no treatment in those days. My Doc said stop the red meat and fried stuff. To be honest I do feel better since I have modified my diet. Hang in there

MSP Ret · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:25:20 AM »

CW old buddy, I am so happy you are still here with us to tell us the story, scary as it is. My wife went through a heart cath and angioplasty a couple of years ago and has been fine since. The new medical procedures are fantastic, rest, pray, play on the computer (GB's of course) and make plans for shooting when the weather warms up, heck perhaps we could get together for a little varmint or deer hunting. Take it easy buddy, rush nothing for a while and listen to your doctors and your own common sense. The healing will all come with time....<><....

tonygrz · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:26:36 AM »

I was 42 when I had my "mild" heart attack. My wife and doc fixed me up just fine - my wife cooked the stuff that I could have and the doc gave me pills. I'm now 63 and still going strong. Just watch what you eat and exercise. We have a small farm and it's "exercise" everyday !!! How many 50 lb feed sacks can you carry.

Stay well,

tony garza

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:39:52 AM »

Glad to hear you are coming out of it OK, CW. You gotta lot more stuff to teach me and the other "newbies" here on GBO. Keep on pounding those keys, brother! DP

Slufoot · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:47:42 AM »

Dang CW, I'm really glad to hear you're going to be alright!
Take it easy Bro and listen to your Doc!

Slufoot

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:50:19 AM »

Glad you made it back CW. I had one 12 years ago at 45. I changed my diet (low fat - low cholesterol) and started to exercise on a regular basis. My wife was a big help with the diet. I never knew I could feel so good. It comes up on you so gradual, you do not notice - then one day BAMM. Good Luck and make some life changes. You need to be around a while - we would miss you.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:50:37 AM »

Thanks very very much for all the well wishes guys, it really helps.

I cannot spend much time on the puter as I have to sit upright to do so. That puts pressure on the incision in my groin.. not good. So I only check in 2-3 times a day. (When the boss is not watching.)

Quote from: tonygrz

How many 50 lb feed sacks can you carry.

Before this.. two, one on each shoulder. Now... yea right....

Yes big changes for me.... CW

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:55:01 AM »

CW

Take it slow , do what the Dr says and check in when you feel up to it , we'll be here and the good lord willing you will too .

stimpy

SM Bob · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:22:27 PM »

Thank God you are OK CW! Take it slow Pal! We want you around for a while!

Robert

GrampaMike · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:35:35 PM »

Really Glad you are still with us.
America cannot afford to lose good men.
Will add you to my prayers.

fortress49 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:39:27 PM »

Great to hear that you are doing well. Your story is also a reminder to all of us to stick to our diets and excercise regularly. I think I may get going with mine a again....I want to enjoy my grandkids!

Matt

JonD. · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:43:09 PM »

CW, you are in, and will be kept in prayer

zoner · « **Reply #24 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:46:59 PM »

good luck and take it easy

burntmuch · « **Reply #25 on:** January 17, 2009, 01:49:39 PM »

42 Rest up brother!! Glad to hear all is well now.

mechanic · « **Reply #26 on:** January 17, 2009, 02:07:39 PM »

CW...listen to the Doc. I enjoy your posts too much for you not to. Don't, however be disheartened. I've gone through what you now are at about your age, almost 14 yrs. ago. There is life, and good life, after a heart attack! Praying for you.......

Graybeard · « **Reply #27 on:** January 17, 2009, 02:40:29 PM »

Glad to hear it all worked out well for ya.

Those heart caths are lotsa fun aren't they?

They are especially fun when they miss the vein or artery or whatever that big tube is suppose to go in a few times and catch a major nerve instead. Oh yeah talk about waking you up. That will do it.

After mine I had an area all over the groin and up and down my leg and all around that was purple and other funny colors for a couple weeks or more. I bled for a week from it. Lotsa fun times for sure.

In my case it all proved to have been unnecessary too as I had no major blockages to be repaired which of course is the good news but still got to enjoy the fun of a heart cath. The bad news is they still haven't figured out my shortness of breath that prompted the search.

Since they found and fixed your problem so long as you do what you're supposed to things should go well for you. I guess it's the life stylel we lead these days but a lot of folks some even younger than you have to go thru the same every year. At least now they've gotten so good at this folks are surviving them most of the time unlike in the days of old.

JerryKo · « **Reply #28 on:** January 17, 2009, 03:01:59 PM »

Overlooked this earlier, and now I'm shocked. Hard to believe, but so glad you are ok. Hope all works out well. Take care, and do get some rest to get healthy.

Jerry

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 17, 2009, 03:09:59 PM »

Glad you're with us telling the story CW. I'm sure it was quite a wake up call.
A good friend of mine is still kicking after 4 heart attacks. His first was at age 32 and he's only 38 now. It's amazing how we all think that we're immune from that stuff when we're young.

Stay healthy brother.