Right, hands up those with stents or had the zipper.

[Keith]

Seeing we are on old persons stuff, with remembering Harold's sub ride and Admins heart blockage, I thought I'd put up who's had what with the heart.

Stents or the zipper (bypass).

I had 4 blockages 6 years ago at 53, 2 x 100% and 2 x approx 80% blocked. Very little in the way of symptoms, only a "flutter" when walking fast. Cardiologist said that was because of diabetes and possible nerve damage.

My Cardiologist stented the 2 x 80% but couldn't unblock either of the 100%ers. I had to go to a specialist Cardiologists who "drilled" one of the 100%ers and stented it. Needed that done to return to my job, otherwise early retirement.

Still have one blocked and causes no problems. I now walk up to 5K's a day or ride the pushy for around 20k's.

[gordon_s1942]

Stents are NOT only used for Heart problems it seems as I had 2 inserted, one from each Kidney to the Bladder.
The first lot stayed in for over a month preventing the Kidney stones there from blocking the ducts.
When I went back again, they removed both stents, zapped the stones and re-inserted the stents to allow the 'sand' to pass from the kidneys.
I also had a catheter in place after that and it was clear to see the grains from the zapped stones pass along to the collection bag.
Each of these stents was a 'simple' plastic tube were 300mm (12 inches) but each end was curled, like a Rams Horn.
I am guessing this 'curling' was done to ensure the stent stayed exactly where it was meant to be because they were removed in the Doctors Rooms with no anesthesia and I felt nothing as they were withdrawn.
That was the first time I had seen them.
Mine looked nothing like those I had seen on TV used in procedures like Keith underwent.

[admin]

Seeing we are on old persons stuff, with remembering Harold's sub ride and Admins heart blockage.

I actually just updated what happened and why (just to correct, it wasnt a heart blockage).Its amazing what you can find out when you find a competent person....who is NOT in the public system.


It amazing what they can do now with hearts, stents, pacemakers etc. I was talking to my neighbour who just turned 70 and still hits it fairly hard going away with his mates regularly on weekends etc, very social and smokes like a chimney.
He was limping pretty bad a few months ago and told me the major femoral artery in his leg was blocked. I saw him the other day and he said they tried to run a tube in the artery and it is that blocked they couldn't get it at all and they had to run it as a bypass in conjunction with the artery all the way down his leg. It fixed him.

[enf]

Score 1 stent for me....heart in 2001.

80% blocked artery caused they say by 35 years of shift work, heavy smoking (legal and illegal) until 1995, and a shift workers diet.

F*ck I loved those roast pork, crackling and gravy rolls from that joint in town.

[Keith]

Stents are NOT only used for Heart problems it seems as I had 2 inserted, one from each Kidney to the Bladder.
The first lot stayed in for over a month preventing the Kidney stones there from blocking the ducts.
When I went back again, they removed both stents, zapped the stones and re-inserted the stents to allow the 'sand' to pass from the kidneys.
I also had a catheter in place after that and it was clear to see the grains from the zapped stones pass along to the collection bag.
Each of these stents was a 'simple' plastic tube were 300mm (12 inches) but each end was curled, like a Rams Horn.
I am guessing this 'curling' was done to ensure the stent stayed exactly where it was meant to be because they were removed in the Doctors Rooms with no anesthesia and I felt nothing as they were withdrawn.
That was the first time I had seen them.
Mine looked nothing like those I had seen on TV used in procedures like Keith underwent.

They use stents for all types of reasons. Amazing watching the screen as they maneuver the stent into place in your arteries.

[Keith]

I actually just updated what happened and why (just to correct, it wasnt a heart blockage).Its amazing what you can find out when you find a competent person....who is NOT in the public system.


It amazing what they can do now with hearts, stents, pacemakers etc. I was talking to my neighbour who just turned 70 and still hits it fairly hard going away with his mates regularly on weekends etc, very social and smokes like a chimney.
He was limping pretty bad a few months ago and told me the major femoral artery in his leg was blocked. I saw him the other day and he said they tried to run a tube in the artery and it is that blocked they couldn't get it at all and they had to run it as a bypass in conjunction with the artery all the way down his leg. It fixed him.

Yeah, I had a quick read of your thread which is why I started this one. I agree with the way medicine has evolved lots of things now can be done via keyhole, instead of opening a person up.

[Keith]

Score 1 stent for me....heart in 2001.

80% blocked artery caused they say by 35 years of shift work, heavy smoking (legal and illegal) until 1995, and a shift workers diet.

F*ck I loved those roast pork, crackling and gravy rolls from that joint in town.

I know about the shift worker diet. Been doing it for 36 years. No legal smoking (read into that) but can't these days anyway with random drug and alcohol testing now with work.

[WhiteOx]

Zipper here.
Triple Bypass 8 years ago.
Right Main 70%
Left Main 90%
Left Anterior Descending 90%

[coalminer]

3 stents here..the big one down the front was 95% blocked..had myself checked out only because i was a bit short of wind walking up steep hills...i was very lucky!

[trash]

You fat old bastards !

Good news is... half of you will die from Heart disease or stroke.
The other good news is that a third of you will get cancer.
A quarter of you will die from cancer.

That leaves ... a quarter of you who will die some horrible and nasty death like a car crash or a party prank.

More good news is that only half of you will live to 67. If you're older than 67, congratulations, you made it to the finish line! You're now into an extended time.

[Keith]

Ah Trash, you're a ball of good news!!!!!
With heart disease, I have to see my doctor every 12 months for a medical to keep my driver license. Add to that, I have to have a full physical every 12 months to keep my job which I reckon was part of the reason I had to have my arteries unblocked.
Go figure....
Off tomorrow to have blood taken for my yearly physical for work.

[gordon_s1942]

I ended up in Hospital at 6.30am this morning due to a breathing problem I have.
This isnt new and today was the longest 'discomfort' I have ever experienced.
I wont go into 'longwinded' details (joke, Joyce) suffice to say I havent smoked in 35 years, I am definitely overweight, my Heart is good according to a recent Ultrascan by a Cardiologist and not cause of this respiratory problem. Lungs show clear on X-Rays, had nothing to eat overnight and finger test read 10.7. On tablets but no insulin.
Its been suggested this morning I have a 'touch of Asthma' due to the 20 years I did smoke, fair enough.
When this hits me, I cant breathe in which is a terrible situation.
There appears at times a 'blob' of Flem is sitting on/in the windpipe and wont move.
Also it was suggested part of my problem is caused by me having a Panic attack which I wont dispute.
But at 6am sitting there in the first morning light feeling a bit cold I wasnt doing of thinking of anything so would would I have a panic attack and not be able to inhale??
I see my own GP tomorrow after she has been away for 2 weeks and I want to ask about having the ear/nose, throat and airways looked at to ensure they are 'Normal'.

[Keith]

Good luck Gordon. Had the panic attack crap and it isn't enjoyable.

[eaglem]

1 stent put in back in 2000.

[lsemmens]

I have been blessed in that I've not needed such devices thus far. My daughter in law has had a couple.

[admin]

When this hits me, I cant breathe in which is a terrible situation.
There appears at times a 'blob' of Flem is sitting on/in the windpipe and wont move.
Also it was suggested part of my problem is caused by me having a Panic attack which I wont dispute.
But at 6am sitting there in the first morning light feeling a bit cold I wasnt doing of thinking of anything so would would I have a panic attack and not be able to inhale??
I see my own GP tomorrow after she has been away for 2 weeks and I want to ask about having the ear/nose, throat and airways looked at to ensure they are 'Normal'.

Not possibly to do with the weather is it Gordon ?

The only reason I mention it is because of the Thunderstorm Asthma, that killed 9 people and hospitalised 8,500 a year ago in Victoria.

I have never had asthma, but when we had a big burst of hot weather a couple of weeks ago and a change came, I was getting really short of breath which was very strange. I can only put it down I have decided to keep a Ventolin inhaler in an easy accessible place just in case.

Further basic info here, worth a look to at least take it off your list of potential causes. I do get Hayfever, many many do these days.

[admin]

Had the panic attack crap and it isn't enjoyable.

I don't reckon a panic crap attack would be too enjoyable either

[trash]

Ah Trash, you're a ball of good news!!!!!

Yep. I was visiting my oldies last week. The old man has had a few stents and a bypass.
I have been trying to keep him on top of little things that might bring him down, but he isn't making a lot of effort to do them.
His balance has been slowly degrading. I told him to walk from the car park across the soft sand to the high tide mark and back to the car.
It's not a lot of exercise (I'd prefer he walk 500m to the beach) but it is the soft sand that is now important to maintaining balance skills.

He had a fall the other day and gave himself a bit of a bruise. Nothing that you would consider to be serious.
He also started to feel a bit ill. Stomach bug he put it down to. After a couple of days he decided to see the quack who did some blood tests.
That night I was sitting at home talking to him and the phone rang. "This is pathology and we've reviewed your blood tests and we think you should go to the hospital."
"OK, I get my things and head on down in about half an hour."
"Umm, no. we want you to call 000 now and have the ambulance take you."
"Oh ok."

I was thinking that the bruising had caused a blood clot which lucky for him ended up in the already narrow arteries in his heart instead of in the brain.
They did all the usual tests and concluded that there was nothing much they could do (drugs) it's just natural degradation of the cardiovascular system as he gets older.
Something I have to look forward to