I think I'm rooted!

[lsemmens]

My wife spends a lot of time in the High Care Cardiac unit of one of the major public hospitals in Adelaide. In the years she has been an inpatient there (usually a three or four day stay) She has seen it all. 99.9% of her fellow "inmates" leave better than they arrive. Her condition is not going to kill her, but they can only treat the symptoms because the Vaso-Spastic Angina is nothing like normal Angina. Listen to your Cardiologist, if you don't understand something, ask. And, if you are still unsure of your diagnosis and treatment, talk to your GP. I presume you have a regular GP who knows you well. If not...GET ONE!!!!!

From a lot of the people SWMBO has had contact with. Lifestyle has very little to do with the cause of their problems, despite what the quacks say. Most serious cardiac problems are very treatable these days and it is no longer the death sentence it once was. My daughter in law went to the doctor with minor chest pain, her normal GP was unavailable and another one diagnosed reflux, but booked her for a stress test for her peace of mind. Fortunately, she saw her normal GP before the stress test who booked her in for an angiogram. From there she was told to go straight to hospital - do not pass go - do not collect $200.00. If she had done the stress test, we'd be visiting the cemetery now. Three stents later and she is way healthier than we'd ever known her.

All the best mate, hang in there.

[VroomVroom]

sorry to hear that mate let us know how your treatment goes .
I had a mate drop dead of a massive heart attack while we were out on a pushbike ride , although we were not far from medical help at the time i was told that he was dead before he fell off the bike so nothing would have helped him.

[Godzilla]

I hope all goes well Learjet.

I happened to have mentioned to the family the other night that the people we know who exercised or ate well or looked after themselves in general have been the ones that we know that have passed away.

Yet those who smoked or drank or lived on takeaway are still around.

Im starting to think its more a case of everything in moderation.......

[george65]

On the Drinks thing, I have often wondered abut this.
Alcohol is as I understand like an antiseptic/ disinfectant. I also know it goes to your blood when you drink it. Not knowing much about biology, would seem to me that the relatively little alcohol drinking puts in your bloodstream should have a positive cleansing effect.

I know when I get a Cold myself, the best thing I can do is have a large straight shot. The next day I will ALWAYS be much improved. I'm not a big drinker at all, nothing for me to go months without a drink and If I mix my cold medicine ( which I'm not keen on anyway) doesn't seem to work. A real Good Tumbler glass of scotch on the rocks always makes an improvement in me rapidly getting over a cold.
Mrs has noted it too and If I even look like I'm getting sick I'll be presented with a glass full of Ice and scotch and commanded to drink it. She too is adamant it is helpful is staving off and curing Colds and flu's etc.

Again, comes back to the thing that a cold is an infection and Alcohol kills infection. In my biological ignorance, it seem reasonable to me that a limited amount of Booze could have some beneficial effects.

[Learjet]

I'm going to try statins instead of booze. I don't like the smell of it. Statins don't smell. :P

Yes I have a regular GP. He is really good. Fills the gaps the public system has. I'm not going private. A I can't afford the monthly and B can't afford the gap payments. Got caught like this two years ago when I was in private. Went to hospital for the flu. I'm going public or die trying. Besides, the cardiac unit here is at the public hospital.

[lsemmens]

We only work within the public system, LJ, I have very few complaints given the length of our experience. When I could afford private health I was in Darwin and there was no real choice. If stuff was critical, you had to go public anyway, there were very few specialists in town so, even if you wanted a second opinion, the doctor you went to would often ring the other one to confer...... There was a saying up there, and, I suspect, it's still true.. "When in pain, take a plane". Now We are in a place to take advantage of the private system, we cannot afford the insurance so we are locked into the public system. That said, if we suddenly got filthy rich, we'd not willingly change any of our doctors, anyway. We've had limited experience with the Mater hospital in BrisVegas and, IIRC, they were quite good, too, but that was some years back.

[admin]

Sorry to hear Learjet, but as mentioned cardiac treatment has come a long way in recent times so I think you can feel confident.

Keep us all informed how you go

[Mr 672A]

Unfortunately genetics cannot be controlled

Yes been there done that. I had two heart attracts, 5 X TIA's (small strokes) and one big Stroke that still fu.ks me today. Nothing you can do so its better to get the operation now than no operation and being dead.

[Learjet]

You got me wondering now if I'm at risk of stroke. The hypochondriac that I am. I had something weird happen a few years where the right side of my body went partially numb. The doctors said not to worry about it!

[Mr 672A]

I'm going to try statins instead of booze. I don't like the smell of it. Statins don't smell. :P

Yes I have a regular GP. He is really good. Fills the gaps the public system has. I'm not going private. A I can't afford the monthly and B can't afford the gap payments. Got caught like this two years ago when I was in private. Went to hospital for the flu. I'm going public or die trying. Besides, the cardiac unit here is at the public hospital.

The Best Hospital in Australia for Heart attacks operations is Prince Charles in North Brisbane. If you have family close to Brisbane I would go there and stay close to that Hospital and Yes Its Public System too. If you suspect you going to have a heat attack ( can't walk up a 20M steep hill and you are out of puff and feel tight in your chest ) do be caught out in the bush with this.

I know a good friend of mine that I gave the same advice and he was staying only 500M away from Prince Charles at his inlaws place and he was not well and only a week there he felt OFF and was Rushed to Hospital via the family car and went straight to emergency and was dropped on there door. Yes He was Operated 24 hours later (around Midnight) after he was stabled and survived by have a double bypass and he today is living strong today.
This outcome would not have had this finish if he still was living in Warwick.

[Mr 672A]

By the way I did not cost me a cent nor my Friend and for me I was in Prince Charles for 6 weeks and I have (Still have a Very LOW BP) Low Bloop Pressure and since I have low tolerance to meds and meds crashed my BP lower I had to stay in Hospital until i can tolerate the Tablets. I had a Good time there for the Last Two Weeks, I raided the Nurse Lunch Room for Extra Food and I sat on EVERY Seminar available by professional regarding Heart Attacks and why 95% of Heart attack are for people with High Blood Pressure. Yes I was the ODD BALL have a Heart Attack, Normal weight, Don't drink or smoke, dont eat greasy food, and have LOW BP yet still had a Heart Attack.

[gordon_s1942]

A fellow I knew had 5 bypasses done when it was never heard of and he lived on for many years, nursing his wife who had suddenly collapsed (Stroke I think) and was virtually a vegetable for the rest of her life.

As Forrest Gump says 'Shit Happens'.
A workmate I havent seen for some years visted another this week and despite being deaf as a post, is generally hale and hearty despite having being a smoker and very heavy drinker.
I know for a fact he boozed out on a full bottle of spirits one afternoon and when that was finished, finished off a bottle of something different and this was NOT the first time.
He's had Hydatis which can kill you and near did him, got bitten by a black Snake on the upper hip and the first thing EVERYONE asked after hearing the story was, how the Snake was?
For the Snake bite treatment, he went to the nearest Pub, had a few, drove home, walked in the door and announced to his wife he had been bitten by a snake and collapsed !!!!
He told me one day years ago, his doctor had told him to smoke and drink Stout and he was doing his best to follow doctors orders !!!

[Learjet]

You're a bit like me Mr627A.

Good grief Gordon. That's a story and a half. If I even see a snake I'd probably take a heart attack right now.

[gordon_s1942]

Learjet, this bloke is a real character and how he got bitten is as crazy as he is.
He was out fishing in a local stream during one of the rare times it had water and was walking in the 'river' it self when he brushed past some overhanging foliage and the snake struck.
His natural reaction was to grab at what he felt 'sting him and there he is standing in the river, valuable fishing Rod in one hand (which he didnt want to drop) and the snake in the other.................
The area where he was fishing was a popular picnic and fishing place on this river but was also known to be a habitat for snakes (Black, Browns and Tiger) during the Summer.

[Mr 672A]

Its 13 years since the Heart Attack and the Operation that I could not walk up the steep hill at home. Now every year I go to the Hospital and run the gauntlet and run on there machine that goes faster and UP UP UP and this year on January I did the test and this time the Computer had a clinch so had to stop it 75% done. The Doctors their (4 people there just in case I have another hear attack) told me OHHHH you will have to come back another day? I said WHY? they said you must be tired, I said START AGAIN!! Yep I finished the test with Flying colours as the Machine had smoke coming out of it. After this test that I continually talking all the time (hard to do as you lose breath) they said to me 'Whoes picking you up? I said I will walk to the Caboolture Railway Station, what you are keen? and I did walk to the station around 4 K away and I did it in fast time as I did not want to miss the next train.

At home I have my own test and this is that steep hill that I could not get up 13 years ago. I test myself once twice a month and if I go they and leave burning shows/ rubber marks on the road I'm GOOD but if I fail or out of the Blue I find My self Struggling I'm off the the docs again as I might have a Another Blockage.

Pericarditis Had it about 3 to 4 times in 13 years but eventualy you wont get it at all. The First one is the worse. what cause it! A Stupid slut cough into my eyes and i felt her cold drops in my eyes and after this 7 days lare i had Mr Perry Mason (Pericarditis).
It caused by a Virus

This is very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most Heart Attack people suffer from Pericarditis which is a inflimation of the outside of the Hear Muscle and what it does it squeezes you heart in so you loose capacity and you will not get up that hill or pass that hospital test so you think is it ANOTHER HEART ATTACK. NO
See Pericarditis give you a pain in the arm like a real hear attack but the difference is YOU TAKE two Panadol or simple pain tablets and it goes away for 2 to 4 hours. If you are having a Heart attack no simple medican like aspro will stop the pain only morphine will stop the pain.

After a Heart Attack you become extremey experience with the mater and I have help a least 4 people to addres this and keep on top of it.

[Learjet]

Thanks for the info Mr 672A. I probably have pericarditis too I reckon.

Gordon, haha! That's crazy. I've had a snake in my arms once when picking up a bundle of grass. Didn't bite me thank goodness. It was a black whip snake.

[Keith]

LJ, you have done the right thing by getting it seen to. Mate of mine, beginning of last year, February, told me he was getting angina. I told him to get the spray, you don't need a prescription, and use it and get it checked. He said he had too much on with swap meets and a trip to USA planned for March. He was at a swap meet in Toowoomba (he lived in Sydney), and keeled over dead, heart attack.

Anyway, 5 years ago I had a work paid stress test for my medical and passed it. Knowing there was a problem, I booked my own stress echo, and there came the result, blockages. Angiogram said I had 4 blockages, 2 x 100% and 2 x around 75%. Stented the 2 partial blockages and to get back to work (traindriver) I needed one of the 100% unblocked. My cardio couldn't do it but sent me to specialist at Prince of Wales who "drilled" the blockage in the artery then stented it.
History of heart disease in my family with my mum dying of a massive heart attack and father having a by pass. Also a history of stokes in mothers side of family.

As has been said, it is scary but they have gone leaps and bounds in these operations. I know of a number of people at work who have been by-passed, and you wouldn't know it. Best part you didn't have an attack that can and will damage the heart.
Anyway, good luck and there are quite a number here that knows what you're about to go through.

[mkhannah]

Good luck LJ. As others have said these days things come along so quickly it's hard to keep up. You are in a much better position today than diagnosed 5, 10, 20 years ago. You'll be right

[Learjet]

Thanks fellas for the encouragement. Had a particularly bad day with side effects from pills. Couldn't lift my head off the pillow for a good while. Had to use gtn spray this morning. Trying to hang in there.

[Skepticist]

Stay positive LJ
And make sure you're getting the right medical support