Kyle Communications Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 You may have noticed ads on TV recently about heart attack and its signs. You like me probably thought yeah ok that is for other people. Well my life has been turned upside down on last thursday. Please do not take this lightly as it only happens to others...well sorry it DOES happen to you read below I hope it doesn't bore you but it is my account of what was happening. It wasnt as dramactic as you think it would be if you are having ticker problems. So hopefully I will be posting to this forum late next week..then you will know that I have survived. Please be aware of the signs even if they are only subtle. The below text is a email I sent to our friends to keep them informed as the phone and facebook has been running hot Mark Denice and myself have just spent a week up at the farm doing work around the place and sorting out the shed we had just the best restful week. It was just fantastic no hassles at all. On the last day this wednesday gone I had been cleaning up a lot of dead branches around the shed area that the big storms had bought down after it I was stuffed it was pretty hard work I went back upstairs in the shed with the aircon on and went to sleep for a few hours. I woke up and still felt like crap that night I didn't sleep very well where every other night I slept like a log. I got up the next morning feeling a bit second hand and got the car loaded and proceeded to drive back home. As I was driving I had some small pains in my chest and a bit of heaviness but nothing much really just thought it was slight heartburn. Then about halfway back I noticed I was getting a little light headed at times and felt slightly nausus a big breath and it went away. Got home here and came into the workshop with the aircon on and still felt like crap and my chest felt a bit tight. Came inside to the bedroom had a coffee and a biscuit then I got this pain in the back and side of my neck…just a sharp short pain but not too bad at all. I was starting to get a little concerned as this had been with me all day so I looked up heart attach signs on the net…on a australian site and found I had everything so I got Denice to drive me to caboolture hospital. I thought for sure I was going to look like a idiot but the staff there were very good. I got a ECG and blood drawn and some nitro under the tongue and a beta blocker. They looked at everything and couldn't find any evidence of a heart attack but the main boss doctor said as I had the symptoms most of the day and I have private health insurance they would send me to prince charles (holy spirit) at chermside as caboolture can't do any other testing like what is required.I was transferred to there just before midnight and taken to a room I then had blood thinners then a nitro patch and beta blockers again also hooked up to a wireless heart monitor for the nigt so I could be monitored remotely. In the morning I was prepared for a angiogram. I went in about 10am and was watching all the cool dye and black veins in the heart while not feeling anything then I heard the doc say well I don't think we will be putting in 6 stents it will be bypasses so thats when the blood drained out of my face I am sure. I didn't get much more info until the surgeon turned up last night about 9pm he had some drama in the operating theatre and was delayed hence the late call, he explained everything and there are 3 main arteries on the outside of the heart. one in front one at the side and one around the back they have all these branches on them they supply the heart muscles. he said all 3 are blocked and mostly by 90%. I asked well ok it must have been my lifestyle smoking overweight etc etc and he told me the main cause was the diabetes this explains why all of them are stuffed about the same. usually most get just 1 or 2 or 3 blockages in 1 or 2 arteries but all mine are stuffed and to the same degree. He also explained maybe I was very lucky to even get some sort of warning as I wouldn't have lasted much longer and I have not had a actual heart attack so my heart muscle is still good. So the main thing all of you guys need to know is don't be afraid to maybe look like a idiot and go to the hospital if at all you feel off or have chest tightness or neck pain or any of the other symptoms they are on the net to look at. I certainly didn't think I was going to get this decision I thought I was just being a wuss. I count myself lucky to get the warning. I go in monday lunchtime to get prepared then get operated on first thing tuesday morning. he tells me 3 days in intensive care and 5 to 7 days in hospital. Cant drive for at least 6 weeks or fly my plane :( I asked to come home today and tomorrow as I need to spend the 2 days to get my life and business in order they wanted to keep me in but knew I wouldn't do anything stupid but I am taking beta blockers twice a day also nitro patch 20 hrs a day and injecting twice a day clean blood thinner and of course not to do anything strenuous or get stressed??????? stress what stress??????? every tried to sort your life out in 2 days. Well get all business finances with debtors and creditors anyway. Still am a little freaked out about it all but I will be back better than ever hopefully so you won't hear or see me around for a few week 9
pudestcon Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Jeezus Mark!!! All the best, and I know you will be back safe and sound talking to us as soon as you can. Take care mate, Pud
Kyle Communications Posted January 5, 2013 Author Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks Pud....it has shaken me and the mrs up I can tell you...well I suppose it is like a major service and rebore for body for the start of the year
winsor68 Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Good luck Mark... Sorry to hear the news but real happy that you are still with us and that a fix is available. I recently started work in the local Hospital as a Wardie... It only took a few days to come to this frightening realization... No one amongst the half dozen or so heart patients admitted daily expects to be in that bed. There but the grace of God goes any of us. Impending death for most of us doesn't give notice and most of us think just like you describe... we assume it is nothing and that we will be fine and don't want to cause a hassle. The Medical staff in my experience will take it seriously and will be happy to see you and if you are showing signs of heart failure you won't be sitting in a waiting room for long if at all. This illness is a great leveller and the fear I see in the eyes of these people is haunting. I had a case of Pericarditis last year... the nausea was what sent me to ER. These days I fare sxxt myself whenever I feel nauseous.
winsor68 Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 P.S. My Mum had a Quadruple By-Pass just over 10 years ago... She is visiting with us at the moment and has never felt better. She tells me that the improvement in health and quality of life was immediate after the procedure not withstanding the major surgery. You will be back on your feet and feeling like you could run a marathon within the week (although not recommended until the scar heals)
Guest Andys@coffs Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Mark I'm of two minds, sorry to hear of your problems, but very happy we didnt hear of them via an obituary........ Hope it all works out well for you and you feel like a $m man when they let you loose again!! Regards Andy P.S Diabetes, Type 1 or 2?
Gnarly Gnu Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Very, very fortunate there indeed Mark, that's a big operation ahead - all the best for your operation and recovery. As Winsor says when you get past the op OK the results are quite dramatic. Jeezus Mark!!! I must add a person facing death would be well advised not to do so blaspheming the name of the son of God. 4
Piet Fil Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Mark, Sound advice and its good you caught it before it got worse. All the best for a swift recovery and a healthy 2013 Phil
Guest Maj Millard Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Best of luck there Mark, will be thinking of you for sure. Magic what they can do these days compared to 30 years ago !...............you'll be fine and we look foward to your usual banter in a couple of weeks ok.....................Cheers Mate, talk with you soon...........................................Maj...
facthunter Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Classic case Mark. The success rate for open heart is excellent and IF you really look after yourself you will be better than ever. You will have to eat no rubbish and a fair bit of "not too slow" walking and your heart will get stronger and if there is no muscle damage to the heart your prognosis is to return to normal heart classification. If you smoke and don't look after yourself you are wasting the surgeons time. Sorry to be so blunt but I have seen a lot of this. people do the right thing for a while and then go back to their old habits. If you lose quite a bit of weight your diabetes may disappear. A mate of mine used lapband surgery. ( which I don't recommend) but he lost all symptoms of his quite serious type 2 diabetes. good luck.. You will be alright.. Nev 1
old man emu Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 I'm so much happier writing to express my best wishes for a full recovery, rather than writing a eulogy. You are sooooo correct in saying not to ignore the signs and get an expert opinion (the average person is no expert). A few years ago, I was feeling similarly while I was at work. I had them take me up to the hospital for a check out. Luckily for me it turned out to be a physiological response to stress, not clogged plumbing. Even so, now I am starting to watch how I am responding to strenuous activity and actually stopping work before the job is done. If I was really smart, I'd make a big effort to drop my weight and start doing some aerobic exercise. Keep us posted on your progress. If you can't get on the forum yourself, have a family member post info on your behalf. Old Man Emu
kaz3g Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Dear Mark I wish you and your family the very best for your speedy recovery. It is fantastic that you have been diagnosed and will be treated without any damage to the heart muscle to hold yo back. My old dad is gone now but me made 91 years and had a quintuple bi-pass in his mid 70's after a big attack. My daughter is a nurse and she was in recovery when he woke up. I look forward to hearing how you are after it's all been fixed. Kaz
Guest Howard Hughes Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Great story with lots of good advice. I had a similar experience 5 years ago (age 43), I won't bore you with the details, but basically two 90% blocked arteries requiring two stents. The specialist said if I hadn't noticed a change (and acted), I probably would have just had a massive coronary and everybody at my funeral would have been saying "but he was so young and fit". By the way I had no chest pain, but noticed a change in the way my heart rate reacted to exercise, the signs can be very, very subtle. My only additional piece of advice would be, don't worry about looking silly if it is a false alarm, no one will be upset. The alternative is far worse! PS: Best wishes for a speedy recovery Mark.
gareth lacey Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 HI Mark sorry to hear about your situation ,get the surgery over with and rest up ,and 2013 will be a great year Cheers Mate Gareth
rgmwa Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Full marks for taking notice of the warning signs in time. Something similar happened to my dad, so he was able to have triple bypass surgery done before he actually had a heart attack. He was 74 at the time and will be 94 next month. It makes all the difference to the outcome. Hope all goes well for you. rgmwa
boingk Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hope you're in and out without incident mate, really good to hear that you acted on the signs and have private health insurance to back it up. Many people don't and face hard decisions without it - good on you for putting your health first in that regard. I've also heard people use the time in hospital to help them quit smoking - do that if you feel you can and have somone (wife, mates, kids) throw out any lighters, ashtrays or other paraphenalia from your home and car. Not meaning to harp on, just wishing you the best and glad to hear you've 'nipped this one in the bud' so to speak. All the best - boingk
horsefeathers Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hi Kyle Wow, you must have been feeling that way when you took time out to look at my radio problem - I'm really amazed that you still came round for a look, given the way you were feeling (and those worrying thoughts that no doubt were popping up). Wish you all the best for a full recovery Gerry
Guest Maj Millard Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hey mark, Do you reckon you could get a nurse to hang that Nflight cam on her bandanna, so we can get a blow by blow account of the action ?... that way you'll get more rest next week instead of having to report back to us !!!.....also be sure to tell the doc that you need the hi-flow, hi-Gs model when he does the magic stuff on you!... Best of luck mate, talk next week .............................................Maj...
turboplanner Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 All the best Mark, bit of crunch to get that news, but as others have said the operation is well proven with good life expectancy. Good luck with it, and start posting soon. 1
ave8rr Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 This comes as a shock to me Mark. To think I was only talking to you a day or two earlier and you were telling me all about the things you were going to do around the block and how you were going to enjoy and relax on your break up there. Hope all goes well with the surgery. The annual DME visit to maintain my class 1 allways gives me piece of mind after seeing the ECG results. I will try and keep a class 2 as a minimum for as long as I can just for the regular doctors visit. Cheers
Guest Swanny Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Hi Mark Great you caught it early. You'll be back fixing everyone's problems before you know it.
cscotthendry Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 Mark: Go and buy a lotto ticket mate and get better soon.
biggles Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 MarkI'm of two minds, sorry to hear of your problems, but very happy we didnt hear of them via an obituary........ Hope it all works out well for you and you feel like a $m man when they let you loose again!! Regards Andy P.S Diabetes, Type 1 or 2? Does'nt matter much Andy , the end results are the same . Bob
facthunter Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 In response to OME's post. How much better to prevent than cure?. After the cure, you have to change your ways anyhow , or your long term situation is no good, so why not do it before the event, and if you do it well enough you will never have the problem. Gout , Diabetes and some Cardiac problems are all inter-related and not diseases of the normal infection kind but lifestyle related issues, which you can control often without drugs. Nev 1
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