PLEASE don't take your health for granted ( I did)

Ken Ward

Member
Messages
432
Location
Tampa & NC
This is what can happen when you take life for granted.I was havin a lot of chest pains last yr when climbing up those mountains up in NC,was wonderin why I was gettin pooped out so easy and have no energy,but just figured I was gettin old, 68 now.So when I got back to Tampa in Nov I went to the VA and after a bunch of tests,this is what they found out.

I have a total blockage of the main artery in his heart. (called the
WIDOW MAKER) Of the 3 arteries to the heart, it is supposed to supply 50% of
the blood to the heart. One of the other arteries has made it's own small
artery to bypass the blockage. That means that the artery that is supposed to supply only 25% of the blood to the heart is trying to supply 75%. I have already had a heart attack(danged if I new that) and have heart damage. I have been refered to the Tampa VA for possible open heart surgery. So I am just trying to look on the bright side and am home restin a bit. I'm waiting to hear when I can get an appointment at Haley VA in Tampa for a consult.

Thank you all for your friendship.
Please say a little prayer for me.
Ken
 
keep yur chin up and if they caught before you left this earth ken you better off then not catchun it and in todays medical field they can do major corrections and make your life continue on as it was or better so look positive.. and will be passing along best wishes for a good outcome from the VA:thumb::thumb:
 
Catching it on this side of the issue is SO much better that the other side of it for certain....Get in there, listen to what they say and get it done, there is going to be more swaps and we want you in them Ken:) We are here for ya for sure:)
 
Sorry to hear of the health issue, but soooo glad they caught it before it was too late. Dad had a quad bypass a few years back. Talked to him last night and is having to do a stint late this month. Hang in there. We'll be praying for you and your Doctors. Jim.
 
Well, I can't say much the other guys haven't, but just glad they got it now instead of later!

Consider yourself on the prayer list...
 
Ken, I live in a retirement town. By-pass surgeries are more common than haircuts here. I'm not minimizing the seriousness of the situation but pointing out that the procedure is done a lot and invariably successful. I know you are not smiling but keep the chin up.
BTW, my care by the VA is great, I'm sure yours will be also.
 
Ken, you guys are the one's I help in surgery with and take care of all the time post-op, and my surgery, although on my lung was very simialr to what you'll have done.
I'm going to give you 2 pieces of advice you will hear over and over again...cough and cough and cough post op. Second...you will be given a device called an Incentive spriometer or IS...mine is sitting on the table next to me. It is gonna hurt like a mutha, but use it. Between that, coughing and moving around, you'll avoid pneumonia...and trust me when I tell you, you don't want that! It's going to be an ugly few months, but we'll bounce back!!!
Praying for you, your family and your doc's. Anything I can help you with, let me know. :thumb:
 
Just look at your signature line :thumb:
The Doc's & nurse's wondered why my blood pressure hadn't risen the closer it got to surgery time...I just smiled and said it's in yours and the big guy upstairs' hands now...I too had a heart attack and didn't realize it at the time. Thought I pulled a muscle trying to start a neighbors lawnmower, pain kept getting worse and the next day went to see the doc...a few test's later found out about it and some clogged arteries...ended up with a quadruple by-pass and was{against doctor's recommendation} back cutting the old guy's grass a week later...:D

The surgeon who's responsibility was to choose & remove the leg vein to use for the by-pass, told me after the surgery that he found "a big ol' nightcrawler of a vein" and I should be better than new...guess he was right, it's been a tad over 5 years now and I haven't lost as much weight as they would of liked and I still smoke, and yet, no heart problems since...other than a squirmy feeling when I think about going fishing :rofl:

My thoughts and prayers are with you :thumb:

**I agree on the taking better care of ourselves{easier said than done I know first hand and still struggle with it}BTW... I was 48 when this happened :eek:
 
I'll second Jim's advice on the Incentive spriometer... they gave me one after I had my umbilical hernia operation and partial bowel resection.... I didn't use mine as regularly as I was told to and wound up with a mild case of Pneumonia... I don't remember it hurting, but I didn't have my chest cracked open either..... just had my belly sliced open like a gutted fish....

On the open heart thing, (Knocking on green wood - side of the head with both hands), but I haven't had any problems with the ticker... but every uncle in my family on both sides, my mother's brothers and my dad's brothers all had open heart surgery... most are gone now, but they all lived to be in their 80's and 90's.... the last uncle is still kicking at about 79 or 80 and going strong. Even my mother had open heart to repair a punctured aorta and she lived to be 86.... with today's surgeons and their skills, it's almost routine.... good luck and we'll keep you in our thoughts.
 
You are in my prayers, Ken. You'll do fine. My mom had to endure several surgeries after she had already had a heart attack, once and more general damage several years later. Believe, you want to approach it when you are still in general good health and not when you are already in emergency mode.

Good luck and God bless you, your family and the medical team.
 
WOW,thanks for all the kind words and great advice.(An the video Rob) :wave: anyway i'm not to worried about it,as I believe the man upstairs has me in his hands and if he decides it time to go,then so be it.I am in pretty good health,don't smoke ,or drink,try to watch what I eat,not over weight,so the odds might be in my favor :D So thanks again to all.
 
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