To make a long story short, after several other tests came back negative, I went in for an Angiogram to try to pinpoint the cause of my fatigue and vague chest pains, and woke up in the ICU after the cardiologist discovered a 90-95% blockage in one of the major arteries, occlusion of which would have almost certainly been fatal. They performed a double bypass, and I spent 2 days in ICU, and 3 days in Telemetry. I’m home now, and will be recovering for 6 weeks or so.
So, if anyone is curious, I’d be happy to answer any questions.
No questions, just glad you’re still with us.
Ain’t modern medicine wonderful? You’d be listed in our R.I.P. section 50+ years ago.
I’m always glad when stories containing the phrase “woke up in the ICU” have happy endings. You’re really home in less than a week?
Do you have a big railroad-tracks scar down the middle of your chest like the old days?
Oh, yeah!
They call this particular blockage “The widowmaker.” I hope the be much better than I was as much as 10 years ago when I’m recovered.
Yay! Glad they caught it on the right side of An Ugly Incident.
Wow! Great info. So, you got lucky, Tim Russert didn’t. You have a five minute window when the big one hits you. Just Wow.
They really push you out if the hospital as fast as they can. I might have been home even sooner, but I was on blood thinners for a few day before the test, and they made my recovery time a bit longer. The current thinking is that rest is not the best medicine - they had me walking the day after the surgery, and I’m supposed to walk at least an hour a day.
And yes, I have the “zipper” scar - it will be interesting to see how obvious it is in a few years.
Did they warn you at all before the angiogram that you might have to have immediate surgery if they found something? Were you out for the angiogram? Did you have any family there with you? How are they holding up?
The doctor said that if they found anything, they would put a stent in. Apparently, the location of this blockage was large enough and in such a sensitive area that a bypass was the only option. I was awake but sedated for the process - I remember seeing the video screen in a loop displaying the area they were concerned with, and my doctor saying that they were going to operate. My wife has been with me through this entire ordeal, and she has been a fantastic source of support and love. She’s pretty tough - once I came out of surgery, she has been much less emotional about it than I have been. All my other relatives are out of state, but I have talked to them by phone, and they seem to be taking the news OK. I had a number of people visit me in the hospital, and that was very helpful.
I’m just happy you’re still here.
I just lost an uncle this past Wednesday morning. Two stents and a lot of extra weight over the last few years, and this was the big one. He was feeling crummy, went to the hospital, and crashed while a nurse was having him sit in a wheelchair. They couldn’t bring him back.
So, I’m very glad you’re OK. Please take care of yourself!
Besides the fatigue and chest pains, what kind of health were you in before? Overweight? Smoke? Exercise?
Gad you made it through, we had one just like you not long ago. Your chest zipper will be with you for a looong time.
Glad you’re OK. that’s scary stuff.
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Do you have pain in the area where they cut?
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How much of this will your insurance cover (assuming you have it)?
Glad its all gone well for you.
Have a happy recovery.
That’s the really irritating thing about this - I’m relatively young (50 next month), never smoked, used to exercise quite a bit (although that tapered off as my stamina waned), and I’m a relatively healthy eater - although I do like rich foods, I rarely eat “junk” food, drink little, and watch my weight.
So, this has come as quite a shock to everyone who knows me.
There is little pain if I don’t move. When I move, especially trying to get comfortable is bed, there can be quite a bit of pain. I’m not taking any pain meds at this time.
The insurance issue is the $64K (or $100k) question. I have private insurance, which I have been paying exorbitant rates for, for years - I know I have a $2.5K deductible - we’ll see how much I end up paying in the end.
If I’m not mistaken, in current thinking the pedulum has swung a bit away from lifestyle and towards genetics.
Glad they found it in time. Good luck with the recovery!
Something similar, although slightly less dramatic, happened to a friend of mine from work. He was going to have hernia surgery, but something in the pre-op meeting caused his doctor to refer him to a cardiologist for cardiac clearance. The cardiologist gave him a stress test, which then resulted in him needing to get a cardiac cath, which then resulted in a triple bypass.
This happened in late February. He got back to work in May, and still hasn’t had the hernia surgery.