Healthy Hearts
 

I suffered a bit of a heart attack last Saturday and thought since I am back "in the pink" now I would share some thoughts regarding warning signs.

First - get that annual checkup. If the body is telling you that something is wrong - get to the doctor right away and then listen!

The symptoms I was ignoring are "classic" heart attack warning signs but I never realized pain to the lower jaw was a sign - but it is when combined with other things.

The short story of the events are that I had 100% blockage in an artery leading to the heart (I guess the heart does need all its blood after all!) and they ended up putting in a stent.

I'm on drugs for the rest of my life now it seems. Some I should have been taking all along others for the near term. Major lifestyle changes are also happening. Probably the most important is to stop smoking! I'm about to start on a new drug that is supposed to be better than the patch and to be honest - can't wait! Diet, exercise, stress reduction are next on the agenda.

The bottom line my fellow Pixies is that you need to listen to your body. Mine was screaming something was wrong and I've ignored it far too long. Who knows what would have happened if I had listened earlier - but that's history now. I know I'll listen the next time my body tells me to slow the hell down and go to the doctor!

I'm not going to preach at you or anything - but I do encourage you to get to the doctor once a year and head straight away when you body is yelling at you. I feel better now than I have in years!!!!!!

Prognosis is that I can resume being a pervert whenever I so choose! Once the bruise on the groin heals from the cath where they shoved the stent up to my heart - I'll be pervin along with the rest of you!

Glad you are ok now. Are you going to do Chantix for the smoking? You should check out the Pixies Power thread in the Advie section for weightloss, healthy eating and other support.

holy crap that sounds scary. glad you're ok!

Thanks ladies. Yes - it did scare the crap out of me and to be honest, I still don't feel like I was that sick. Unfortunately every time I shove that damned needle into my gut though it reminds me of how lucky I am! Many things to be thankful for and now I have loads of time to show my gratitude to those that care about me.

I'll check out the thread you mentioned. Yes - Chantrix will be my drug of choice. Supposed to be the best thing going - I'll let you know!

Good Luck................take care of yourself.

"A bit of a heart attack,"........ oh man, I'm glad you're ok. You take care of yourself and follow the doctor's orders.

My thoughts exactly, IM..."A bit of a heart attack" sounds like "a little bit pregnant". Good luck b4y...

(((((bare4you)))))

So glad you are OK! Thank you for the advice.

Did you know that women are often misdiagnosed where the heart is concerned? There are differences and similarities...but most people think all symptons are the same for both genders.

I don't have time this morning to look up a link to back that. If someone wants to research it for me I would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll try to get back with more info soon.

Glad that you're feeling better. Just take care of yourself and don't rush things. Have they put you into a rehab program? That was maybe one of the best things because it got me exercising on a regular and monitored basis.

I have no data to back it up, but I did see a PSA ad on tv sometime back advising that women may have no worse symptoms than "just not feeling so good"...something that might have been nice to know back in 1998 when my mother delayed calling 911 because she didn't know she was having a heart attack...she was revived at the hospital, but it took a toll on her already fragile health, & she eventually succumbed to a second attack a few months later.

Thanks, Lixy, for bringing it up, I think it needs to be repeated over & over till everybody gets the message.

And just for the record, I had my first stress test couple of months back, no signs of blockage...not "proof" of a healthy heart, by any means, but a good low-cost sign...

bare4you,

Good to learn you are past that! Take care.

We're an endangered species and need to do all we can to keep the number of perverts up.

Glad you're on the way back bare4you.

Well, just because you had to stop the activities due to catheter insertion doesn't mean you have to giv eup the mindset.

Take care of yourself, though.

I'm glad you're feeling better, and came out OK, Bare4You!

Thanks scotz!

A while ago I remember someone telling me that their mother's doc didn't diagnosed said mom with a heart attack when she went to him with jaw pain/pressure and some discomfort in her upper back. Later that day she felt worse all over and went to the emergency room where, after a battery of tests, she was diagnosed with a heart attack.

Not your "typical" symptoms!