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An update about my health

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I have a moderate risk genetic situation (Father grandpa, though from my mother's side, they live long. I am 77). I am an strong atheist and am not worried about death. It has to come and it will come. But, if you do not mind, share with us your experience about pain. My life has already changed (from belief to doubt to rejection of any divine except music and wine) and will not change any further even if I have a heart attack. :D
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.


All the best and get well soon. I look forward to seeing you back here but first and foremost, take are of yourself.

I hope the cause is found quickly, there is nothing worse than not knowing?
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.

Sorry to hear that. Its not the kind of thing you expect to happen as a younger woman. Maybe its good it happened now so steps can be taken to prevent another one. About a quarter of people who have their first coronary just drop dead so its good you are still around. Times like this remind us how short life is and how fragile we really are. Best wishes. Adrian
 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.
I hope you recover and live a full and long happy life.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
in-the-garden-vase-347.jpg
 

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
But, if you do not mind, share with us your experience about pain.
It's tough to entirely describe because I was in and out of full consciousness for a full five hours while I was in the ambulance and operating rooms (I think there were two rooms). I never felt like I had been unconscious for any of it, but I was told everything took 5 hours instead of 30 minutes, which felt wrong to me. It did feel a bit like a weird slide show of moments though, like I was watching some sort of messed up movie montage. Whenever I was aware, it felt like I was being slowly crushed to death. I couldn't breathe and I felt immense pressure and pain everywhere in my torso. I vaguely remember being asked by an EMT if I wanted to be resuscitated if my heart stopped entirely and I wasn't sure what the right answer was at the time. Another moment I remember well was when a large needle was shoved into the artery on my wrist. I remember they had to hold me down because I couldn't stop flailing, and that was after they injected me with morphine. I felt completely helpless and terrified throughout all of it, and I still feel dazed and fragile now.

I already had PTSD, mostly based on collective emotional terrors I've survived, and I was starting to recover from some of that. Now I'm back at the bottom taking baby steps again. Every time I'm not distracted by something, especially when I attempt to sleep, I'm suddenly back in one of those operating rooms again reliving the experience again.
 
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Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member
I vaguely remember being asked by an EMT if I wanted to be resuscitated if my heart stopped entirely

Personally? I'd be terrified if an EMT or Doctor asked me that question in an ambulance or operating room. Guess it's time for me to work through my own response in case someone asks me.
 

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
Personally? I'd be terrified if an EMT or Doctor asked me that question in an ambulance or operating room. Guess it's time for me to work through my own response in case someone asks me.
I thought I knew my answer to that question ahead of time. I've been heavily trained in first aid and CPR from my old lifeguard job and my time in the military, so I knew what to expect in concept. Nothing was the same when I was the patient though. The world stopped making sense. It still doesn't.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Thanks, Jesster. Pressure and pain in whole body. OK, what happened has happened and you are through with it, though getting this problem at such a young age is surprising. It will not at all be surprising if it happens to me. Take good care of yourself, do exactly what the medics suggest to you. You have a long way to go.

Funnily, for the last more than 20 years, I have kept four tablets of Sorbitrate (Isosorbide dinitrate) with me in my match box. I have helped two people who were having difficulty in breathing. One person had a card on him which said that he was a heart patient (but had no medicine). I do not know if I would myself be able to use it if I get to that. :D
 
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Laika

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.

Best of luck with your recovery and take your time.:heart:

I’m slowly recovering from a major depressive episode at the start of the year. I was lucky to turn 30 in July this year. So you’re not alone and you will want to take a step back and figure out what is important to you after something like that. Things won’t look the same and that can be an opportunity, but only once the trauma has subsided a bit and your head isn’t buzzing with the “what ifs”. That may take a while to work its way through you’re system. ;)

Feel free to share whatever thoughts you want. We will always be here if and when we are needed. Sometimes its not what you say, its just the fact you have someone to say it to that matters.

And in case I don’t see you again, happy birthday. I hope you have many more to come. :)
 

Crosstian

Baring the Cross
I thought I knew my answer to that question ahead of time. I've been heavily trained in first aid and CPR from my old lifeguard job and my time in the military, so I knew what to expect in concept. Nothing was the same when I was the patient though. The world stopped making sense. It still doesn't.
These might be helpful to you:

Counseling Sheets - Uchee Pines

There are many things to consider, such as diet, environment, past, present, weight, toxins, etc, and without having a case history, I will only recommend that which is in this thread. You can find a lot more here (Total Health Resources)

As for PTSD, you might enjoy some of these (most people don't know that when they eat these, they are literally killing their peace of mind to satisfy an erroneous desire of the gut...):


3Jn 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
 

BSM1

What? Me worry?
Hey, J. About 15 years ago I had my "heart Event" (they said it was a heart attack, but I never had chest pain, never lost consciousness, never saw any lights at the end of any tunnels, and never talked to any dead relatives...go figure). I had two arteries on my heart with almost 95% blockage. Like you, they never determined the cause and contributed it to hereditary factors. I had no symptoms up to this event, and I was informed that I could have been one of those that dropped dead in their tracks with no warning; I, they said, was very lucky. They stented me up and to this day I have yet to feel or hear my heart beat (yay modern medical technology!). Although 32 is very young for this, you have been forced to join an elite fraternity of us who have stared deeply into the abyss and lived to tell the tale. Even though I understand how hard it must be for you, the take away from this--at least for me-- is that none of us has any guarantee of any more then the moment we just lived or the breath we just took. I now live each moment as it may be my last, but I am comforted in the knowledge that doctors, and medical personnel can do wondrous, almost unbelievable, things if they get to me in time. Fortunately, I have no residual heart issues so I should live to a ripe old curmudgeonship, but I am also a pragmatist knowing I could assume room temperature at any given moment. I guess the best advice I would give a young person in your situation is just stop once a day and simply breathe, J..breathe.
BTW, if you have never had a heart attack, here's a few pointers. Be aware of any unusual pain starting in your arm, or chest. Mine started in the shower with my left arm feeling like I had pulled every muscle in the arm and no matter how I move it, I couldn't stop the aching (traditionally this is the left arm in the male, but, as I learned, it is usually the right arm in the female). I felt the pain move up my arm, skip my neck, and settle into my jaw. This was like no other pain I had ever experienced. Having grown up with a mother who was a nurse, I knew exactly what was happening. I immediately took an aspirin, told my wife to call 911 requesting an Advance Life Support EMT unit (in case I coded), and I sat down to wait trying to remain as calm as possible. This basically all you can do. In hind sight, the only other thing I would recommend if you're able guys, is to shave your chest. You'll thank yourself if you survive when those smiling angels of mercy gleefully rip off those monitor patches leaving you with squares of bare chest hair; one patch was the size of your hand, can you imagine!
I'm not trying to make light of a serious situation, but you take care of yourself, take your medicine(s), do what your doctors tell you, and you might be surprised the quality of life you can still achieve. Good luck.
 

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
BTW, if you have never had a heart attack, here's a few pointers. Be aware of any unusual pain starting in your arm, or chest..
Thanks for the rest of your post, because I really loved your perspective on all of this. But I really wanted to comment on this part so I could add in on the pointers. The unusual pain started for me as a simple back pain, which I've had plenty of lately. I didn't catch it right away, so it took a while for me to realize it was something serious. By then I was almost spasming on the floor. Don't let it get that far.

But anyway, it's great to hear from others who have gone through something similar. Thank you.
 

BSM1

What? Me worry?
Thanks for the rest of your post, because I really loved your perspective on all of this. But I really wanted to comment on this part so I could add in on the pointers. The unusual pain started for me as a simple back pain, which I've had plenty of lately. I didn't catch it right away, so it took a while for me to realize it was something serious. By then I was almost spasming on the floor. Don't let it get that far.

But anyway, it's great to hear from others who have gone through something similar. Thank you.


My heart doc explained to me that the heart has no nerves to experience pain in itself, so the brain sends a special, painful message to other parts of the body when there is a problem with your heart. I think you'll agree that any weird pain should be a warning sign. BTW, did you have any strange sweating episodes maybe hours before your event? The night before I thought I was coming down with some kind of flu. I was sweating in a way that I had never felt before. It seemed the sweat was actually jumping off my body in small balls. I have talked to other survivors and many of them mention peculiar sweating.
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
Heya folks. I know I haven't posted here or visited in a while, but I thought some people here might want an update about where I was. I had a heart attack last Thursday, which was absolutely terrifying and life changing. I'm 32 (33 next week), so this is far from normal. The doctors are pretty sure it was caused by a high risk genetic situation, but they aren't entirely sure yet.

I'm not sure what kind of conversation I want to have about this. Sharing? Advice? Venting? I probably won't have much to say if this is used to push me into religion, though. I was at the end of the road and there was nothing but pain and horror. I just want to live my life to the fullest now.
Wow! Glad to hear you're recovering, and best of luck!
 

Jesster

Friendly skeptic
Premium Member
My heart doc explained to me that the heart has no nerves to experience pain in itself, so the brain sends a special, painful message to other parts of the body when there is a problem with your heart. I think you'll agree that any weird pain should be a warning sign. BTW, did you have any strange sweating episodes maybe hours before your event? The night before I thought I was coming down with some kind of flu. I was sweating in a way that I had never felt before. It seemed the sweat was actually jumping off my body in small balls. I have talked to other survivors and many of them mention peculiar sweating.
Huh, sweating. That's a very good question, actually. I remember I had woken up earlier than usual that morning because I just couldn't get comfortable anymore. It was really warm in the room, so I was sweating a little. It may not have been from the heat though. That didn't seem important to me until you brought it up.
 
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