The medical problems just don't want to stop! I had my cataract surgery about 2 weeks ago, follow up about a week ago and the doc thinks he can get me 20/25 in my bad eye and 20/20 in my good eye. YAAAYYY! So I go to see my cardiologist today for a 6 month check up. Blood pressure is great...112/70. He decides to do an ultrasound on my heart and my carotid arteries. My heart was hard to see because my lungs are very enlarged from my years of smoking. This will not go away, no matter now much I exercise. This is the cause of my shortness of breath/lack of endurance. It will improve some with exercise. Then he informs me that my right carotid artery is ~50% blocked! His next question was "Do you want your angiogram on this coming Wednesday or this Friday? " Jeez!! This was supposed to be a piece of cake checkup! WTF?? So, I go in on Friday, 6 a.m. for an angiogram and probably an angioplasty where he's going to insert another stent. Bummer!!! His concern is that a small piece of the blockage could break off, go to my brain and cause a stroke. Sooooooooo, I'll be getting another wonderful treatment in Lubbock for my heart related stuff. Jeez, I'm so damn tired of docs finding stuff wrong!
That sucks, TXKajun! Not much choice with an arterial blockage pointed at your brain! Hope everything goes well!
My personal opinion is that is a lot better to have the Dr find out about your problems than the autopsy. Wife and I both would be dead several times now if we didn't have modern medicine. Remember you have to be alive to complain. Good luck,
Get it all taken care of now. Once single payer is instituted, you'll have that stroke before you can get the stent, because it'll take a year to get one installed. Having spoken to a couple of different stroke victims who've had heart attacks as well, they say that they rather have 3 heart attacks than another stroke. They claim it really messes with the way you think and you have to re-learn some things - extremely frustrating. You really don't want one.
It may not be news @TXKajun that you and your family might welcome, given the other health issues that you have a been experiencing, but early detection of health emergent health issues offers more options than if undiagnosed. Falling apart at the seams isn't much fun, and fixing the problems is not much fun, but the alternative doesn't bear thinking about. Keep your chin up, and do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.
This stuff is so common place now...my guess is that in the near future they will have people come in and have it done on an out-patient bases like breast exams, pap smears and a colonoscopy. The real cure is prevention which seems they are no closer to stopping why our arteries get clogged even if we eat a fairly good diet. I need to ask my doc to do a ultra-sound of my heart...wonder why she didn't do one when I got checkup. I must have a colonoscopy after new years as put it off for years being overseas.
Best of Luck, Better to find problems now, not later when options may be fewer! Keep your chin up, this will pass
Your not dead yet!!!! It must be that tough kajun in ya! Hang in there! we need your sense of humor! AND i must glad they found it and can fix it.
Like others have said, better found now than later. Hope all goes well-we need ya healed up and ready for when the zombies show up
Kajun, figure that finding that blockage now, and getting the stent, sure beats finding it when it's 90%, and you're lying on the floor, wondering if the ambulance can get you to the hospital on time.....right? As far as the lungs go, exercise almost certainly will help you to clear out all the crap that smoking has given you. Coming up the end of this month, I'll be 12 years tobacco free, and celebrating my much better health because of it! Yesterday, I went to the gym for a weekend workout (nothing heavy, just to keep everything from going to hell over the long weekend), then did a 2.59 mile walk, in less than 50 minutes (little over 3 mph). While I'll never be on an Olympic Power Walking team at that pace, it's not bad for a mid-50's man, who was over 300 pounds just 3 years ago, and well on his way to an early trip to the morgue. I'm down to 250-ish now, and shooting for 220-ish (down from 46 waist to 42 waist pants, and my old belt had to be retired, once it wrapped around to my left hip, with the buckle below my navel! ). 3 years ago, I was lucky to walk a half mile, in 20 minutes, and now the only thing that really limits me is the bursitis in my hips (ironically, caused by my excessive weight....go figure!). In other words, it's do-able, my friend. Takes time, effort, dedication, and listening to what you doctor says to do. Don't think of it as a temporary fix, think of it as a lifestyle change, for the better.
@TXKajun went in on Friday. I am hoping that all went well. @TXKajun you are still in my thoughts and prayers.
Whew! What a 3 day weekend! Yep, I went in Friday for angioplasty and had another stent stuck into my body, this time in my right carotid artery. Another timely find by a great cardiologist. We got to the hospital about 6 am, got checked in and the procedure stated about 9:30. It only took about 20 minutes. The doc said there was a bit more than 80% blockage so he put in a stent. I got to spend the night in the cardiac ICU (major unfun until I got those squeezey calf sock thingies taken off and was able to get to sleep) and then got released about 2 pm on Saturday. I'm weak as a kitten and have zero stamina....walking from one side of our home to the other make me huff and puff, but I can see improvement almost hourly. My thinking seems to be easier and clearer, maybe because I'm getting full flow of blood to my brain for the first time in a long time. Anywho, I am doing well. Motomom34, thanks for remembering! Sweetie and Bunny (our son) are major relieved, as am I. I'm still not sure if I'll go to work all day tomorrow or not. Maybe just a half day. Remember the monster moon tonight and tomorrow morning!! natshare, you're da man!! Great inspiration, thanks! Kajun
Glad your on the mend! Take your time, and let your body work through things and you will be back at it soon enough! Might want to try some Brain Teasers while your recouping, I call it mental calesthetics, help sharpen you up as you get back to the way things should be! After all, gotta keep the relatives on there toes! Glad your doing well!!!
Ya know @TXKajun, I have found that building AR kits while you heal up is a great way to pass the time. You can keep your feet up and its not taxing on a guy Glad yer on the mend
Thanks for the great suggestions, all. I'm doing good except my blood pressure goes way down when I stand up and walk a little...like down to 86/54. I think the doc says this is normal for about 14% of folks, and will go away on its own. Hope so! I think I did too much Sunday...fixed a roast beef dinner....and yesterday...went to work, tried to do regular stuff, only lasted 6 hours....so I'm going to kick back today and tomorrow. Other than that, things are going great. Oh yeah, when do all the celebs start leaving the U.S. like they said they would?? LOL Kajun
