A better day with better news

Yesterday I had my follow-up appointment with my cardiologist after the heart attack.  I was somewhat nervous going in, afraid I was going to get more bad news.  So after the usual paperwork and such, SWMBO & I follow a nurse back and I get on the scale

First bit of good news, I’ve officially lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks.  Sweet!  The we go into the room and she takes my blood pressure.  Even better news, 124 over 74!  I have never had blood pressure that low, never.  Amazing what can happen when you remove a blockage from your cardiac artery then follow it up with 2 weeks of proper diet!

After the nurse runs an EKG on me, (sigh, more hair ripped off by the sensor pads), Dr. David Wang comes in and does the usual listening to0 the chest and such.  We talk about where I’m at and how I’m doing.  Some minor changes to my meds and then it’s Q&A time. 

1. Am I allowed to drink at all? - Yay, social drinking is ok!  I can have a beer or 3 at the party.
2. Volleyball? - Nope. (pout)
3. What about *ahem* “adult activity”? - He’s kinda waffly here but says it would probably be best to wait until I have the stress test.
4. What about physical activity? – Moderate physical activity can be added in slowly.  I can start doing more than just the balance & yoga on the Wii Fit. (At this point SWMBO & I have the same thought.  “If moderate physical activity is allowed then maybe moderately physical other activity would be ok.)

I show him my dietary information from the iPhone program Lose It, which I have been faithfully entering in everything I have eaten in the last 2 weeks.  He’s impressed with he program and with the numbers.  I had a daily average of 2,100mg of sodium or less, which is exactly where he wants it to be.  Fat content, protein, carbs and cholesterol all are good.  He’s happy with what I did and says nothing needs to change.

We schedule my Stress test and an Echocardiogram for 2 weeks from now and leave the appointment much happier than when we went in.  While I still need to wait for the tests to see how things really are, this was a bit of weight off of both us.  Now I just need to keep up the diet and moderate exercise.

~Conan

PS – I have to admit that SWMBO and I did “act against medical advice”……. in a moderate fashion.

 

A minor setback…

No worries, nothing big.  I had gone back to work this past Monday and resumed my normal activities.  I didn’t really notice that I was getting more and more tired unti Thursday morning.  As I got up to go to work Thursday, I realized that I was so tired I just couldn’t do it.  I ended up calling in to work and sleeping most of the day.

This has made me think, how long until I get my stamina back?  This is the first time since I had my heart attack that something has really bothered me.  I don’t mind the change in diet, I don’t mind cutting out the fast food, I do mind feeling that I can’t function normally.

I have just gotten used to the idea that I have to let someone else mow my lawn, and now I have to wonder if I will be able to go to work and do simple things around my house without sleeping for 12 hours.  I’m trying to be positive about all this and keep looking on the bright side but this was pretty disappointing.  I guess I shouldn’t complain, as I am still here to be disappointed in the first place but it’s still annoying.

No strenuous activity, no lawn mowing, no volleyball at the party on the 4th for the first time, aaarrrgh!  The really annoying fact that I am probably still 3 – 4 weeks from finding out if I can even start doing any of these things.  The stress test I’ll have then could even show that I need another angioplasty & stent which would push “real life” back even more.

I know I need to focus on the positives but today things are just bugging me.  My friends and family have been great through this and I hate that I scared them.   I hate that I scared myself.  I  hate that I’m still scared.  I hate waiting to hear if I’m really ok.  I’m tired of worrying every time I feel a “twinge” in my chest.

OK I’m done venting for now, just needed to complain for a bit.  Sorry to all 3 of you who might read this.  I’ll be in a better mood tomorrow.

~C

 

A Wake-Up Call…….

Wow, life just changed in a big way.  On Sunday (6/14), SWMBO, Wee One & I had a nice afternoon down at Columbia Mall.  We did a little shopping, had a nice dinner at CheeseCake Factory, and generally had a nice time.  Of couse that all came to a crashing halt after we came home.

Once home I decided to mow the front lawn since SWMBO could corral Wee One for me.  I’m out there getting ready to mow I realize there are a few fern-like weeds that need trimming so I get the big bolt-cutter like clippers and have at it.  Now to mow.  About 20 minutes into mowing I realize I’m pretty winded.  Well that’s not too surprising, I’m a pudgy guy mowing the lawn in 80 degree heat.  About 5 minutes later I realize my chest hurts like someone is pressing a finger into my chest just to the left of center.  No worries I think, that’s because of the clipping.  I also realize my jaw hurts like someone is squeezing it.

I finish the front and head in to shower.  After the shower I realize three things;  1. my chest and jaw still hurt, 2. I am still slightly winded, & 3. something is wrong.  I now do the only smart thing of the evening so far.  I tell SWMBO what’s going on.  She is a bit spooked by the fact that I can’t specify what’s wrong, merely that I have a feeling that something’s wrong.  SWMBO gets me to take an aspirin and I sit down.  About 5 minutes after SWMBO asks me if we need to go see someone and I say no, I realize my left arm has gone funny.  At that point I ask SWMBO to call our friends to come get Wee One as I know I’m headed to the ER.  SWMBO is thinking of driving me herself to her hospital but I start getting worse so we call 911.

The paramedic gives me nitro and the pain goes away.  That’s both good and bad. The good news is that I am no longer in pain, the bad news is that nitro only works on heart issues.  Now it’s time for the lights & sirens run up to Carroll Hospital Center.  After a few hours in the ER and my first enzyme test comes back negative, they admit me to the Cardiac Care Unit for observation.  The next morning, Dr. Wong comes in and lets me know that the second enzyme test came back positive and I did, indeed, have a heart attack.  The next step is for me to be transported to Union Memorial Hospital to have a Cardiac Catheterization done.

Whee, another ambulance ride though no lights and sirens this time.  I pull up in the ambulance bay and SWMBO & GW are there to meet me.  I guess it helps that SWMBO works at Union and gets a bit more access than the average bear.  They wheel me straight into the Cath Lab and I get straight onto the table.  Me being who I am, I am actually still typing on my iPhone while they are prepping me for the Cath.  I actually put up one last FaceBook status (About to go nighty-night, will check in later) then give phone to SWMBO and lie back for the procedure.

Apparently I had several blockages of multiple arteries, but the ones they are worried about are both in the right cardiac artery (95% & 99% blocked.)  Both of those got Xience Drug Eluting stents placed in after the angioplasty

BTW, a cath is not the best way to start a week.  After the procedure, I had to keep my right leg still for what ended up to be 9.5 hours.  First there was an issue with my incision site seeping.  As they go in through the femoral artery, this is a reason for concern.  Then I had a Vagal Episode, just for fun.  As a tip, if you ever want to see how pale your loved on can get, have your pulse drop to the low 30’s and have your blood pressure spike.  Throw in woozyness and near fainting and you’ve got a party.

Eventually, my site healed and I was allowed to get up and move around.  On Tuesday I was able to go home and was able to continue my recovery with the help and family & friends.  This a big warning sign that it was time for a change.  Excercise  and proper eating are the way of things now.  Lower sodium & Cholesterol combined with higher fiber & protein.

For the 10’s of you who might read this, here’s the warning signs of a heart attack from the American Heart Association:

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone you’re with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don’t wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before calling for help. Call 9-1-1… Get to a hospital right away.

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. The staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. You’ll also get treated faster in the hospital if you come by ambulance.

If you can’t access the emergency medical services (EMS), have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you’re the one having symptoms, don’t drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option.

I’m only 38, so don’t think you’re too young. Please look after your health and pay attention to the warning signs.  We fall into denial far too easily.  I was lucky to have this now and that it was so mild.  2 weeks from now would have been the 4th of July party.  I get chills thinking of how things might have turned out differently with me playing volleyball all day in the heat.

I scared my wife, my kids, my family & my friends.  Please don’t do that you your loved ones.

~C

 

A Nice Rainy Saturday……

Last Saturday SWMBO, Wee One, ‘Lil sis (and her own wee one), RM & TB met up at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  Upon buying our tickets we realized we had about 2 hours to kill before we could go in, so we wandered over to Harbor Place to get some food and kill time.

After some food in the food court, the wee ones played on the coin operated rides for a bit.  We slowly ambled through Harbor place before working our way back towards the aquarium and into line.

 

Friends, old an new….

A few months back I came to the shocking realization that I didn’t talk to my friends much.  Life had gotten in the way and I was busy and work was hard and SWMBO was busy with school and the Wee One kept me occupied and, and, and………

That realization was followed by another, I wasn’t happy.  I loved my life, loved my family, tolerated my job but still wasn’t happy.  I finally figured out that it was because I wasn’t sharing those loves and triumphs with all the people who had helped me get there.

 

Getting Geekier!

Yeah, I know, no one reading this, (assuming anyone reads it), thinks it’s possible for me to get geekier.  Maybe I’m not getting geekier, but i’m using more geek tools.  I recently joined the Twitter (http://twitter.com) craze and am addicted.

For those who don’t know much about twitter, here’s the idea in their own words:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Once you sign up for the free account, you simply “follow” people by adding them.  Currently I am following a couple friends, (Hi Deb & David), and then a few celebrity feeds.  Wil Wheaton (http://twitter.com/wilw), Today Show (http://twitter.com/todayshow), Woot.com (http://twitter.com/woot), MacRumors (http://twitter.com/MacRumorsRSS) and a few others.   Now you’re probably thinking, “That’s not that geeky so far, it’s like the Facebook status without the rest of facebook.”  Here’s where the Geeky comes in.

I’m using the  twittelator app on my iPhone to keep up to date with tweets.  I’m using twitterfeed (http://twitterfeed.com) to have a tweet sent when I post a new blog.  To continue the circle of geek, the WordPress Twitter widget puts my tweets in the side bar of this blog, the Facebook App Selective Twitter Status allows me to update my Facebook status through my tweets if I wish,  and finally, the iPhone app Vlingo allows me to update both Facebook and Twitter either by typing or speaking into my iPhone.

I think I need help!

Follow me on Twitter if you like (http://twitter.com/requiemm)

 

The joys of children

I have 3 children.  2 girls and a boy.  The girls are 4 and 13 while the boy is 11.  The older 2 live with their mother and visit me every other weekend.  The last weekend they were here, they brought their Wii with them.  My son taught the wee one (the 4 year old) how to play Wii bowling.

 

More on FaceBook Notes…

So there is a second potential issue with those Notes on FaceBook.  This issue is far less dangerous to your security or finances, but can have a far greater impact.  Be careful how you answer those questions.  An innocuous, (to you), comment can strike a friend  or acquaintance in a much different way.  This is prevalent enough to have made a Times.com article (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1877187,00.html)

While humorously written, the article illustrates a real issue.  A dear friend of mine learned this in a very personal manner.

 

Facebook “Notes” and the dangers therein… (IMPORTANT!!)

We’ve all seen them, (well at least all of us on FaceBook.)  I’m talking about those “get to know your friends” notes that we get tagged in.

I recently have done a bunch of them myself and have came to the realization that you need to be careful what you put in those.

There was an innocuous Note called “Names” which I even filled out.  After further thought I realized that this “innocuous” name challenge actually could be used to harvest a fair amount for personal data useful in identity theft.  Here’s the note with fake answers and the issues  realized about them:

 

Been a while….

So I haven’t blogged for a while. Not that I haven’t had anything to say, but I didn’t know how to say it.  I have also realized that the only issue with having a blog like this and using it as a kind of diary is that the very people you may be inclined to write about will possibly be reading it. This means there are 3 possible courses of action.