I almost bit the big one Friday. OT

This is an interesting and informative thread.
In a way we're all like hot rods? We need to be checked on for our performance and "unit integrity" from time to time?
Too many blasts down life's highway and we're sitting along the road,all broken down...

Good luck and good health to all afflicted and may we all see better days!

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=186
you might wanna go over to this group....just for a lil help!
thats frightning stuff at 41! did they have a reason as to why? anyway, glad GOD was lookin out for ya man!

 

Glad you survivied the heart attack - what a Christmas present for you and your family.

You'll view life a LOT differently from now on and learn to listen to your body. Unfortunately, most men seem to think they're invincable and tend to 'tough' out the aches and pains, which is not only dumb, it can be deadly.

 

Wow glad you lived to tell about it...we all hit a certain age when we really need to start listening to our bodies...I have just now hit that age and need to change the way I do most everything from eating, exercise, stress, etc....all pieces of the puzzle which keep you here on earth...

 

This item is true. Forcing yourself to cough will help compress the area around the heart and help you to force it to beat should your heart ever completely stop.

The key though, is to be awake enough to know that you need to do this!

Glad to hear you're going to be okay. That is some scary stuff.

 

WOW! glad you are okay! ...You know we all should put some time into keeping ourselves running good like we do our rods... new year resoloutin maybe?

 

Good to here your ok man. Do what the doctor says my dad has a defibulator in him and he is 70 years old still building cars.

Mike

 

Best wishes Hollander.

I'm 41 and get a checkup every year just in case.

OT, but we will be in Grand Haven over Xmas you guys sure get a lot of snow.

 

Glad to hear you are OK. It is a wakeup call for us getting on in age or any age to see our doctors yearly for a complete physical. Cold air and shoveling snow are major reasons for heart attacks this time of year so lets be cautiou when doing it. We need the hot rodders to keep this country going.

 

Glad you're ok, welcome to the club.

I had mine in Sept. '07, 2 weeks before my 42nd birthday. I'd been having symptoms for 3 weeks (aching hands more than anything) and didn't know it. I'd also had shortness of breath and low energy for probably a year or more but didn't pay attention.

If you think you're having a heart attack, CALL 911. I didn't, my Dad and I were driving near the hospital and my hands went completely numb and I went white so we pulled in and I walked into the Emergency Room under my own steam. They sat me down in the waiting room for 1/2 an hour. My Dad grabbed a paramedic walking by and begged him to have a look at me (by this stage I have a mule kicking me in the chest and I'm pure white, pouring sweat, can't stand) and the paramedic says "can't help ya man, call 911". I just freaked, "I'm gonna f**king die in the waiting room!!"... and someone finally decided that perhaps I wasn't faking after all. After that everyone I encountered was great and professional.

I had 2 blockages that required 3 stents. Since I got fixed up I've had more energy and feel better than I have in years. Pay attention to what I eat, go to the gym 3 days a week and try to keep stress down, life is good.

If I'd known how good I'd feel after a heart attack I would have had one years ago.

 

Holy Smokes.. 41 .. I am 41... I am glad you made it and hope you get better.. My father had a heart attack at 37.. he had open heart surgery and it make him like new for 20 more years.. he wasn't one to change his ways.. and lived his life to the fullest.. eventually it caught up with him.. I am worried about having an heat attack.. your post is an eye opener.. thank you. . get well

 

Aspirin is good first aid for heart attack and stroke too...I carry a little plastic box with a few aspirin in my pocket just in case of that. Go out now and stash a few aspirin in your pocket, yout toolbox, and your car just in case!

 

Good point Bruce. If you hold the tablet under your tongue you will get more immediate results. (yuk)
I started taking an aspirin regime tablet every day.
Primarily a baby aspirin that increases the blood viscosity.
Of course ..be careful depending on your individual health.

 

Yep, once I got into emerg, the first thing they did was give me a baby aspirin.

I was taking low dose (81mg) aspirin every day but had trouble with bleeding and bruising so I stopped. Now I take Omega 3 fish oils and it's easier on my body.

 

Some guys mentioned the caugh method........correct info YOU CAN STAY ALIVE until the paramedics arive by...............

take 4 deep breaths then cough vigorously twice.............take four more deep breaths then cough vigorously twice.............KEEP REPEATING this until help arives ! !

this is way to give yourself CPR in the event you are "out in the field" by yourself having a heart attack. A friend of mine that is a fireman told me about this method.

 

http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/coughcpr.asp

 

I'm 41. Had my first heart attack at 29 (Double Balloon surgery). Had the 2nd one when I was 37 (triple bypass with ballon in the 4th artery).

Clean living with bad genes.

Makes you a lot more thankful for what you have!

 

Timely thread as I just had a heart attach last Tuesday morning, no sharp pain just felt like a 300 lb. fat guy sittin on my chest. When it first started I tried to ignore it ...like most guys tend to do...but as it got worse, there was no way to ignore it further.
Called 911, went to the hospital and received 2 stents(overlapping) in a major artery that was 99% blocked. I really feel the 2 ambulance driver's saved my life before I ever left the driveway,...they gave me aspirin and eventually 2 nitroglicerin before I got to the hosp. Everyone involved was very professional; I can't thank them enuf and will never forget them.

After 2 &1/2 days in the hosp., I'm back home and feel back to normal. (?)...other than a little tiredness from the meds.
The only symptoms I had were some tightening in the chest and shortness of breath
about a week earlier; which I pretty much tried to ignore, just figured it'd go away.
I hope someone on here is helped by this thread.

...I really missed the HAMB while I was in the hosp.

 

Glad to hear your going to be OK, that's a great Christmas present for you and yours.
Thanks for the post, there's lots of great advice for all of us. Seeing the doctor once a year is only part of it, exercise, eating better, controlling blood pressure and colesterol, asprin are all great in helping to prevent heart attacks.
Thanks to everybody for sharing their different symptoms, we all need to be aware of the different ways our body tells us somethings wrong.

 

You said it......... LOTS and LOTS of different signs/symptoms of cardiac problems. My dad's 1st heart attack, his left wrist hurt like hell. That was it for like an hour, then he started having difficulty breathing. Its spooky.
Glad to hear you made it through. Now follow your Docs advise!

 

my wife's aunt had one on thanksgiving. she said her jaw started to hurt first then her arm then her chest. she went to the hospital and had two stints put in and was out the next day she's only like 54.......Jones

 

My pain comes between my shoulder blades as back pain combined with shortness of breath.

After you've had your first, you never forget the symptoms.

 

Holy shit,Bret!Glad to hear you're doin' ok.

Fuzzy

 

I never had a heart attack but 11 years ago at 54 I had a 4x bypass, something none of you want to go thru. One thing I learned out of it was to take care of myself and be proactive with respect to my own health. I just had my by -passes checked and saw the Dr. today, they are still in good shape. Get a physical yearly and follow up on health problems. Quit booze, tobacco, drugs wear seat belts and in general watch out for yourself, no one else will. Good Luck and take care so you can all be posting for years to come. God Bless

 

Lots of good info in this thread. I'm glad all the rest of you made it through all your respective heart troubles. I cant wait to get back out to the garage to get some work done. The Dr says I'm not soposto pick up anything over 10 pounds for a few days. I'M going to take it easy for a few more days, then I will try to get back out there and ease my way back into it.

 

just found out that Mike died on "Little People"

 

Sorry to hear of your trial Mule Farmer. Hope things work out to get back in the shop. For anyone who would like to investigate statin-free heart health strategies, I started with reading this Doc's reports. It was helpful.
Duane Graveline MD MPH Former NASA Astronaut, Former USAF Flight Surgeon and Retired Family Doctor. www.spacedoc.net

 

I bought some of this stuff today (CholestOff) at COSCO. $19.55 for 240 tablets.
Go to www.cholestoff.com Space doc is also very interesting about side effects of statin drugs. Also, the doctor told me that some people just produce lots of bad cholesterol because of there genetic make up.

 

OK, folks , a little information for you . Now 86 , Had a heart attack 8 years ago, and had a pacemaker and defbrillator installed. Have check ups every 3 months.

Now the important stuff, I have chest pain everyday, leg pain every day, stomach pain every day, left arm and right arm pain everyday!

OK, I have arthritis in my back, spine, and neck, spondyolitis in my sternum , gastric reflux in my esophagus, and in general have pain all of the time.

Take lots of pills 7 at a time at night.

Now what the nurses in ER tell me, where I have been 4 times. If you can locate the pain it is probably not a heart attack. If it is a sharp pain it is probably not a heart attack, and if you have pain in the arm it is probably not a heart attack

BUT, if you have trouble getting your breath because your chest is too heavy or tight, go to the emergency room. Nausea and sweating are further symptoms.

Know your body's aches and pain, and talk it over with your doctor.

I tell my doctor about the aches and pains, and he asks if you are have trouble getting your breath, if not, relax and enjoy life.

Of course, at 86, I know that the long life has already been done, and what remains is a shorter

traderjack

 

I had my heart attack at 46, but had NO CHEST PAIN, the only symptoms I had was what felt like someone gently pinching me on the shoulder blade, [not painful just annoying], and when looking down at the ground it seemed further away than it should have been, almost like I was a lot taller or something, [that's the only way I can explain it], and finally a feeling that something was really wrong. They tell me that it is called a feeling of impending doom, and is another symptom of a heart attack, and thinking back that's exactly what the felling was.
The best thing I did after the 6 weeks of rest-[ no work or lifting over ten pounds-bored out of my mind-], was get into the local cardiac rehab class at the hospital. I go 3 days a week before work, they monitor you for the first 6 weeks or so, then you go there and exercise without wearing the monitors in the advanced class. Been doing it over 3 years now and have dropped 15 to 20 pounds [it varies up and down], but have kept it off this long now and I feel a lot better. Plus there are nurses there that run the class and doctors across the hall in case something does go wrong.

So keep in mind that there does not have to be chest pain for a heart attack to be occurring. It's called a silent heart attack. Hopefully this thread will help some people that read it or a friend or family member.