How Would You Score My Buck ?

[Pete44ru]

Actually, as you might surmise, it's not a buck - it was an early 75th birthday surprise.

I had started feeling a slight burning in my lower throat/upper chest, while mowing my lawn a few times this Summer, so I spoke to my Primary Care MD about it.

My Primary Care suggested it sounded like angina, and that I should check with my cardiologist about it. ( I previously had a heart attack & 2 stents in Dec 2002)

My cardiologist said that I was too old & fat for a treadmill stress test, so he did a catherization (test) through my forearm today, to check on both my complaint and on my old stents while he was in there.

I thought that I might need another stent...........

He found that the old stents were OK, but that I have 5 new blockages in the cardiac veins around my ventricle (lower heart); and that I need to get a coronary by-pass operation fairly soon (since it wasn't urgent if I did nothing like exercise/work/etc).

The various blockages are 60%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80% & 100%...

This is the diagram of the pics he took:





SOoooooo, my cardiologist set up a consult with a cardiac surgeon on July 24th, and I should then find out when he'll do the dirty deeds.


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[harry]

Good luck, prayers, and a speedy recovery

[Griff]

Abnormal?

Prayers up for a great surgeon and speedy recovery!

[OldWin]

Wow. Good thing you checked with the Doc.
Best of luck and prayers for a quick and sucessful fix.

[gamekeeper]

Prayers for a speedy recovery, till then keep yer powder dry.

[fordwannabe]

God Bless.

[Pete44ru]

Wow. Good thing you checked with the Doc.

Best of luck and prayers for a quick and sucessful fix.

Thanks, everybody - Yeah, it is a good thing, since the last thing I want is another heart attack.

Forewarned is forearmed.

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[JohndeFresno]

Prayers up, Pete.

[AJMD429]

There is also 'ECP' treatments for angina; they can actually lead to new vessel growth to the myocardium, instead of just repairing and spots as infinitum. It stands for external counterpulsation, and I've seen it work wonders in terms of improving cardiac performance in angina patients. Not too profitable for docs or hospitals, as most of the equipment comes from Germany I think, and is expensive to maintain, so much of the equipment has been bought by exercise physiologists and is used at the other end of the fitness scale to improve athletic performance. Still worth knowing about, as it fixes things stents can't get to and too extensive to bypass.

Also ask your docs to be sure that your LDL particles are under 1000, which is different than just being sure your LDL cholesterol is ok. Check your 'inflammatory markers' and if they are elevated keep looking for a cause because something is wrong (even a bad tooth or untreated allergies might trigger the inflammatory cascade that is hitting your endothelium). I find lots of people with 'mild' homocysteine elevations due to MTHFR mutations (even the 'harmless' 1298 one) who get worse plaque when they take regular B complex or regular forms of B-12, but improve if you give methyl versions (same with neuropathy symptoms in the diabetics). Be sure your insulin levels are ok and not just your 'sugars', and be sure your testosterone and thyroid levels are ok (including your rT3:fT3 ratio). Remember 'reference ranges' are NOT the same as 'normal' ranges.

Of course if you smoke or won't quit eating French fries......ignore the above, and fix those things first....!

Regardless, good luck and keep us posted. Prayers up.

[octagon]

Good luck with those issues Pete hope all goes well

[piller]

It would be a good idea to take a high quality Omega 3 fish oil. Omega 3, especially the ones with higher levels of eicosapentanoic acic and docosahexanoic acid, EPA and DHA, help to lower LDL and to decrease the risk of clots in the veins and arteries.
Some people do not convert thyroid medicines such as Synthroid from the precursor synthetic to the active natural form. Get your thyroid stimulating hormone level, TSH, checked. If put on thyroid meds and they are not helping, go to one of the natural forms such as Armour Thyroid. The typical thyroid level check is useless for about 70 percent of the people on thyroid medicine because it only measures the level of one portion. The TSH level plus the standard test give a better picture.

[Pete44ru]

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Thanks, AJ & piller - I've printed out your helpful comments/advice, and intend to bring them to my consult on the 24th.

BTW, I has a thyroidectomy/excise 16 years ago (papillary thyroid cancer), and my thyroid/synthroid levels have long been stable.

Again, thanks to all for the well-wishes.


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