Cardiologist visit tomorrow

[Sytes]

Everything turned out great. Angiogram with 5 stents and back in business in 4 weeks after religious PT effort on my part. I climbed same tree 4 weeks after stents and was there to see my son arrow a terrific 8 pt'er. Life makes you think what is important in these times. Why am I telling you this story? I am here today due my own will to find out why I didn't feel right. I followed that little voice everyone has that can tell you to stop. I was fortunate to listen to it and am blessed to have 2 granddaughters that I may have never known if I took that old Macho BS position and “toughed it out”.

Entire story you shared... wow! Tack that with MtnOak's experience... Amazing what the body tells us that often, crafted from the youthful "tough it out" mentality seems to stagger our developing maturity to, "Check it out". Second Addicting's #54 comment.

 

[JLDemo]

@Bullshot ironically I have a cardiology appointment on the same day for the same tests. Mine is supposed to be a courtesy check up due to post Covid complications.

Hope all goes well for you and good news comes your way.

 

[Bullshot]

Wearing this for a couple weeks. Getting my bloodwork tomorrow in advance of those other cardio tests. Surely that is gonna look bad… I may be at a good weight but I don’t eat well. Maybe I NEED something to hang my hat on and force change. Bad habits are a funny thing that way.

 

[Farmerj]

I went from 220 to 280 lbs from 2012 to last year. Did everything the VA medical team wanted me to do. Diet, log my meals etc…

“Why are you gaining so much weight”.

I have no clue. Reduced portions. Eat 5-8 “snacks a day instead of 2-3 big meals…drinking 32-64 oz of water a day.


It took having a hernia operation to start reversing my weight gain.

 

[Bullshot]

I’ve been and told them the symptoms I was having. That’s how I ended up on the heart monitor. I haven’t had pain, just tired and can feel my pulse skipping beats up thru my neck.

Please let me know how it goes for you, as I’ve had similar issues, including some unbelievable skipped beats where it just felt like the world stopped. My pattern was normal beats until it seemed to stop for a second, then followed by a doubly strong beat. This started suddenly on one day with a massive skip, and then continued for months with a skipped beat (not as severe) every few minutes for months. I was told this was one chamber skipping while the heart continued to fill with blood then the extra heavy beat was needed by the heart to purge it (that was the laypersons explanation, without all the mumbo jumbo). That was not a medical emergency type of irregularity, although other types of skipped beats could be in different zones of the heart and more troublesome so I’m glad u are getting looked over!

I’ll add that at the time I was also having lyme issues, and though lyme is associated with a different cardiac pattern (heart block) I find it more than coincidental that my skipped beats dissapeared once I was treated with dual antibiotics for lyme. The body is weird and everything affects everything else, I suppose.

 

[Bullshot]

Bloodwork was probably better than I tested several years ago. Sugar was hovering at the borderline of high but still OK. Cholesterol was 182, surprised this was not high(er). Other results make me just about the statistical average human which should make me happy, but leaves me a little perplexed given how below average I’ve been feeling.

Echocardiogram and exercise stress tests were undertaken, techs made no weird faces or comments and seemed calm and cheery throughout but I have not discussed results with doctor yet. The echo tech did not check anything on my neck arteries and said that was a seperate test, not ordered by doc, which I found strange, so I’ll have to ask about that at followup.

I’m still on the monitor, but have not had any acute racing heart, skipped beats, or other things to report. Trying to keep my overall stress in check and I shoveled a lot of snow today and survived. Little victories!

 

[gouch]

Went to the cardiologist yesterday and she told me that the probability of me dying from a heart attack any time soon is 0%. That was good news to hear but now I will have to wear a heart monitor to try and see what is going on with my heart.

 

[TOGIE]

Bloodwork was probably better than I tested several years ago. Sugar was hovering at the borderline of high but still OK. Cholesterol was 182, surprised this was not high(er). Other results make me just about the statistical average human which should make me happy, but leaves me a little perplexed given how below average I’ve been feeling.

Echocardiogram and exercise stress tests were undertaken, techs made no weird faces or comments and seemed calm and cheery throughout but I have not discussed results with doctor yet. The echo tech did not check anything on my neck arteries and said that was a seperate test, not ordered by doc, which I found strange, so I’ll have to ask about that at followup.

I’m still on the monitor, but have not had any acute racing heart, skipped beats, or other things to report. Trying to keep my overall stress in check and I shoveled a lot of snow today and survived. Little victories!

i'm curious - are you getting A1C results? insulin numbers? fasting insulin numbers? triglycerides? are they looking at LDL sizes and densities? not just total LDL?

i'm curious because i'm super interested in learning more about this stuff. and i'm partially under the impression that many docs look at blood work and say "yep, you're average, so you're healthy"

other docs might look at blood work and say "well you're average, and that's why you and the statistical majority of americans are having issues. we need to dig further."

again, no expert, but i'm curious and always trying to dig further and learn about this type of stuff. lots of smart doctors and researchers still arguing about stuff in this realm as far as i can tell. metabolic health is fascinating.

 

[Bullshot]

i'm curious - are you getting A1C results? insulin numbers? fasting insulin numbers? triglycerides? are they looking at LDL sizes and densities? not just total LDL?

i'm curious because i'm super interested in learning more about this stuff. and i'm partially under the impression that many docs look at blood work and say "yep, you're average, so you're healthy"

other docs might look at blood work and say "well you're average, and that's why you and the statistical majority of americans are having issues. we need to dig further."

again, no expert, but i'm curious and always trying to dig further and learn about this type of stuff. lots of smart doctors and researchers still arguing about stuff in this realm as far as i can tell. metabolic health is fascinating.

I don’t think some if those tests were provided. Below is the “lipid panel” result which looks middle of the road to me.


My echo and exercise stress test revealed nothing worrisome as far as I can tell from the written comments. I am, it seems, going to be in the category where I will be be sent packing with diet/exercise/stress instructions. I know that is good news but it will take some time for me to believe it, given how strange and unwell I’ve felt leading up to this investigation, hopefully it gives me the confidence to push the cardio a bit harder and see if I can’t pull myself out of this rut malaise the old fashioned way, without needing more acute intervention. Maybe I’ll consider this my first warning from God to value my health more than I have, and take care of it. I appreciate people listening in and offering suggestions. I hope everyone on this thread gets a chance to get looked over by their doctor if they are suspicious of anything with their own health.
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[homers]

i'm curious - are you getting A1C results? insulin numbers? fasting insulin numbers? triglycerides? are they looking at LDL sizes and densities? not just total LDL?

i'm curious because i'm super interested in learning more about this stuff. and i'm partially under the impression that many docs look at blood work and say "yep, you're average, so you're healthy"

other docs might look at blood work and say "well you're average, and that's why you and the statistical majority of americans are having issues. we need to dig further."

again, no expert, but i'm curious and always trying to dig further and learn about this type of stuff. lots of smart doctors and researchers still arguing about stuff in this realm as far as i can tell. metabolic health is fascinating.

Lot's of good information/podcasts with at Dr Peter Attia

 

[TOGIE]

Lot's of good information/podcasts with at Dr Peter Attia

i'm guessing he might be right up my alley on the guys i'm into listening to and reading. i'll have to take a look

big fan of reading/listening to dr robert lustig right now.

 

[Khunter]

Good thread! Knew something was not right and not feeling right when doing daily hikes of moderate to light difficulty. Like heartburn in throat very early in the hike and then a slight stiffness in shoulders on a mild grade.

Report this to primary care doc and she says what you describe sounds like textbook angina. An EKG was normal but follow-up tests needed.

Sent for stress test that was a few days ago, with pre/post exercise isotope nuclear imaging and sure enough, next step, tmrw, is catheter/angiogram to map and check heart arteries and odds suggest stent(s) are coming my way tmrw unless the condition is worse or different than expected. Those isotope images were obvious in indicating a blood flow to heart muscle issue in one area and alarming to even my untrained eye. Echocardiogram the next day bolstered the diagnosis from prior imaging during stress test. Was interesting seeing all those views of the heart and valves etc.

Hoping a solution/fix is coming for a prolonged life of full activity level. Doubt I could do my fall hunts in current condition not to mention more dire outcomes hoping to avoid.

Way too much heart attack and other cardiac bad history in my family, so guess I am ahead of the curve getting to this point (heart catheter to map and maybe fix excess blockages) before having a heart attack. Hope so.

 

[Khunter]

Stent in the LAD artery today that was 90% blocked. And come back for a flow velocity test in a week or so to determine if a 2nd stent on right side is needed.

Cardiologist recommends against doing my archery antelope hunt in August…

Supervised cardiac PT next couple months.

This stuff is a key reason we work, so have insurance. Can hardly imagine making do w/o. easy access to medical care.

UPDATE: Week fret the stent, a planned 2nd heart catheter and flow test procedure on the right side artery yielded perfectly fine flow through that second obviously impinged artery so no 2nd stent. On to getting in shape for elk hunt instead of tag return.

Told the doc I can give up eating moose, elk, or antelope, but only one of them. .

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Stent in the LAD artery today that was 90% blocked. And come back for a flow velocity test in a week or so to determine if a 2nd stent on right side is needed.

Cardiologist recommends against doing my archery antelope hunt in August…

Supervised cardiac PT on tap for a few months.

This stuff is a key reason we work have get insurance. Can hardly imagine making do w/o. easy access to medical care

I hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Stent in the LAD artery today that was 90% blocked. And come back for a flow velocity test in a week or so to determine if a 2nd stent on right side is needed.

Cardiologist recommends against doing my archery antelope hunt in August…

Supervised cardiac PT next couple months.

This stuff is a key reason we work, so have insurance. Can hardly imagine making do w/o. easy access to medical care

Sooo ... change in your diet must be on the menu? No more bacon and eggs. Raisin bran for breakfast from now on ... and lunch ... and dinner. Could be worse. Dietician could have prescribed Special K. Ugh! Boxed air with a high price tag.

 

[Gulf of America]

Stent in the LAD artery today that was 90% blocked. And come back for a flow velocity test in a week or so to determine if a 2nd stent on right side is needed.

Cardiologist recommends against doing my archery antelope hunt in August…

Supervised cardiac PT next couple months.

This stuff is a key reason we work, so have insurance. Can hardly imagine making do w/o. easy access to medical care

Glad you caught it before it became an emergency! Curious whether you've had high cholesterol or other risk factors show up in blood tests? My dad died from a heart attack at 52 and his brothers have had heart problems as well, so it's definitely on my mind as I get... less young...

 

[Khunter]

Glad you caught it before it became an emergency! Curious whether you've had high cholesterol or other risk factors show up in blood tests? My dad died from a heart attack at 52 and his brothers have had heart problems as well, so it's definitely on my mind as I get... less young...

Thx. fighting high cholesterol, poorly when you reviewed the numbers, with meds for a long time. And blood pressure, the latter very well controlled with meds last 5 years.
Dad died of heart attached at my age, 61, brothers have had attacks and one or two ended up with stents.

As such none of this is a surprise. Hopefully warding off a heart attack with earlier intervention.

In 2017 had a stress test ( but no imaging) bc some odd chest pain but came away clear or at least no referral to add the nuclear imaging to check further.

 

[Bluffgruff]

Stent in the LAD artery today that was 90% blocked. And come back for a flow velocity test in a week or so to determine if a 2nd stent on right side is needed.

Cardiologist recommends against doing my archery antelope hunt in August…

Supervised cardiac PT next couple months.

This stuff is a key reason we work, so have insurance. Can hardly imagine making do w/o. easy access to medical care

Damn, man... glad you were paying attention to how you felt.