Category Archives: Heart Attack

Valentine Heart

Posted on by MaryO

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine’s Day, and not quite the way one would plan to celebrate but at least we no longer have a broken heart here.

This journey probably began a long time ago but the first we heard of it was our wedding anniversary, January 27, 2013.

Two and a half weeks later, the surgery is over, the wounds are healing, things are sort of normalizing.  I know that there’s a long way to go – more doctors, start rehab, relearn life.  But, at least we’re on the other side of the crisis now.

Lots to celebrate!

 

Two Weeks After CABG

Posted on by MaryO

Sounds like a fairy tale of some kind involving veggies like cabbage, lettuce and other greenery.  But it’s not.  CABG is the abbreviation for Coronary artery bypass grafting, something I had no idea about 2 weeks ago.

CABG

DH had 3 of those grafts, the mammary artery and 2 from his leg vein.

From NIH:

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery that improves blood flow to the heart. Surgeons use CABG to treat people who have severe coronary heart disease (CHD).

CHD is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.

Over time, plaque can harden or rupture (break open). Hardened plaque narrows the coronary arteries and reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This can cause chest pain or discomfort called angina< (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh).

If the plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form on its surface. A large blood clot can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. This is the most common cause of a heart attack. Over time, ruptured plaque also hardens and narrows the coronary arteries.

CABG is one treatment for CHD. During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from the body is connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses (that is, goes around) the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This creates a new path for oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart muscle.

Surgeons can bypass multiple coronary arteries during one surgery.

I have to say it’s amazing how quickly the body can begin to heal after such an assault.  So far, we’ve seen the surgeon’s nurse practitioner and the visiting nurse.  Both say he’s doing very well for such a short amount of time.

There’s still some pain, some coughing, and other inconveniences but it’s amazing what modern medicine can do!

From Johns Hopkins

Posted on by MaryO

VIDEO: Heart disease is American’s No. 1 killer. Learn how you can stay protected – and what symptoms you shouldn’t be ignoring.

Featuring cardiologist Dr. Daniel Schwartz of Johns Hopkins Community Physicians and Jeanmarie Gallagher, Manager, Cardiac Rehabilitation of Suburban Hospital.

The Beginning

Posted on by MaryO

This blog was started to keep track of my DH’s experiences with triple bypass.

I can’t find a lot of info on the web about what we should be eating (or not eating) since the diet is supposed to be low-sodium, low-fat/cholesterol and low-sugar.  What is truly left?

So, this blog will be a record for us of what’s working, what’s not and helpful recipes, tips, videos and so on that I find along the way.

January 27, 2013 was our 40th anniversary.  DH called me and said he was leaving a conference in Washington, DC and we’d go out to brunch when he got home.

The next thing I had heard was that he was in the ER with a suspected heart attack.  I rushed to the ER and found him in his cubicle.  He’d had 3 nitroglycerine pills by then and figured he could go home.

Wrong!  They had him stay overnight at the hospital.  January 28th, they decided to send him by ambulance to Fairfax Hospital for a cardiac catheterization and possible stent.

At the end of that, the surgeon came into my waiting room and said that he needed triple bypass NOW.  Three of the arteries were 100% blocked.  They got me calmed down to see him in the OR.

He was trying to get odds of not doing this surgery and just leaving then.  Finally, I said that he would do this surgery, we weren’t going to fool with this.

I really lost it when they asked me if we had any children and I said 1 son in NYC.  They called him at work in New York and had him get there as soon as possible.  I’m sure he could her the fear in my voice.

They wheeled DH off for surgery and I waited again.  Luckily, 2 church friends came and sat with me and our pastor arrived about 8:00PM.  DS arrived about 8:30PM after taking the Acela and a taxi directly to the hospital.

The surgery was over about 9:00PM but when we saw Tom, he was still under anasthesia.  They kept him that way until the next morning since he was too confused when they woke him up.

Long story short (too late!) – he got out of the hospital on the 31st and I have been playing nurse 24/7.  Today was the first time he went out – for an X-ray and to see the surgeon.  He can’t drive/go anywhere for 6 weeks, and then there will be 12 weeks of cardiac rehab.  Maybe, when that time comes, he can drive himself.

In the meantime, I’m not going anywhere except to CVS for meds.. and I still need that anniversary brunch!