h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For a month or so, my hubby's been complaining about chest pains. On Monday, he went to the hospital for a heart-cath procedure to determine whether there was a blockage in one of the arteries of his heart. It turns out that there was one - in the left anterior descending artery. The nurse came to the waiting room to tell me that they had found a blockage; twenty minutes later, the doctor was giving me the good news. They inserted a stent, and now he's feeling fine. After the first day we were home from the hospital, he was a lot more alert and energetic than I expected from a heart patient. He was tired, but that wasn't surprising.

I asked the doctor for pictures of the procedure. I expected to get several printed photographs, but what I got was a CD with digital movies of the procedure. Somehow, seeing what they had done made me feel better about it.

We're both extremely freaked about it being his heart. I know he's feeling a little depressed, and I'll do all I can to keep him cheerful and active. Now I'm anxious all the time... I know that continually checking to make sure he's still breathing is a little neurotic, so I'm trying to avoid that. I'm also trying to avoid the constant nagging, because it won't help him, and he certainly doesn't need the stress. He knows what to do, anyway - I'm not going to police his every move.

I don't know what to say, other than my thoughts are definitely with you.

Thanks, sweetie... He's back to his old self today, like nothing was ever wrong with him. Yay! Now, if I can keep from nagging him incessantly, everything will be fine.

Wishing the best for both of you

Thanks, darlin'. He's still depressed, and irritable because he's had to quit smoking. He's also experiencing some pain in the pectoral muscle, which we think is probably left over from the catheter - but it's a bit worrying. The two-week follow-up appointment is tomorrow, so we'll see what the doctor says.

Someone in my family had this procedure recently and the doctor was so reassuring about it - the way he described it, it was operation in the morning and you could be back out skiing/hang-gliding/mountaineering in the afternoon. I think he was exaggerating slightly but we got the point: any medical procedure is upsetting - just finding out you need it is upsetting - but life afterwards can be even better than it was before.

Hope everything goes well with the follow-up

Thanks!

> any medical procedure is upsetting - just finding out you need it is upsetting - but life afterwards can be even better than it was before.

You're right - that's been the worst thing about it, that it turned out to be the heart. R. looks a lot better. In fact, he looks better than he did even before he started having chest pains. His color has improved, and his face no longer looks puffy. So it's all good - now my big goal is to get him to exercise on a regular basis. He's afraid to do anything right now. I don't blame him, either!

We've talked about what the removal of the blockage might mean - better tolerance of alcohol, perhaps; certainly improved circulation and breathing, so he won't be exhausted by outdoor chores; and maybe even reduced blood pressure. We'll have to grill the doctor tomorrow morning to get all the answers... I'm looking forward to it, in a weird way.

Doctor says everything is hunky-dory, and R. can return to work anytime he wants. He's going to be scheduled for a bit of cardiac rehab, and he'll be on Plavix for about nine months, but otherwise we're back to normal. Yay!

That's excellent

I thought you'd like to know that the person I was referring to, having only had this procedure a few weeks ago, spent most of last week helping to put up a fence - and that's the most physical exercise he's done in years!

Oh, good! Hmm... maybe I can talk R. into fixing some stuff around the house now!

Dear Lentilla,

This note is coming to you a bit late but I have just come across your posting about the stent that was inserted into your husband's coronary artery in June. I hope that he continues to be well.

I am beginning to realie that had. had the concepts of stents been thought of, and had a stent been inserted in my left coronary artery, I would probably NOT have been obliged to have emergency open heart surgery over ten years ago. Unfortunately my blocked artery resulted in an aneeurysm forming - normally fairly fatal as it is only diagnosed with difficulty - so I was obliged to have a double bypass.

Of course the doctors blamed my smoking - although I had given it up twentyu five years previously! - but I think that it was far more likely the fact that I am a real chochaholic!!. I am in relatively good health although I am in a wheelchair - the psoriatic arthritis having got the better of me about five years ago.

But, although I am 76, I have started my swimming exercise regime again, and am working up to increasing my heart rate so as to give it exercise!!.

So good luck to the two of you. I am so pleased that the examination had a successful outcome. But I do think that diet - i.e. low cholesterol and lack of stress (how does one avoid that!! are we to practise those in our current olifestyle?) are two good ways of minimising the risks.

All good wishes to you both

Also Ran1

Phew! Double bypass, huh? That's quite a bit to get over. One of the people in physical therapy with R. had to get his chest cracked. His problem is that he's quite hairy-chested, so you can imagine that the healing of the incision has been problematic.

R. is doing very well, although there are occasional bouts of depression. Which is pretty normal, I think.

He's very lucky that the technology exists today. The drug-occluded stent (coated with Plavix) is what was used, which has a greater chance of preventing restenosis. Even so, the nurse seemed to indicate that he'd probably have to have another stent put in. I hope that it's not for a very long time!

His major risk factors are smoking, lack of exercise and stress. He's quit smoking, and he's now on a physical therapy program, but the stress remains. He doesn't know how to handle things differently, and I don't know what to tell him. The usual advice: 'Don't let it bother you' doesn't really work on him. I told him it was either learn how to deal with it mentally, or he'd have to resort to chemical agents - a mild anti-depressant would help. I'd rather he learned how to handle stress naturally, and so would he - so we'll see about that!

Thanks for the best wishes! Enjoy your swimming - that's good exercise, and fun too.

Just popping up to wish you both well.

Dear Lentilla,

How about Yoga?

Or Tai Chi?

That is the way the Indians and the Chinese cope with stress. I have also had five years of acupuncture plus chinese herbs since my double bypass. All of which helped I am sure.

Thank goodness for having stopped smoking. I took to eating cholate. Not a good alternative!!

Camomile tea for relaxation?

Lovely to hear from you. Have a good weekend

Warm regards

also Ran1
(PS And lots of holidays!!)

Very dear Krispy,

thank you so much for sending me the link. also for the good wishes. It is wonderful to meet you, and I have put you down as a new friend, as I do not want to lose touch with you - that is if you would like to be my friend!!.

all good wishes,

Am off to have my breakfast/lunch and of course my wretched medication which I should have have taken with my breakfast but have not had them yet!!!.

ah me! Ah my!!

Also Ran1

I think R. is constitutionally unable to deal with stress - his reaction is to get angry for a few seconds, then he's done being angry. Me, it takes me quite a bit to get upset, and when I'm finally upset, it's going to be for a while.

I've suggested that he start doing some katanas from his old jujitsu class, but he says that he can barely remember them - it was back when he was a teenager. I think regular exercise will help with the stress.

Hey, Krispy! Long time no see... Austin City Limits Festival was most excellent - although I didn't get to see Sheryl Crow, the Pixies, or Franz Ferdinand - I did get to see Elvis Costello, Abra Moore, Marcia Ball, Bruce Robison, and a bunch more cool folk. Very, very, very hot. I would have taken off all my clothes if it wasn't for the presence of my parents and about 215,000 other people! I'll be going back next year, and hopefully R. will get to come next time.

First time I've seen a theremin played on stage - makes me want one of my own.

Hey Jen

Glad you had a good time, sorry R couldn't get there. If he's got problems with stress though, it might be a good start for him to get to understand stress. I *think* you might have a headstart there, know what I mean?

Theremins are great, the only instrument you don't have to touch to play. I've wanted one for years.

AR1, I'm grateful for your good wishes but I'm rarely here these days - if you want to pop me an email to brokenscience at yahoo dot co dot uk I'll respond from a less cryptic address. Best wishes all round though.

Take care,

Chris

Yup, I do know what you mean, and we do as much of that as possible. Still, it's something R. will have to figure out on his own - no topical cream is going to remedy this particular problem!