MTFCA Forum

Got a real "surprise" two weeks ago. Went in for my annual "treadmill stress test" like I've done since 2 heart attacks in 1984. Cardiologist said my test this time was somewhat "abnormal" and scheduled me for whatever they call the test whereby they go up into the heart through a major blood vessel to take a look! When I was again alert enough to somewhat understand an explanation, I found out that I was already scheduled for open heart surgery!

Triple by-pass on July 26th, week in hospital, home again now for last few days, and at a "follow-up" appointment at the cardiologist yesterday,...he says I'm doing fine! Of course I'm thankful for that, but I can't really say I feel "fine"! I seem to have this "A-fib" problem that he says is common to about 40% of all by-pass surgery patients whereby my heart seems (to me) to be pounding very heard, very fast and very irregularly. Not a good feeling, but it comes and goes, and when it goes away after a couple hours, I really do feel pretty good again. I truly thank God for modern medicine and the good care I've been getting, and I say a prayer of thanks to God every time I think of it that I've got some more good years ahead of me! But I guess it'll be sometime around Christmas before I'm back to anything like normal, but I'll be "hand-crank'n" Model T's again with the best of 'em next year for sure!

As I guess everybody knows, I usually can't keep my mouth shut on this forum, and just thought I'd at least attempt this little "blurb" so all my forum friends would know I'm still around,.....harold

Wow! That's some major plumbing. Glad you're still with us. We geriatric cases need to cheer each other on.

Glad to hear you and your medical folks caught that.

CRIMINY! That is a rough road you've been on! Glad you and they caught it. Take some time, mend well, then get out there and enjoy it!

Glad to see your back. Open hearth surgery it is something not an easy task. I would say; take notes how many hour per day you are in AF and let know your cardiologist when you will see him again. You will need probably a blood thinner agent, you may already have one. If you fill again some AF, just lying down on your back on the floor and raise your legs on a chair, that will be really helpful. Wish you a nice recovery.

Had the triple bypass, had the fast irregular heartbeat after...it does settle down and go away. My doc said, get yourself a glass of wine and sit under a shady tree and reelaaaax.

BTW that was 25yrs ago and I'm still here. Still taking the glass of wine under a shady tree - purely a preventative measure, you understand.

Harold,

Glad to hear that your plumbing job came out well. I have a friend who had a triple, probably on the same day that you had yours'.

I forwarded the comments about the "A-fib" sensation on to Lane. I don't know if he's in the "40%" or not, but it sounds like useful information for anyone who has had a similar procedure.

Dick

2nighthawks wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 12:29 pm

... I truly thank God for modern medicine and the good care I've been getting, and I say a prayer of thanks to God every time I think of it that I've got some more good years ahead of me! ...

I suspect that, if it weren't for modern medicine, many of us who are here wouldn't be. I never cease to be amazed by what they can do these days.

Jem wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 07, 2019 5:38 pm

... My doc said, get yourself a glass of wine and sit under a shady tree and reelaaaax.

Jem, my grandfather once remarked in 1958, "My doctor said that I should drink one shot of whisky every day. Right now I am on March 27, 1966."

Thanks guys,......the encouraging words mean a lot!