Now it's my turn to freak out over something medical. Need a sounding board and some support svp

[LilAlex]

I would like to update everyone. I am very happy to report that the EKG, Stress Test, and Echo were NORMAL.

This sounds very good!

Did the test reproduce the symptoms and was negative under those conditions, or failed to reproduce the symptoms? I imagine they got his heart rate up pretty good?

Either way, sounds favorable!

 

[Mreader]

This sounds very good!

Did the test reproduce the symptoms and was negative under those conditions, or failed to reproduce the symptoms? I imagine they got his heart rate up pretty good?

Either way, sounds favorable!

He said they got him up to 90% exertion (a term they used). I asked if he felt chest pain and he said it was hard to tell bc they strap all these things to you and make you wear this really tight mesh thing. Plus he was keyed up. I personally think he didn’t have the pain since he couldn’t tell if he had it or not.

 

[Calliecake]

I’m sorry, I just saw your thread @Mreader. Great news the tests turned out well for your husband. You must both be so relieved.

 

[nala]

I am so happy for you both!! May the good news continue!

 

[Mreader]

I thought I would update. We were able to schedule a nuclear test for the 27th thankfully. The insurance approved it. In the meantime, I have been calling every day to see if there has been a cancellation for the cardiologist. Luckily yesterday there was! So he saw him yesterday. The doc seemed to think everything was fine based on his other results (they also did another EKG in his office). He said sometimes the enzymes in the medication may cause the feelings he had while jogging. This seems suspect to me, but whatever. When DH told him he had an appt for a nuclear, the doc seemed surprised. It made me glad that he didn't see the doc before getting approved for the nuclear bc if he had, my guess is that the doc would not have ordered it (his PCP ordered the nuclear after we asked).

DH hasn't felt anything since but has been walking and not jogging. So he said at the stress test, he is going to ask to go beyond 90%, which is what they got him up to with the first stress test. In other words, he is going to try to provoke the feeling to see if the test flags anything.

Anyway just to say that it is a good idea to push for certain things. If I hadn't been calling every day for cancellations and bothering my PCP for a nuclear order, neither thing would have been accomplished by now. I am heartened by the news that the doc doesn't think anything is wrong, but also cautious.

Thank you all for listening

 

[Mreader]

I thought I would update everyone again. Sigh. Not great news, but at the same time lucky it was not worse. Despite him passing both the regular and nuclear stress tests, and the echo and EKG, the IMAGING from the nuclear showed a blockage. So they went and did the cath lab thing (through the wrist). They discovered a 70-75% blockage in the LAD (which upon googling seems to be the place you least want a blockage). A tiny artery at the bottom was totally blocked but doctors deemed it not significant enough to treat bc it was so tiny and it would be risky to mess with. They put a stent in the LAD. They saw 40-50 in the RCA; they seemed quite unconcerned about this. I thought that was weird. So am I walking around with 40-50% blockages and it's normal? Idk.

Anyway it is very frightening to think that once he passed the first regular stress test and had a normal Echo, he could have been sent on his way. So again urging everyone to just listen to their bodies and ask for additional data if you suspect it's necessary. I have seen @missy say this before and it is so so true.

His PCP was shocked bc given his labs and lifestyle, he is supposedly very low risk for this type of thing. DH is going to radically change his diet. I may create a separate thread asking some questions about some of this...he is interested in full on veganism. I'm a bit at a loss.

Anyway I want to thank this community because I normally not the type of person to "overshare" or get into this kind of personal stuff, yet I have done so with this forum. I haven't talked to any of my irl friends about this. So the somewhat anonymity of this community does help me quite a bit.

ETA - He is 49 years old.

 

[missy]

@Mreader I am sorry he had a blockage but very relieved they caught it. He is going to be AOK. It’s the people whose blockages they miss who are in dire straits. Keeping you and your dh in my thoughts and prayers and wishing him a full recovery

 

[Avondale]

To be honest, I'd say that's pretty great news. You can't prevent things from going wrong, but you can catch them and treat them on time, and that is huge. You knew something was wrong, the doctors were able to eventually identify what exactly was wrong and fix it. Sounds like a success story to me.

 

[Mreader]

To be honest, I'd say that's pretty great news. You can't prevent things from going wrong, but you can catch them and treat them on time, and that is huge. You knew something was wrong, the doctors were able to eventually identify what exactly was wrong and fix it. Sounds like a success story to me.

Thank you @Avondale . I have a tendency to look at the glass half empty which is a character flaw of mine. I think I'm also still trying to wrap my head around the shock of it all. But you are 100% correct that we are so fortunate to have caught it and he has not sustained any damage to the heart and that he didn't have a heart attack.

 

[LightBright]

Thank goodness they caught this, thanks to your determination. Now they know enough to monitor him with the imaging going forward. I look forward to your post on things he might be able to do to stop more clotting. I wish him a speedy recovery and I hope for his improved health.

 

[ExplorePS]

Hope you and DH can continue to navigate this medical challenge together. Glad there is a solution underway.

All bodies are different but sharing that my father in law has had stints put in as well and had some close calls throughout his life (believe he had like 80% blockage one time)... it's genetics related and he's been on cholesterol and blood thinners his whole life. However, he's still living his best life without fear and is in his early 70s. Hope this gives you some comfort that this is manageable!

 

[Mreader]

Hope you and DH can continue to navigate this medical challenge together. Glad there is a solution underway.

All bodies are different but sharing that my father in law has had stints put in as well and had some close calls throughout his life (believe he had like 80% blockage one time)... it's genetics related and he's been on cholesterol and blood thinners his whole life. However, he's still living his best life without fear and is in his early 70s. Hope this gives you some comfort that this is manageable!

Yes my husband has genetics (dad and grandma) but their lifestyles were also terrible (smokers, sedentary). My DH was also on cholesterol meds but only 10mg which the cardio called "a joke". What is odd is that the labs weren't flagged as red bc they combine the two numbers - HDL and LDL. His HDL though is rather low and LDL high so combined it was a "normal" number. Makes me wonder why they combine the numbers on the reports.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

So glad they caught it. Consider looking into an anti-inflammatory diet, of course I am not a doctor but I have read that inflammation can make the body more prone a host of ill effects including blockages. IMO it is very overlooked by many doctors.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I am glad this was found and treated. This is more common than you imagine.

Is he on any ASA now? Is he cleared for travel? Healing vibes across the miles!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Mreader]

HI:

I am glad this was found and treated. This is more common than you imagine.

Is he on any ASA now? Is he cleared for travel? Healing vibes across the miles!

cheers--Sharon

He is cleared for travel (thank goodness bc we are working in Europe this summer). Idk what ASA means; when I looked it up it was about computer firewalls haha. What does it stand for in medical terms?

 

[SparklieBug]

I'm in the cup-half-full club, and view your DH's experience as an excellent outcome, @Mreader!

Many of my family members have high familial cholesterol, including me. I ventured into a full-on plant-based food plan, and stuck to it for almost two years. My cholesterol numbers drastically improved, even though the cardiologist said there was nothing that could be done with diet/food choices. I followed food plans from two different cardiologists that I discovered online.

Things changed (COVID hit, and we moved to a different province, away from a good friend who is vegetarian and went a step further to plant-based with me), and the plant-based eating went out the window...My cholesterol inched upward, and I finally caved and went on a low dosage of statins last fall. At the six-month labs, the cholesterol was way down into a healthy level, much to the delight of my doc.

If you opt to start a vegan/plant-based thread, I'd love to follow along, and maybe get some inspiration to eat more this way again.

 

[pearlsngems]

He is cleared for travel (thank goodness bc we are working in Europe this summer). Idk what ASA means; when I looked it up it was about computer firewalls haha. What does it stand for in medical terms?

ASA = acetylsalicylic acid = aspirin. (Trivia: Aspirin used to be a brand name.)

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

I thought I would update everyone again. Sigh. Not great news, but at the same time lucky it was not worse. Despite him passing both the regular and nuclear stress tests, and the echo and EKG, the IMAGING from the nuclear showed a blockage. So they went and did the cath lab thing (through the wrist). They discovered a 70-75% blockage in the LAD (which upon googling seems to be the place you least want a blockage). A tiny artery at the bottom was totally blocked but doctors deemed it not significant enough to treat bc it was so tiny and it would be risky to mess with. They put a stent in the LAD. They saw 40-50 in the RCA; they seemed quite unconcerned about this. I thought that was weird. So am I walking around with 40-50% blockages and it's normal? Idk.

Anyway it is very frightening to think that once he passed the first regular stress test and had a normal Echo, he could have been sent on his way. So again urging everyone to just listen to their bodies and ask for additional data if you suspect it's necessary. I have seen @missy say this before and it is so so true.

His PCP was shocked bc given his labs and lifestyle, he is supposedly very low risk for this type of thing. DH is going to radically change his diet. I may create a separate thread asking some questions about some of this...he is interested in full on veganism. I'm a bit at a loss.

Anyway I want to thank this community because I normally not the type of person to "overshare" or get into this kind of personal stuff, yet I have done so with this forum. I haven't talked to any of my irl friends about this. So the somewhat anonymity of this community does help me quite a bit.

ETA - He is 49 years old.

 

[Mreader]

I'm in the cup-half-full club, and view your DH's experience as an excellent outcome, @Mreader!

Many of my family members have high familial cholesterol, including me. I ventured into a full-on plant-based food plan, and stuck to it for almost two years. My cholesterol numbers drastically improved, even though the cardiologist said there was nothing that could be done with diet/food choices. I followed food plans from two different cardiologists that I discovered online.

Things changed (COVID hit, and we moved to a different province, away from a good friend who is vegetarian and went a step further to plant-based with me), and the plant-based eating went out the window...My cholesterol inched upward, and I finally caved and went on a low dosage of statins last fall. At the six-month labs, the cholesterol was way down into a healthy level, much to the delight of my doc.

If you opt to start a vegan/plant-based thread, I'd love to follow along, and maybe get some inspiration to eat more this way again.

Good for you for sticking to it for two years! DH read about Bill Clinton (who is a heart patient of course but is now vegan - which I didn't realize) and got all inspired. This is the part that has thrown me for a loop tbh bc I'm not all that interested in pursuing a plant based diet for myself (though I'm all for eating better and can chuck things like the occasional fast food meal for good), and at the same time I want to be supportive. We are working in Italy this summer - a food mecca lol - so I'm just wondered how we are going to navigate this together. It's all so new...I am wondering if this extremity is necessary etc. and at the same time don't want to be insensitive bc the blockage happened to him, not to me. He is also NOT easily shaken, and his enthusiasm for the new diet just shows how shaken he is. I have just now updated the thread, but the procedure was a couple of weeks ago.

 

[pearlsngems]

A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on what food choices one makes.
French fries fried in vegetable oil are vegan, but not exactly health food.

 

[SparklieBug]

For many years, I've prepped two meals in our household, one for my food preferences, and one for DH. He's a total wheat-aholic; I am the complete opposite. He loves sugar; I do not. He prefers basic foods that always include wheat/grains; I prefer lots of veggies, and perhaps a bit of protein. Wheat/grains cause a poor reaction in me...

When we have something for a seasonal celebration (Christmas, for example), we have some food crossovers, but he will never eat roasted squash/yams/Brussels sprouts, etc. And I will never eat buns, pies, etc. Gravy? Thickened with cassava flour.

It's a bit more effort on my part, but much preferable to eating his choices. I physically couldn't.

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

It's sheer coincidence that I am currently reading a book that addresses many heart issues. My husband also has a family history of cardiac issues and I try to stay as updated as possible on heart education. My husband lost two maternal uncles at ages 51 and 53 within a week of each other and his own brother at age 54 from fatal coronaries. When we were married, I was aware of his uncles deaths and sought from the beginning to cut as much exposure to coronary heart disease as possible.

Years ago I purchased and read Nathan Pritikin's book on diet and exercise and followed so many of the recommendations. I did continue to serve careful portions of lean meat, primarily chicken, and always removed the fat before serving along with vegetables, fruit and limited bread types. My husband is 77 and going strong but isn't as careful now as when we were eating at home as a family. Golf course snacks are not usually great health choices. Sigh...

The current book I'm reading sheds so much light as to what is happening to individuals predisposed to heart attacks. The book is "Outlive" and the chapter to focus on regarding heart health is Chapter 7, "The Ticker". As they say, knowledge is power and, hopefully, insight to your husband's heart health will be gained. The best of luck to both of you since this is a manageable problem, for the most part.

As a side note: My husband tried 3 different statins and they successfully lowered his cholesterol numbers. It was the pharmacist who questioned my husband when he went to pick up first statin RX after initial trial dose as to whether my husband currently had any pain. My husband mentioned he did have significant arm and shoulder pain. Pharmacist told him to contact his Dr. and he would not refill RX at this point. Sure enough, liver enzymes were way off and he never went back on statins after 3 tries with different types.

 

[Mreader]

A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on what food choices one makes.
French fries fried in vegetable oil are vegan, but not exactly health food.

Right, I know. I think Oreos are vegan too haha. He's looking at all the sodium, transfats, etc on the labels.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

See the ASA question was answered. Sorry for any confusion. How about a Mediterranean Diet option?

cheers--Sharon

 

[Mreader]

HI:

See the ASA question was answered. Sorry for any confusion. How about a Mediterranean Diet option?

cheers--Sharon

Atm he's intent on no meat at all. We will see. He has a follow up with the cardio next month and I plan to go with him to ask some questions and get his opinion. And yes he's on aspirin as well as an anti-platlet which is required after getting a stent.

 

[canuk-gal]

Atm he's intent on no meat at all. We will see. He has a follow up with the cardio next month and I plan to go with him to ask some questions and get his opinion. And yes he's on aspirin as well as an anti-platlet which is required after getting a stent.

Of course. This is all new=big learning curve.

 

[Autumn in New England]

While it's frightening that they didn't catch this with any of the previous (extensive) testing, what a blessing that you all decided to pursue it and ultimately discovered the cause. You said something so vital... listen to your body. He knew something wasn't quite right, and you know your husband well enough to understand it was serious. My father, though much older than your hubby, started to become short of breath when walking. That was it, no pain, no numbness, etc. My mother made him pursue it. He had a blockage, it was corrected, and now he could run a marathon. The important thing is, neither your hubby nor my father waited until they had an "event" that damaged their hearts. Preventative medicine is just so crucial. I truly believe your husband is well on his way to a full recovery. Again, look at this as the best thing that could have happened. Sending you a big squeeze, my friend!!