Hospital bound Wed

edperks · Sep 28, 2004, 12:38 AM

Just got back from the doctor in Evainsville, I have had chest pains and a bad chest cold for several weeks. The doc told me today after several days of tests that I have a blocked coronary artery that is letting fluid into my lungs which could cause congestive hard failure. So Wed I am going under the knife, This is kind of scary for me because I am only 39 years old. The docs says everything should go great cause they caught this early and that I will heal quick because of my age. I should be back roaming the forums Monday or Tuesday of next weeks. The bright side of things is I will get a 2 or 3 week vacation from work.

Whish Me luck!!

mainman · Sep 28, 2004, 12:41 AM

Good luck bud, i wish all the best for you!!! Have a quick recovery!!!

Judas · Sep 28, 2004, 01:37 AM

good luck buddy..... i'm sure there isn't anything to worry about...

Dom · Sep 28, 2004, 01:41 AM

Good luck.

**MIG-31** · Sep 28, 2004, 01:45 AM

hope everythings goes well....good luck.

Drakon · Sep 28, 2004, 05:20 AM

good luck and a speed recovery...

shortstuff · Sep 28, 2004, 05:23 AM

Good luck.

Logla · Sep 28, 2004, 05:49 AM

Best wishes. Hope it all goes smoothly.

digitalwanderer · Sep 28, 2004, 09:09 AM

A blocked coronary artery do you say? So what, they're going to be doing an angiogram and going for an angioplasti & stent implant if it is a blockage or what?

Also, are they going in behind the groin or thru the wrist? (I had a blocked coronary artery last year around this time and an angioplasti & stent implant done, don't fret too much...it ain't so bad.

)

Shinjikun · Sep 28, 2004, 09:26 AM

Good luck; game as much as possible!

GutterPunk · Sep 28, 2004, 10:56 AM

Good luck, you are also in my prayers... (lots this week!) I hope you have a speedy recovery and enjoy your vacation time... remember to eat healthy during your recovery days

pr0digal jenius · Sep 28, 2004, 11:28 AM

best of luck and come back soon!

and just from my experiences with anesthesia....when you get loopy right before you zonk out, don't try and pull the IV back out...the nurse's get mad

edperks · Sep 28, 2004, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalwanderer

A blocked coronary artery do you say? So what, they're going to be doing an angiogram and going for an angioplasti & stent implant if it is a blockage or what?

Also, are they going in behind the groin or thru the wrist? (I had a blocked coronary artery last year around this time and an angioplasti & stent implant done, don't fret too much...it ain't so bad.

)

Dig it will be the coronary angioplasty and it will be a catheter-based procedure. Its still scary though I dont like hospitals at all. Im happy you said it ain't so bad. The doc said that but I rather beleive someone whos be through it then him.

digitalwanderer · Sep 28, 2004, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edperks

Dig it will be the coronary angioplasty and it will be a catheter-based procedure. Its still scary though I dont like hospitals at all. Im happy you said it ain't so bad. The doc said that but I rather beleive someone whos be through it then him.

It's more weird than anything else, it's not really very uncomfortable or painful at all. (Well, after they go in with the catheter and get that little balloon thingy in your artery and inflate it to unblock it THAT does hurt....but if you haven't had a heart attack yet look at it as a very cheap lesson in what one feels like, but it's only for about 2 seconds and the novelty of the new pain experience is actually sort of neat.) The big thing is that after the procedure you are going to pretty much have to be flat on your back for at least 12 hours, or at least I did. They went in thru a little incision behind me right nutsack and put the catheter-thingy into one of my major arteries there and then went right up to the heart thru that....and you get to watch the whole thing on a kewl catscan/monitor thingy that shows you exactly what is going on as it is going on.

(Did I mention it's weird more than anything else? It is.)

I had a heart attack is how they found out about my blockage, and the bit where they inflate the balloon in your artery really does feel exactly like a heart attack....'cept it only lasts a moment and you will feel like 2,000% better almost immedietely after that.

The difference I felt after they unblocked that artery was just amazing, and I still notice it. Just more energy and you can feel your body working better, it's way cool.

You only gotta be imobile after the procedure to give the incission point a chance to heal well and a chance for the artery they went into to close up again. I don't know if you'll have to stay down as long as I did, they kept me down longer since I was (and still am) so full up of blood thinners that they were afraid I'd bleed to death if it tore.

Feel free to kick any questions, it's kind of a trip for me to remember it.

thomasabarnes · Sep 28, 2004, 12:54 PM

Hi edperks:

Goodluck on the surgery, and God bless you. Get well soon!

Sincerely, thomasabarnes

BWX · Sep 28, 2004, 01:14 PM

Good luck man. I've been under the knife now 3 times in the past 4 years- Major lower back surgeries every time (first was >6 hours).

I'm sure yours will not be near as painful, at least I hope not.

My brother-in-laws's dad just went through a very similar surgery (as you will have) -- he is an older guy, and he came out of feeling great.. You're so much younger I'm sure you'll do great, good luck again..

edperks · Sep 28, 2004, 06:34 PM

Thanks for all the kind words guys, I will CYA all when I get back.

digitalwanderer · Sep 30, 2004, 10:45 AM

Since Ed should be in the hospital, I thought I'd post up an apology to him about what I neglected to tell him about....

Sorry I didn't mention the ball shaving before you went in, but they hit me with it by surprise and if I would have known about it beforehand I would have just spent more time being paranoid about it....it is very weird to get your balls shaved by a pretty nurse.

Hope everything went well, I purposefully excluded that bit just so you wouldn't get paranoid about it.

tastyweat · Sep 30, 2004, 10:54 AM

good luck mate!

Falstaff · Sep 30, 2004, 04:05 PM

edperks,
my mother recently had a big heart attack last July and we witnessed it, The ambulance had my mother in the hospital within 20 minutes from where we live and three stints were placed in immediately after the first set of diagnostic tests, She came home a week later with a bruised leg but she is walking three miles a day now besides taking care of my diabetic father. She has to take medication and observe a ritual diet but she is a hillbilly and they do everything like killing bees, I dont know what other genetic predisposition you have for diabetes or thrombo plebitis but sure seems the best thing to do is get the procedure and start taking the clot thinners and cardiac meds, its the best way man. Its the kidneys and liver that really catch hell when the heart and lungs are working harder. I pray for the best for ya man, us old military guys are catching hell now...out of 24 people I served with recently most have become invalids because of alcoholism and disease. Lets show them all we are survivors!!

jsx[ifl] · Sep 30, 2004, 05:20 PM

Good luck and try not to hit on ALL the pretty nurses

MythicaL · Sep 30, 2004, 05:33 PM

Ok, wow, this is scaring the crap out of me for some reason. Anyways, good luck

Falstaff · Sep 30, 2004, 11:04 PM

mortality is scary man, we all want to live forever...

edperks · Oct 2, 2004, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalwanderer

Since Ed should be in the hospital, I thought I'd post up an apology to him about what I neglected to tell him about....

Sorry I didn't mention the ball shaving before you went in, but they hit me with it by surprise and if I would have known about it beforehand I would have just spent more time being paranoid about it....it is very weird to get your balls shaved by a pretty nurse.

Hope everything went well, I purposefully excluded that bit just so you wouldn't get paranoid about it.

Dig,

Everything went fine and I am now at home, And feel great Doc says I will be able to go back to work after my checkup on Wed. You were wrong not to mention the shave job!!

Oh well it was not near as bad as I thought it was going to be. Thanks again for the prayers and support thats what makes DH my home.

edperks · Oct 2, 2004, 12:29 PM

Thanks again everyone for the kind words. You are all great!!

edperks · Oct 2, 2004, 12:34 PM

Jeff, Im glad your mother is doing good now!! Thanks for the support and I also have noticed how us old military guys are catching hell lately. I guess we are just getting older and paying for all those years of fun and hell we have put are bodys through. Hoorah!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallang_jeff

edperks,
my mother recently had a big heart attack last July and we witnessed it, The ambulance had my mother in the hospital within 20 minutes from where we live and three stints were placed in immediately after the first set of diagnostic tests, She came home a week later with a bruised leg but she is walking three miles a day now besides taking care of my diabetic father. She has to take medication and observe a ritual diet but she is a hillbilly and they do everything like killing bees, I dont know what other genetic predisposition you have for diabetes or thrombo plebitis but sure seems the best thing to do is get the procedure and start taking the clot thinners and cardiac meds, its the best way man. Its the kidneys and liver that really catch hell when the heart and lungs are working harder. I pray for the best for ya man, us old military guys are catching hell now...out of 24 people I served with recently most have become invalids because of alcoholism and disease. Lets show them all we are survivors!!

digitalwanderer · Oct 2, 2004, 01:27 PM

Glad t