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Not what we were expecting for the holiday week

Lowandfat

Lowandfat

Jan 1, 2019
386
1,292
Central NY
Disclosures
Endorsed Artist Karl Hoyt Basses
#1
Well, I had a heart attack on Sunday evening. It looks like I'll be OK, only one blockage but it was pretty severe. Here's the scary part: I had no real symptoms, just some very mild tension in my jaw and base of my neck. We had just spent most of the previous 36 hours on the road, so I figured it was just some driving fatigue, and took a couple Tylenol and felt fine again. A few hours later I felt a very light pressure, like someone was gently resting their hand on my sternum. Never anything close to what I would call pain, so I just went to bed as usual. Still felt funky (not in the good way) in the morning and called my doctor's referral service. He suggested going to get an EKG just in case. 2 hours later "just in case" turned into on the surgeon's slab, getting a stint put in. Ow.

My overall prognosis is good, but I have a million restrictions on my diet and movements now. Not allowed to lift more than 5lbs for the next 2 weeks, I'm basically allowed to eat plain lettuce for the next year or so, and no alcohol, THC, CBD, or caffeine of any kind, possibly forever.

Bottom line, do not ignore ANY symptom that is on the cardiac list, no matter how small. I was VERY lucky, and I want you to be, too.

Happy Thanksgiving bass buddies, take care of yourselves!
 
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#5
Lowandfat said:
Well, I had a heart attack on Sunday evening. It looks like I'll be OK, only one blockage but it was pretty severe. Here's the scary part: I had no real symptoms, just some very mild tension in my jaw and base of my neck. We had just spent most of the previous 36 hours on the road, so I figured it was just some driving fatigue, and took a couple Tylenol and felt fine again. A few hours later I felt a very light pressure, like someone was gently resting their hand on my sternum. Never anything close to what I would call pain, so I just went to bed as usual. Still felt funky (not in the good way) in the morning and called my doctor's referral service. He suggested going to get an EKG just in case. 2 hours later "just in case" turned into on the surgeon's slab, getting a stint put in. Ow.

My overall prognosis is good, but I have a million restrictions on my diet and movements now. Not allowed to lift more than 5lbs for the next 2 weeks, I'm basically allowed to eat plain lettuce for the next year or so, and no alcohol, THC, CBD, or caffeine of any kind, possibly forever.

Bottom line, do not ignore ANY symptom that is on the cardiac list, no matter how small. I was VERY lucky, and I want you to be, too.

Happy Thanksgiving bass buddies, take care of yourselves!
Click to expand...
Hey LF,
That’s a lot to go through. Take care of yourself and hopefully all will be A-OK during Christmas! Sending good vibes your way!
 
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#10
kesslari said:
That is some scary stuff. Glad you are OK.
Sure is nice that they no longer have to crack your sternum open to do this kind of work - big improvements on that end in the last 40 years.
Click to expand...

You said it! If it wasn't for the other issues they were testing, stint placement is practically outpatient now. It is truly remarkable. I have a little wound, and a sore right wrist. Even that has changed, because just a few years ago they would have come in from the groin. :jawdrop:
 
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#11
Get well soon, Lowandfat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank-you for your thoughtful and wise words of advice!

Let none of us ever take life for granted. Every single day we are alive is a GIFT!

(I'm 71 now, had a retina eye stroke in August, right eye, lost about 35% of it's vision. Had a terrible accident Sept 18, fell down basement steps head first, fractured neck, brain concussion easily could have died. I have a TOTALLY different attitude about life and being alive!)

Thanks Lowandfat for your thread!
 
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#14
Sorry to hear and glad you’re ok now.

This could be the “wake up call” you needed to start turning your life around in health, family, work, finances, travel, spirituality, beliefs/attitudes, etc.

Find something positive from this experience. Each day from now on, learn to appreciate and make the most of what you do have.
 
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#15
Thanks very much for that, that is absolutely the right attitude! I actually already had the wake up call when I got diagnosed as type 2 diabetic almost 2 years ago. This episode was 100% self-inflicted. If this doesn't kill me, my lovely wife will. I was doing great on diet, dropped a good chunk of weight, cut way down on drinking/THC, and then my sister got pancreatic cancer 3 hours away. If you know, you know. Possibly the most horrible form of cancer, and her decline and exit were hell beyond description (5/15/64-9/11/22). It completely and utterly broke me. We were on the road back and forth to Allentown every few days for months, and subjected to nothing but road food and chain restaurants (Allentown sucks). Between the immeasurable stress of losing my "Irish twin" (18 months apart), blowing my diet (nuking it, actually), and resuming ALL of my bad habits (twice over), here I am. I'm not beating myself up over it, I defy anyone to handle all this better, but I already know what to do, and I'm already well back on the right track.

I'll say again, take care of yourselves bass buddies. You never know what curve ball is aiming at your melon next.
 
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