Mended Hearts Open Forum

I'm one year (next week) post op for CABG x3 and have had a lot of complications since then. Been in and out of the hospital numerous times and nearly died a couple of those times. Was just back in the hospital again this week. Went to the ER on Monday with severe chest pains that felt exactly like the heart attack that lead to my open heart surgery. They did a heart cath on Tuesday and didn't find any new blockage. They said everything looked like it was supposed to considering I have 7 stents and three bypass grafts (I did have one artery that was 50% blocked but they said that was no big deal). I was released from the hospital yesterday yet I'm still having these same chest pains. They said it could be stomach problems but I don't buy it because I can feel the pain INSIDE my heart. I'm so sick of these doctors always telling me what it isn't and never telling me what it is. Has anyone else out there experienced these same symptoms? Any thoughts on what it could be? I'm a real positive mental attitude kind of guy but this has been going on so long that it's really starting to wear me down mentally. Tired of constantly getting hit with these crushing chest pains and thinking "Is this it? Is this the one that's going to take me out?". Any help on this would be appreciated.

Hi Ira. Thanks for responding. I live in Sarasota, FL. I've been thinking for awhile that I need to get a second opinion but the challenge I face is that as a combat wounded veteran who gets his primary healthcare through the V.A., it's difficult to get one. That's where a lot of my frustration stems from. Although I am grateful for the V.A. and all they provide for us veterans, their doctors aren't real good at following up on issues like this. They look at one thing and if it's it not that, they don't carry it any further. They don't stop and say "Well, it wasn't that. What can we look at next? What else could it be." I want to believe that it's just that their workload is so great instead of just total lack of concern.

They have just recently made it easier for a veteran to see doctors outside the V.A. system, however, so I'm hoping that will open up the opportunity to see another doctor. I already had a my quarterly check-up scheduled with cardiologist at the V.A. scheduled for next week and I'm going to push hard to allow me to see another doctor. The cardiologist who performed my heart cath at the hospital here in Sarasota is a good doctor and has offered to see me in his office so I'm hoping I can get a referral to see him. Wish me luck!

Hi Phil. Thanks for the info. I have 7 stents as well as three bypass grafts from 11 heart catheterizations and one open heart surgery so I'm sure there probably is a lot of scar tissue in there. I had never considered the fact that it could be the reason for the pain. Will question my cardiologist about that possibility next week when I see him. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, as well. I'm 56 years old and have been wondering a lot lately if I would even live to see 60 but your story gives me hope that I can still live a long and productive life.

Have a blessed day.

Brett

I'm one year (next week) post op for CABG x3 and have had a lot of complications since then. Been in and out of the hospital numerous times and nearly died a couple of those times. Was just back in the hospital again this week. Went to the ER on Monday with severe chest pains that felt exactly like the heart attack that lead to my open heart surgery. They did a heart cath on Tuesday and didn't find any new blockage. They said everything looked like it was supposed to considering I have 7 stents and three bypass grafts (I did have one artery that was 50% blocked but they said that was no big deal). I was released from the hospital yesterday yet I'm still having these same chest pains. They said it could be stomach problems but I don't buy it because I can feel the pain INSIDE my heart. I'm so sick of these doctors always telling me what it isn't and never telling me what it is. Has anyone else out there experienced these same symptoms? Any thoughts on what it could be? I'm a real positive mental attitude kind of guy but this has been going on so long that it's really starting to wear me down mentally. Tired of constantly getting hit with these crushing chest pains and thinking "Is this it? Is this the one that's going to take me out?". Any help on this would be appreciated.

Hi Mary. Thanks for sending this. It's interesting because the more I read about COVID-19 the more certain I am that I've already had it. I took my family to the Grand Canyon back in late-January of this year and while we were there we noticed that at least 20% of the visitors there were from China. This was about the time that the news was finally starting to come out about how bad the pandemic was in Wuhan Province but there hadn't yet been any reported cases here in the U.S.. Shortly after returning back home to Florida my entire family got really, really sick. None of us had ever been that sick from a virus before. We were sick for literally an entire month. I went to the walk-in clinic shortly after I got sick and when the doctor was examining me I half-jokingly ask him if it might be coronavirus and told him about my trip to the Grand Canyon. He blew it off and said I didn't have to worry about it since I hadn't traveled to China. We now know that his statement wasn't accurate. The symptoms we had are the same as what I've been reading the symptoms are for COVID-19 but no one was testing for it at the time so we don't know for sure if that's what we had. It could very well be that the problems I'm having now are related to having had COVID-19. Do you know if there is anyway of finding out?

Hi Mary. Thanks for sending this. It's interesting because the more I read about COVID-19 the more certain I am that I've already had it. I took my family to the Grand Canyon back in late-January of this year and while we were there we noticed that at least 20% of the visitors there were from China. This was about the time that the news was finally starting to come out about how bad the pandemic was in Wuhan Province but there hadn't yet been any reported cases here in the U.S.. Shortly after returning back home to Florida my entire family got really, really sick. None of us had ever been that sick from a virus before. We were sick for literally an entire month. I went to the walk-in clinic shortly after I got sick and when the doctor was examining me I half-jokingly ask him if it might be coronavirus and told him about my trip to the Grand Canyon. He blew it off and said I didn't have to worry about it since I hadn't traveled to China. We now know that his statement wasn't accurate. The symptoms we had are the same as what I've been reading the symptoms are for COVID-19 but no one was testing for it at the time so we don't know for sure if that's what we had. It could very well be that the problems I'm having now are related to having had COVID-19. Do you know if there is anyway of finding out?

Virus-free. www.avg.com