Hi Bill
I too live in Ohio and get cardiac care from the Cleveland Clinic.?? Your
problem is heart failure and mine is unstable angina from coronary
artery disease in vessels that can't be stented. So we both are relying
on medication and guidance from Cleveland Clinic cardiologists.?? You
must feel disappointed not to qualify for a particular treatment and I
hope you'll be successful in that endeavor.
But in the meantime, you have a great team of caring healthcare
professionals.?? You are getting state-of-the art cardiac care so I
encourage you to take a deep breath. Your heart is an amazing pump that
adapts to adversity and your body too is adapting.?? I know I am anxious
about getting another angina attack despite all my meds; you must also
be feeling anxiety about your diagnosis.?? Have you got a support team
around you in Alliance in addition to this group online??? Perhaps you've
been trying some relaxation strategies. I'm using meditation and prayer,
guided imagery, deep breathing and intentional distractions.?? Eg,
reading a good book takes me out of myself.?? I also look at old photos
and feel gratitude for all the good things that have happened in my 76
years.?? I've outlived my mother and only aunt both who died of heart
disease so I'm on bonus time in an era when so much can be done for us.
Soldier on!
Godspeed
Doris
Original Message:
Sent: 2/11/2021 8:52:00 PM
From: William Platten
Subject: RE: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
Hello
my Name is Bill Platten, I have many complex issues with my heart failure that the only thing left is couple experimental drugs and implants but I'm not strong enough to qualify at the moment but I'm going to do what I must to qualify. Is anyone out there that is experiencing anything like I am I would love to talk. I have been going to the Cleveland Clinic
------------------------------
William Platten
Retired
N/A
Alliance OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 18:41
From: Carrie Kashani
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
Hi Robert. I read your question to Ira and wanted to share with you my experience. I'm not Ira...lol, and I didn't have the same type of surgery you two had. But I had a hard time getting balanced for a long time after my OHS. Honestly, I thought I was just not going to live much longer and that's that. I had kidney stone surgery 10 months after. Still, I was feeling super blah. I finally got a new cardiologist and he said I can get that special feeling. First I was taking too many vitamins and so I got a blood test and started taking just what I was low on recommended by my doctor. Then I stopped taking my anxiety meds. I decided I didn't want them anymore. My heart wasn't racing anymore. Finnaly, I cut down on my carbs. I wish I could say that I am completely carb free, but I can't, just mostly. After 3-6 months I feel fabulous!! 2 years later and I'm on cloud 9. Think about your meds and vitamin regulation and eating habits, with your doctors directions, and hopefully you can find your cloud too. God bless
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[Carrie] [Kashani]
Parapro
ISD
[White Bear Lake [MN]
Carrie
Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2021 10:07
From: Robert Sauder
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
Ira,
How long was it after your surgery that you started to feel better? I'm 14 months and counting post-Cabg and feel like I'm not making much progress with the breathing issues and chest tightness. It seems like it will never end. I'm told major progress happens after 2nd year of recovery. Do you agree?
Robert Sauder
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Robert Sauder
Cumming GA
Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2021 17:05
From: Ira Reid
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
Well I've been to the cardiologist and my test results were fine. My grafts are clean and my heart is functioning properly. It was interesting to see the dead portion at the bottom of my heart, murdered by the heart attack.
Alas, I am still unvaccinated. Perhaps I should move to Indiana, which appears to have things under better control...or I can move to Israel, claim my right of return as a Jew, and get vaccinated there as they anticipate vaccinating their entire population by the end of March.
Stay safe, as if that is actually a possibility.
Ira
------------------------------
Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
Original Message:
Sent: 01-21-2021 05:57
From: Ira Reid
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
I am 70 years old. My wife is 60 and my daughter, who is a college junior and lives with us, is 20. I am extremely careful about the virus, going out daily only for my outdoor walk and stair climbing cardio workouts. I do my strength training at home.
My wife is almost as careful, going out only to buy groceries, run household errands and, occasionally, see a friend she considers safe for a couple of hours. I have told my daughter (and my wife) that I do not want her sacrificing her college years to protect me and that she should see her friends as long as she exercises the good judgment that I know she has. She is terrified of catching the virus, probably asymptomatically, and passing it to me, but I know that she also craves social contact with her friends, and I also know she makes very levelheaded judgments about what is and isn't safe, and she asks our opinion constantly about safety.
And so, I walk a safety tightrope for the sake of my child, who is now a woman and who I love more than anything in the world and who I will not prevent from taking reasonable risks because she fears for my old life which I already have lived fully and well no matter what else happens.
Tomorrow I go to see my cardiologist to get the results of my recent nuclear stress test and echo cardiogram. I pray that the results are okay, but at least I was told by the attending stress test cardiologist that the stress test portion went well. I don't yet know the radiologist's and echo tech's reports. I feel perfectly well but my cardiologist ordered the tests when he noticed a couple of extra heart beats in a routine EKG, something I know happens occasionally when I feel stressed, usually coming months apart, and that a doctor once pointed it out to me 20 years ago while I was still running marathon distances. Given my excellent fitness level for a 70 year old, and based on past experience, I believe this is nothing important, but I have PTSD from my heart attack and almost dying of my heart surgery complications 3 years ago, so I pray that I am fine, for my family above all. I will let you know the results tomorrow.
I also will ask my cardiologist tomorrow whether he can put in a good word for me somewhere so I can get vaccinated sooner than later.
Ira
------------------------------
Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2021 07:39
From: mary hedtke
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
For good common sense, I came to this forum knowing
that you would be interested in my note to you all
and would probably reply to it.
Its funny you should mention the mystique
of the here today/gone today /sign up now situation
with this vaccine
Our headlines posted front page that Wisconsin would be
vaccinating 700000 but only 7000 doses are available
So I called my Heart Specialists and they will get back to
me soon, or sooner, or maybe later.
I actually feel very proactive about calling the Doctor and
making an appointment and going to that appointment
and that is rare for me. But because of that whole
Nursing Home fear if I should ever take a fall or have
to recover from another surgery, I thought how wonderful
it would be to prepare early.
Our 65 plus population is ready and willing and able to
get this vaccine. We talk about it and text about it,
and it gives us the will to live and be healthy.
And in the meantime I triple bag my face masks when I go out,
and still remain rascally and healthy, knock on wood.
Thank you Ira. Be Safe and Be Happy
Mary
Original Message:
Sent: 1/20/2021 6:20:00 AM
From: Ira Reid
Subject: RE: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
Hi Mary,
My straight answer to your question is that I have read nothing that indicates the vaccine is a risk to heart patients (and I read virtually everything). To the contrary, both the CDC and many, if not all, state guidelines list heart disease patients as a priority for receiving the vaccine. Moreover, the pre-registration questionnaires that I have seen and signed provide consult your physician warnings only to immunosuppressed patients.
Now, forgive me for my sarcastic answer below. Does the vaccine even exist, or is it a mass hallucination or perhaps a massive hoax. I have signed up for the vaccine on half a dozen Nee Jersey websites to date, inly to be told that they don't actually have the vaccine at present but, not to worry, they will contact me when they do. I don't know a single person who has been vaccinated yet, although a 25 year old perfectly healthy teacher friend of my wife is purportedly scheduled to receive the vaccine on Friday. If, indeed, the vaccine has been given to limited people thus far (150 out of 60,000 in my town), then that constitutes just .2.2% of the population, which would mean that the entire population should be vaccinated after around 400 months. Even if the state number is more like 2 or 3%, that would still take 3 plus years to vaccinate everyone.
Now I know that President Biden wants to speed up the process and vows to get 100 million people vaccinated in his first 100 days, and I pray that he succeeds. I have to tell you, though, increasing the current snails pace to what would amount to one million vaccines a day seems to me less likely than our being able to engage in interstellar space travel within the next decade.
I hope I'm wrong, but I'm outraged by this whole vaccine business, which I regard as a program created by idiots and run by imbeciles, all while old, sick people like us die like fleas, and I needed to vent my spleen to reduce my own stress level.
I hope we all can get out vaccines soon, before it's too late.
Ira
------------------------------
Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
Original Message:
Sent: 01-19-2021 14:42
From: mary hedtke
Subject: Covid Vaccine And Open Heart Surgical Patients
News in the paper today where our state is going to start
vaccinating all State residents over the age of 65.
I had Open Heart surgery 1.5 years ago, no problems.
Has anyone gotten the vaccine yet and do Physicians
recommend this for their heart patients..
Thank you if you care to reply
MEM