Mended Hearts Open Forum

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  • 1.  New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-12-2024 08:40

    Hello, I am new here. Name is Jake, 53 from Minnesota. Recently had my first heart attack and am on the mend. Lived what I thought was a pretty healthy lifestyle, never smoked, not a big drinker and had lost 44 pounds over the past couple of years, yet all along I had a heart disease that caused a 99% blockage in a main artery that is now fixed, two more 80% blockages to address. 

    Reading the life expectancy on the web seems not good once a person has had a heart attack at a younger age. Hope to find support and good data on what lies ahead. Thank you- Jake 



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    Jacob Mayne
    Procurement Project Manager
    Jacob Mayne
    Center City MN
    6125187425
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  • 2.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-13-2024 09:31

    Jacob-

    I had two heart attacks and OHS, at 69. I am 82 and feel terrific. We are not statistics. We are individuals, with our own paths to follow. Listen to your cardiologist (and hope you have a good one). Live the best life you can. Hope you are lucky. You have no sense yet how much better you can become. BE POSITIVE! 



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    Bob] Levin
    Berkeley CA
    adelbob@comcast.netRobertRobert
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-13-2024 15:27

    Hi Jake

    Welcome to Mended Hearts. I had my heart attack just over three years ago.  I had a healthy lifestyle  prior to the incident.  I ate well, never smoked and I raced triathlons. 

    My M.I. led to other complications including kidney disease, diabetes and sleep apnea.  Recovery data can be misleading. The data points may or may not include personal history, causes of the heart attack and other health concerns. Look into each of the studies to see if the match your profile. 

    I still have my other issues as well as my damaged heart.  I have an ICD Implant too.  However,  because of my vigilance and help I received,  I returned to racing this year.  No triathlons yet, but I have run 5k's and biked too. Recovery will be what you make of it. Anything is possible.  Good luck on your journey. 



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    Jeff Luckenbach
    Marlboro Township NJ
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-13-2024 19:14
    If your doctor diagnosis ischemic heart disease, know that recent studies find optimal medical treatment can result in regression of cardiac artery occlusion if you LDL is reduced well below current guidelines. I had mine reduced from 175 to 20 mg/dl. One review by a stent practitioner reported no difference between "death or hospitalization" after 8 years, comparing stent vs optimal medical therapy.



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-26-2024 11:29

    Just got the LDL results after reducing Rosuvastatin, one of my two LDL cholesterol medications, to 5 mg (I think the lowest available dosage). My LDL rose to 26 mg/dl. There should be no risk of heart attack with no progression of plaque as you may have read. An LDL of 26 is well within the "regression" range for artery occlusion.



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    Terrell Williams
    President
    Pacemaker Patient Advocacy Group
    Brooklyn Park MN
    7634932300
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 12-02-2024 06:30

    Thank You Terry and thank you for the phone call. You have tremendous insight on the LDL and I appreciate you. 



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    Jacob Mayne
    Procurement Project Manager
    Jacob Mayne
    Center City MN
    6125187425
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-15-2024 05:41

    Thank you all for the correspondence and words of encouragement.  I have two more 80% blockages on the opposite side of my heart from the 99% widow maker I dodged the bullet from (fixed). Nitro pills do not seem to eliminate the remaining chest ache I have been experiencing off and on, now 70 days post angioplasty. Hope my cardiologist will provide guidance, or a second surgery can be done to open those up. One ER visit 6 hours and a full work up, diagnosed me with pleurisy? I have never had that. Not so sure the ER can detect a heart attack. They did not see the first one on the EKG, nor was there any tripoline, but the 99% blockage was there all along. 

    The emotional toll seems to be affecting more that I thought it would. Feeling like a dud and being dealt a bad hand of cards in life hits a guy in the gut. In my case it is all genetics with a couple of brothers and a father with heart disease. Two dead in their 40s& 50s and one with a quad OHS bypass. Hoping these grand medical professionals can get me fixed up. While not making any rash decisions it sure does make a guy think of getting his finances in order, selling off investment properties, a car collection, and moving off the lake place into a townhouse where my bride of 32 years can live comfortable and be self sufficient. 

    As I learn about changing my lifestyle and look at causes, the high stress, hard charging, high strung personality, and lifestyle I have evidently needs to change. Easier said than done if that is the way my personality is wired. Seems my physiological make up is wired to be self destructing if it has been producing the cortisol hormone, which has in turn caused the heart disease/blocked arteries? Have never smoked, no drugs and not a big drinker. Altar boy and Boy Scout. Down 44 pounds over the past two years prior to this heart issue and dropped my A1c a couple of points. Maybe I should have pounded the Marlboro reds and hit the bottle a bit more. ha. 

    Onward, Jake



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    Jacob Mayne
    Procurement Project Manager
    Jacob Mayne
    Center City MN
    6125187425
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: New member introduction- support for middle age heart attack victims.

    Posted 11-15-2024 14:47

    Jake,

    You are in good company. I have significant family history and had emergency CABG 3X with 100 (LAD)/95/85% and a fourth artery that was too small to correct at 56. I am glad we are all alive. I suggest you have a discussion with your cardiologist about Lp(a) testing and inflammation testing.  My LDL was below 50 and about 20 months after my surgery I ended up in the hospital with 3 stents being added on. I was very upset that other people got 10 or 20 or 30 years out of surgery. I was then deemed a "hard case" and sent to another cardiologist that saved my life by finding out I had inflammation which was causing my blockages. A change to an anti-inflammatory diet dropped my HS-CRP blood test from the high end of "high risk" to "low risk" among other things.  Find a doctor that goes beyond LDL and is conversant in inflammation and Lp(a). I'm also allergic to statins so I am on Repatha - a miracle for me. You may have the genes but what the genes cause can often be fought. I am glad we are all here in 2024 instead of 1974 and have the solutions of today. Good luck on your journey.

    Joe



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    Joseph Scuralli
    Wayne
    973-696-5809
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    Original Message