TOPIC: A warning to us all

A friend of mine recently underwent an emergency 4X heart bypass. He is only 53, was in fit physical condition, but had been ignoring some warning small signs as just aches and pains. He was working in his yard & started to feel "wrong" so his wife drove him to the ER. He was immediately scheduled to undergo the bypass surgery that day.

Given that I'm only 2 years younger than my friend mentioned above, I thought I'd better get my plumbing checked out. I hate going to the doctor, and I've been ignoring my own little "warning signs" for some time. My doc had me do a blood panel and it revealed that I have some serious health issues. I'm 30 lbs over weight, but exercise every day. I rarely eat fast food, and I don't eat a ton of meat or fried food. In spite of this, my cholesterol numbers are through the roof, triglycerides through the roof, and blood pressure through the roof.

Damn - I was put on 3 medications immediately, and now have to have it checked in 4 weeks. I also have been ordered to change my diet and to exercise more than the 2 miles I already walk every morning.

So - I'm writing this to all you out there who are active youngsters like me - get your engine room checked out. We are at the age when guys and gals start dropping dead from heart failure. Heart failure took the life of one of my closest friends last year. Another friend of mine 5 years before that. You would have thought I'd have had my own stuff looked at sooner.

If you haven't been to your doc in a while - you might want to go in for a check up.

Thanks for the reminder Bruce.

Great advice! Thanks for bringing it to our attention. So many people think that because they exercise that nothing can happen to them. I'm 55 and I've lost two great friends to a stroke and these guys worked out all the time.

Yes I had a Brother in Law pass before he could get to the hospital three miles away. Same ,physically fit skinny and good diet.

I'm actually in the same boat Bruce and 53 in August. Only problem is I'm not a big fan of simvastatins. My mother-in-law knows about 8 people who all had the same problem and were on the "statins" and ended up with bypasses. I was on them once before while I was still in the Navy, just before I retired and they made me forget things. Not one of the published side affects but one other guy at the command had the same thing. It's publicized now though. I was trying to run Officer Candidate School at the time and not a conducive environment to forget things. I do believe a lot of this is genetic and no one in my family has died from heart failure, unfortunately we don't do well with cancer. My Cholesterol, Triglycerides have been high since I was in my 20's and had a flight physical every year. I'm going to try and control it naturally if can. Just my 2 cents.

Bob

Thanks Bruce !!!
I'm your age 51, I started yearly physicals at 49, because I donate platelets once a month. I noticed the my Blood Pressure was on the rise. It was a slow rise, but it was going up. I am now on Blood Pressure medicine to control it.
The kicker : I run at least 2 marathons a year. I have a pulse of 55, but have high BP. I guess pysically fit, doesn't always win over hereditary ?

A yearly physical is only a fraction of time that we spend working on our boats. Don't think about it, just go do it !
I'd hate to see names drop from this site, from health oversite.

Hey Bob, forget what? I've been on Simvastatin and Fenofribrate since my attack in '08, also metaprolol. I can't remember if I forget things but I do know the Meatprolol causes really weird dreams, not nightmares, just stupid jumping around dreams.
Good advice to get checked out at least annually. I get blood workups every six months and doc visits once a year.
Cal

Yeah I'm just gun shy on them. There's a lot of data going around about how they're over prescribed and lots of side affects. I forget the doctors name but there's one out there that says it can all be done without the drugs. He's says if it's really bad he does use them to get it down then takes them off and uses his plan. i have to find it again but of course he's selling the book. I think the advertisement is "The four things that happen before a heart attack".

Bob

Its interesting reading all the replies. Im 51...3 years ago I was at a 4th of July BBQ shooting trap and skeet...then I just wasnt having fun anymore.....thats like a dog not liking his favorite bone!! I listened to my body ......6 hours later!! and went home..an hour drive!! Then went to the hospital...there was never any chest pain, only discomfort above the Belt line and I couldnt do #2 but I had to !!! When taken in to the ER I was amazed at the priority level I was bumped up to. While being wheeled down the hall after the CT Scan the doc sd.I got there "just in time" I worried about my appendix when I was younger...but as time went by forgot about it ....wel..that was it, on the fence of rupturing!

Bizarre enough after that my blood pressure spiked! and stayed up ....it was always low for a guy 6ft 3in and 220. I climbed trees and always enjoyed working both hard and smart.

Within a year the stress of running a biz and catching "the mice stealing the cheese" (quite literally) I developed A Fib and was put on warfarin and lisinopril.
My heart rate continued to increase and get more erratic sometimes borderline 280+ per minute....yah! Borderline V Tach....thats when the go........CLEAR!!!!!!!

I was then put on metoprolol, and diltiazem to control heart rate and BP. I was 48 and in great shape.....that doesnt count!!!! The guy who literally wrote the book on running marathons had a massive heart attack during a race and was dead before he hit the ground.....he was the lucky one in one way.
I dread the fact that after three cartio versions...a planed...CLEAR! I have a stroke and end up way worse than anything ever imagined!!!!! I do my homework on the drugs..weigh the risks...and make changes in lifestyle all at the same time!!!!
Listen to your body!!! It will tell you more than your friends will! I am looking forward to the day that I can ween myself of some of these things..in the interim as we get older our bodies change if we dont listen..especially the 45 to60 smthn male.....we will suffer the consequences!!
I am really brought down sometimes when I due a tally....6friends to cancer...one brother dead on the operating table during a liver transplant, 2 to suicide,and one brother in law and 3 friends in car accidents.........just when I start to be overwhelmed by all of that I realize ..........

IM STILL HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love life.

Kurt