Lucky to Still be Alive and Part of the WA Community
Hi Guy's,
It has been a bit of a strange 7 weeks, I had 4 cardiac arrests on the 4th October, long story, sorry. I went to the hospital with chest and arm pains, had all the tests and found out that I had had a heart attack as my enzyme count was 169 when it's apparently supposed to be under 14.
I was taken to ICU and ended up with a stent in an artery near my heart. About an hour after they had performed that surgery I had 4 cardiac arrests in the space of an hour. Strange scenario but I don't really remember much about it apart from one time seeing the paddles on my chest and feeling and hearing a big bang.
After I had recovered for an hour or so they took me straight back into the operating theater and put another stent in, this time through my groin. The surgeon had already shown me live onscreen where the damage was during the first procedure but had said it would be fine at the moment as the artery was still performing at around 65%.
The second procedure wasn't too long which is a blessing for me as it was done through a local anesthetic (I have on numerous occasions passed out and had some sort of fit at the slightest touch of a needle, big brave boy that I am, I always have to lay down on a bed just in case when needles are anywhere near me lol).
The surgeon apologized after the second procedure and told my girlfriend that I must have a really sensitive heart, strange that as I actually thought it was made of stone....lol.
Anyway, I'm well on the road to recovery now and taking 9 pills a day, to thin the blood etc. No alcohol till next April, which strangely enough doesn't worry me.
The whole thing was caused by cholesterol, which I found out after that it runs in the family so it's a big diet change for me. My girlfriend and I love our food so that's the hardest part, although I did go for an Indian curry on Friday 
, that was pretty much my first non-diet meal since it all happened. I'm allowed to eat what the hospital consider unhealthy food occasionally but only in moderation, I find it really odd watching my girlfriend count out and give me 7 grapes, as that's all I'm allowed per day.
One of the plus points is I've lost over a stone and a half (around 10 kilos) already .
Anyway, after a little time recovering I have just finished the first 2 courses of training today, have one website up and running although light on content at the moment, published my second blog last week, and have re-vamped my LinkedIn and Google+ accounts.
Things are moving in the right direction as far as WA, my online business and my health are concerned and I'm now feeling even more positive.
I have, to a certain extent been rebuilt, not quite the $10 Million Dollar man (for those of you who remember the series) but with today's less invasive surgery and the excellent nurses and doctors my recovery has been very quick, I am feeling stronger than before.
With a bit of luck and a healthy diet I should be around for a while yet.
Sometimes luck is with you and maybe if I hadn't had pains in my jaw around a year ago, and read on a blog that it could be signs of a heart problem and to keep an aspirin by the side of your bed, which I took when I felt something was not quite right I may not be here now writing this way too long blog...
Thanks for reading and enjoy life to the full.
Good luck to all WA members in all you wish to achieve.
Cheers
Tony
Recent Comments
19
WOW, thats quite an ordeal you went through. Welcome back and enjoy yourself. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jeff,
It actually didn't seem so bad at the time, I guess I was just feeling glad they had found the problem and were able to fix it.
Cheers
Thanks for sharing. I recently went through a series of tests because of some signs. Fortunately my out come was different except for the need to diet. Its wonderful that you are recovering.
Hi Drjec,
It was good that you had the tests and are changing your diet accordingly. I actually had a full check up around 18 months beforehand and was on high blood pressure medication. My heart was slightly enlarged due to working harder but that and the high blood pressure was all they found.
Good luck with the diet, I know how hard that is.
I am worried about health problems due to high cholesterol, I stopped using statins because I was in too much pain from the side effects of medication, plus I read of the implications of long term use.
I have read that long term use of statin drugs can lead to Alzheimer's, if you notice your memory not quite being what it used to be this could be an early sign, but, this is probably another topic of discussion for another day.
Tony, I am really sorry to hear about your health problems, my heart really does go out to you.
Hi Darren,
Thanks for the comments. I was using a statin drug for high blood pressure and am currently on 9 different pills, that will reduce after 6 months I hope. I would hope to be off medication totally after 12 months but time will tell I guess.
I have always been forgetful but since you mentioned it, I do think it has become worse, something to keep an eye on, thanks for the heads up.
Cheers
Sounds like you've been through a really rough time of it. The beauty of WA is, you can pace yourself and work at it when it suits you. You don't have to answer to anybody now that you need to take some time out to heal. Look after yourself and get better, we'll all be here for you and to get you through this rough patch :)
Thanks Jay,
Yes WA is great and being able to work at my own pace is a bonus. I am, however, a little impatient when I'm looking for results but learning to take things one step at a time.
Good luck with your business and earning a few quid.
Cheers
I've had to learn to be patient due to real life circumstances similar to yours. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day :)
My heart stopped at least 4 times before they found out what the problem was and then fitted me with a pacemaker. Since then, no more cardiac arrests for me, thank goodness! I hope your recovery continues and wish you all the best :)
Tony,
So happy that you survived all that! Many times it's tragic events such as this that change our lives for the better. I truly hope that this is the case for you. My prayers are with you for a speedy recovery and beautiful future.
All the best, Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Many thanks for the comments. I actually feel fine now but still under orders to take it easy. One step at a time.
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Take care of yourself Tony, you do not want to end up having a Quadpruple heart bypass like my husband had 6 years ago. It's such an aggressive procedure and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. Thankfully, he's doing very well and sticking to his healthcare program.
All the best :-)
Hi Gaylene,
Thanks for the warning, I'm glad your husband is doing very well, I've heard about how those surgeries are not at all pleasant. I aim to stick to my new diet and hopefully avoid any more issues.
Cheers