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[Rusty]

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[john e. holliday]

There are many signs of impending heart attacks.  A co-worker told his wife he was going to rest a minute before taking a shower.  Stated he was tired from work that was done that day.   She said it was not unusual, but when she called him t say dinner was ready, there was no response.   She said it looked like he was asleep.   It pays too have physicals.  I was told I'm susceptible because of high blood pressure.   Family makes me carry a cell phone and I've shown the wife where the new flying field is.

[Tony Drago]

Had open heart surgery in 98. Prosthetic heart valve installed. Taking blood thinner for the rest of my life. Even with a good diet and exercise. If you don't feel right tell some one. Don't shine it on. Lying down is the worst thing one can do. As your body relaxes so does your heart. I know first hand. This happened to my father. He had a heart attack 7 years earlier. He was only 49 when he passed..
Like Doc. Where I go my cell phone goes.

[Steve Helmick]

My (older, skinny, single, rich) brother said that he went for awhile waking up at night sweating like crazy, and would go out and lay on the chaise lounge on the patio. He hikes out in the E. California desert and travels around with "The Pack Rats" hiking group going on hikes in CA, AZ, NV, and UT. They hiked down into the Grand Canyon and he wasn't feeling good. He hiked back out and was feeling real poorly. So, he went to his Dr., got slammed into an ambulance and driven to Bakersfield for a stent. A few years back, he went in and said he wasn't feeling well and thought maybe he needed another stent. Yup. Back to hiking the next week. It appears that, given adequate foresight, "a stent in time" is better than a full blown heart attack.

Dad had his at 70...quadruple bypass...a ruptured aorta (1% chance of getting to the hospital alive, and then 1% chance of living to get into the OR, they said)...died at 80 from cancer. 

Sorry about your friend, Rusty. Just lost my 94 y.o. 2nd cousin this past weekend from a massive stroke. He was a WWII USAF veteran and a very nice guy.    Steve

[Jim Kraft]

My sudden death cardiac arrest came while I was helping the boy scouts get the feel of flying control line. After I was done with all of them and the last one was walking back to the pits, I keeled over dead. One of boy scouts father is a doctor, and he did cpr on me for 15 minutes until the EMT'S got there and restarted my heart. Three days later I had a new doner heart valve. I don't have to be on any medication or blood thinners. I had very little warning outside of some chest pain that I have had for 10 years off and on. At the time my heart quit, I had no pain at all. It could have happened any other time or place and I would not be writing this.

[pipemakermike]

gone

[Motorman]

Check the BMI chart.


MM

[Jim Kraft]

Well Rusty, the only way I can expain it is that we did not decide when we were going to be born, and we do not get to decide when we will die. The only thing we do know for sure is that we all die. I do have a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and He was with me through the whole thing.

[John Gluth]

You can do much, much better than a defibrillator. Look at yourself. The message is, high fat food is killing people.

[Jim Kraft]

I totally agree Rusty, we should all take care of what we have been given, but it is also easy to over react. My father became somewhat of a hypochondriac in his late life and died at 71 in his sleep. I worked at very dangerous jobs all my life, working around petroleum pipeline pump stations and equipment, and have also ridden motorcycles all my life, and I am now 75 and reasonably healthy except for my back. My heart doctor said my heart looks almost perfect, but to be careful crossing the street. I told her I still ride my Harley and she said all bets are off.

There just has to be a balance somewhere between protecting our selves from everything, and enjoying life. By the way, my other heart Dr. kept telling me my heart sounded good and I should not worry about the chest pain I was having. He just told me not to over do. I don't go to him anymore. I have had a bad heart valve since birth, and that was the problem.

I even got a second opinion from another heart Dr., and they told me the same thing. I asked them if I should go ahead and have surgery to get it fixed, and they said that would have to be up to me as they would not tell me that I needed it done. I think lawyers have kept doctors from making any commitments when it comes to heart surgery. To many law suits when they don't work out.

As it stands now my heart will probably out last the rest of me. By all means if you are having the signs go to the hospital. You could either have a stroke or a heart attack if you wait. I guess I have lived life on the edge to much and probably do not worry enough about it.

I worked alone most of my life out in the middle of nowhere knowing that if I did have a problem there was no way I could ever get to the hospital in time to do much. No cell phones back then. I was working on 2400 volt switch gear and a gasoline pipeline with 1400 pounds of pressure. I never thought much about my health at the time. like Lew Woolard said, if I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

[John Leidle]

   When I had my heart attack on New Years Eve  Dec. 2010   I had finished a long Tennis match & all of a sudden  felt light headed & had trouble getting my air . Broke out into a cold sweat   I had no chest pains at all   so if you don't feel right something just might not be copasetic .
        Just thought I'd mention it, John