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Posted 12/14/2006 12:40 PM (GMT -6)
Hi

My Brother-in-law just had a 5 way bypass surgery and just got home from the hospital. He doesn't have heart failure or heart disease. Is there anyone here that has had this? He has lots of questions and needs support. :-)     

Post Edited (Mooney123) : 12/14/2006 12:42:39 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/16/2006 6:47 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Mooney, I am sorry that you havent had any responses to your post as yet.  Sometimes this forum gets alittle slow.  I am sure someone will come along shortly and answer...I hope eyes .  I just wanted to let you know you werent forgotten.

I hope your bother-in-law heals quickly and your family has a Happy Holiday.  Take care :-)

Posted 12/16/2006 8:18 AM (GMT -6)
Mooney123: Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. Since he had bypass surgery, he must have had a lot of plaque in his coronary arteries. I have mainly electrical problems, have had 2 past caths & an attempted ablation which showed completely clear coronary arteries. My last one was almost 2 yrs ago and the cardiologist said the arteries were completely clear. To make a long story short, pain between shoulder blades & chest tightness hit hard & fast in November, had chemical stress test which showed active ischemic activity, emergency cath which showed coronary artery disease. Apparently if it is hereditary like mine, you can be clean w/no symptoms (my previous ht symptoms were electrical) and even exercising & eating well doesn't help ... it takes something like Vytorin, Lipitor, etc. My cholesterol has always been normal (cked in April 2006) and now it's high. Did your brother-in-law have high cholesterol? Good luck!
Posted 12/16/2006 5:31 PM (GMT -6)
Thank you both for responding :-)

Peg, that must've been a scary experience. MY BIL had chest pains for awhile because he was under a lot of stress. Then he complained of chest pain that radiated up to his left side, jaw and arm. It was happening also in the mornings during working out at the gym.

He went to his doc and was sent for a stress test (treadmill), which was fine and echocardiogram and a few other tests that were all okay. his HDL (good cholesterol was low).   His doc told him that he was fine and nothing was wrong with his heart. Thank goodness he was persistent and insisted something was wrong. He was sent to a cardiologist and they decided to to angioplasty. From there he was taken to a nearby hospital for open heart surgery. 90% of his artery to his heart was clogged. Other arteries were too.  It was a 5-way bypass. His doctor said it was just a matter of time until he had a heart attack and was one of the luckiest patients he's had.

He's 56 years old, and his wife has been begging him for years to quit smoking. His doc thinks this was a big contributor  and was VERY ANGRY to hear that he was a smoker. but now he says he never wants to see a cigarette ever again. 

  

Posted 12/17/2006 2:49 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Mooney, Im sorry it took a while to reply I dont respond to very many posts. Im sorry to hear about your brotherinlaw. I had 4 way bypass in 2002. I had 5 blockages but one took care of itself because it was 100% blocked. I had a heart attack at age 44 thats when they found the blockages. I had no idea I even had it until then. Im 48 now and since then have had 1 balloon placed to fix a 90% blockage. I would like to help in any way i can. I dont know if I can answer all of the questions he may have, but Ive had coronary artery disease for 5 yrs now. I know how scary it can be so please feel free to ask anything that is bothering your brotherinlaw. I wish him and your family all the luckin the world. Have a very nice Xmas.

Wanda
Posted 12/17/2006 3:48 PM (GMT -6)

wanda, thank you!!!  I'm glad you are doing well but i can't believe you had that so young. That must've been shocking and you definitely learned about it the hard way. Did you have any symptoms? Is it hereditary for you?

It strange how one minute you can be living a normal life and then the next minute, be in an unexpected life-threatening situation.

Posted 12/17/2006 7:55 PM (GMT -6)
mooney, Yes it is very scary how your life can change so quickly. I worked the day I had my heart attack. I went home early not feeling well. My symptoms were nausea, shortness of breath, and very weak, I could barely stand up. I thought i was having a severe anxiety attack. I was shocked to find out I was having a heart attack. I had no previous symptoms other than chest pain occasionally, that I thought was heart burn. In my case yes it is very hereditary. My mother and father and grandparents have all died from heart attacks at a pretty early age. My brother died from a stroke which was related to his heart. Thank you for replying back to me. I hope you are doing well! Take care of yourself, maybe we can chat sometime. Take Care!
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