Ever had a heart attack ?

[Richy]

Has anybody here ever had a heart attack? I had that experience a couple of weeks ago. I'm in my early 40's and thought I was in pretty decent shape, admitingly carrying a couple extra pounds but thats it. I'm a native Floridian coastal bum, eating seafood & southern cooking all my life. I Don't smoke or drink (much) and BAM I had an EMS ride & an emergency stent placement.
I'm having to learn how & what to eat again ... this is not as easy as it sounds. My new big enemy is SALT. Everything has SALT, I mean EVERYTHING.
Anybody else ever go through this...?

[Reel Cowboy]

Not yet but then again I don't plan on living forever.

[Hit-n-Miss]

I'm in my early 40's and that's scary. Cause I love salt. What did they say caused it?

[Richy]

I love salt. What did they say caused it?

Yeah me too !!! They told me it was a combination of stress from work & poor diet. So now I'm home on a few weeks leave looking for a new job & changing my diet. I really don't like my job & I LOVE me some fried shrimp, Hush puppies and a BIG ol' glass of sweet tea .... well I did...
I was home alone when it happened, the wifey & kids were out of town & I couldn't couldn't get off of work ( again, lame job). When I relized it could be a heart attack, I took 2 Bayer & call 911. The heart doc said, I probably saved my own life by taking 2 aspirin (it thins your blood). I was in TMH for a week. Now I have 9 different scripts for the next 3 months and doc appts. out the wah~zoo.
And I can't go fishing for a while & can only work on the boat for a few minutes at a time.

[RHTFISH]

Seven years ago went to work one morning and felt really weird about mid-morning....no pain...just unusual feeling and didn't want to be alone (which is unusual for me)....
trip to cardiac center via EMS....tests and stent before darkthirty that night. I went back to work in 5 days and have felt fine ever since. I have altered my diet...."some"....
take baby aspirin and some "mellow out" med that has lowered my IRRITATION LEVEL about 900%. I did go through a slight period of depression after the episode which I was told was very normal and my wife and family were great helping me through that!

[wevans]

Near bout had one when my girlfriends mom slid the van door open on us about 27 years ago "girlfiends my wife now" with what I eat and starting ta put on weight, I'm probably a prime candidate for one now

[Flint River Pirate]

Thank you for sharing Richy, I needed to read that. The Lord works in mysterious ways...

[Reel Cowboy]

Near bout had one when my girlfriends mom slid the van door open on us about 27 years ago "girlfiends my wife now"

Near 'bout exact same happened to me, put it was her Dad and he was a big fella.

[Richy]

Thank you for sharing Richy, I needed to read that. The Lord works in mysterious ways...

Your welcome. I was and still am a little freaked out by the whole thing. Until two weeks ago, I hadn't been in the hospital since I was 8 or 9 when I had my tonsils out. Take care your yourself guys.

[Cranfield]

It sounds like a lucky escape and you have been given the chance to make some changes.

[Charles]

Not yet. I'm holding off until my daughter discovers boys.

Glad to hear you dodged the bullet on that one, Richy.

[dogonenuts]

A baby aspirin a day for all of us over 45 is probably a not a bad idea. I started this about a year ago. Aspirin inhibits our platelet function. Platelets are involved in the initial clot formation which is good if you cut yourself, but bad if you have an atheromatous plaque in your coronary artery to rupture as this is the usual cause of a heart attack. It is easier to hold some pressure a little longer when you cut yourself shaving than have a heart attack and lose a good bit of heart function or go on to the big pond in the sky before your time.

[big bend gyrene]

Surprised no one has shared some advice that many men welcome... drinking

Seriously, acts much as aspirin does in helping the blood temporarily be "slippery". My father had a heart attack in his early 50's and even at that time his doctor recommended EXACTLY one drink a day. He's now 82 and as healthy as any 80+ year old I've known in my 40+ years . With a wife who's a MD, I can tell you study after study shows that MODERATE drinking is protective, and even more so for men than women. If you drink MODERATELY once a day you can expect to lower your risks approximately 35%. As my good old Dad says, however, "Everything in moderation!"... drink too little or too much and the benefits are eliminated.

Some other tips include:

1) Get the grease out of your life... while aspirin and the wine make the blood slippery, the grease has the opposite effect on your piping
2) Foods with fiber are your friend - fiber helps lower your bad cholesterol level... fresh fruit, vegetables, whole wheats, and fish (not fried) will serve you well
3) 30 to 40 minutes a day of brisk walking will be both good for your heart and your mind (stress relief). You can do more but the benefits pretty much plateau at the 40 minute mark

Good luck, Richy. You CAN do it!
BBG

[Richy]

Surprised no one has shared some advice that many men welcome... drinking
Good luck, Richy. You CAN do it!
BBG

Thanks Big, I think I can do it too ... I feel pretty good, I've changed my diet & have been riding a recumbent bike morning & night, so far I've lost almost 20 lbs. but I have another 23 to go. The Doc said he wants me down to 180 lbs. Get this...I asked him what my idea medical weight was for a guy my size which is 5'11" and he said .... 150 to 155 lbs... .... really 150 -155 #, I'd be a stick...!

[big bend gyrene]

CONGRATS, Richy -- 20 lbs down is AWESOME

Don't forget as long as one (or the occasional two) a day, you can celebrate with a , just have to hit the recumbent a little longer to work the calories off ... Congrats again