Heart Bypass Surgery

Firstly this is only my story and is no way intended to scare anyone who has just gone through CABG. I had 3* CABG at age 38 in May 2002. The procedure was successful and I recovered fairly quickly. Back at work November 2002 full time. All seemed OK. However since December 2003 I have had probably unconnected Abdominal Pains which has got me into hospital twice. Once overnight in my homeland of Scotland and once for 4 days whilst on vacation in California. In USA Pancreatitis was diagnosed. (Bear with me as I know this is a Bypass Recovery Board!) Why I am posting is that as I have been off work since the USA holiday (3 months), I have had time to think about my health, life, etc and stuff is beginning to get me down. My "Pancreatitis" may have been misdiagnosed according to my specialists over here in the UK. They have found that although my vascular system in the abdomen is fine whilst resting (i.e. no food etc), after eating the blood supply is not increased as expected after taking on food. This might lead to a digestive problem which is causing my daily abdominal pain. (I will find out more in a consult Monday) However reflecting on my general well-being I am questioning my health overall. Can I play a full round of golf : probably not. Do I get sore after doing moderate / heavy gardening work : yes. Do I avoid strenuous activities : yes. It is hard to explain properly, but I simply feel that I am worse off than I was pre 2002. At age 40 I should be in the prime of my life. My wife is a lot younger than me, but is a rock and stands by me at every step. However I have a lot of living still to do and am getting scared about the future. We are financially OK however I am seriously thinking of trying to get early retirement from my Branch Manager job in a UK Bank on grounds of ill health as I cannot face the potential stress the job may give me in the future when I return to work. I am posting to get anyone's views on my situation, whether or not the may have doubted themselves up until this point in their recovery. Thanks Colin in Scotland.

Probably not the operation, but rather one of the drugs they have you on. I'd check with your dr next visit; maybe explore alternatives.

Any of you who have had infection at the incision site or around wires.......how long after your CABG did you notice, and were treated for it? Is this something that happens right away or takes several weeks (or months) to be noticeable.?? Thanks, Jill

Thanks all for your nice responses, both Gail and I have had a difficult year, now we'll both have surgery one day apart !! Tuesday for me and Wednesday for Gail. Gail, my very best of cheers and prayers are with you always!!! Yes, I had my wires taken out, 1 infected wire in Oct. of 2003, then the rest of them in March 2004. With all the infections I had, I finally told the Dr. ya, know, I' can't wear earrings in my ears, I do have pierced, cause I always get a infection, so that's how all the wire thing came about. The 1st one was a LOOSE wire floating around, he should of just taken them all at that time, but always the conserative Dr., had to have 2 surgeries, he must like his vacations....haha... Both times they bored a whole to go in. I've probably had 15 extra blisters, then wholes, since By-Pass..that last one being 50 cents size, not I've got 2 more little ones... So HOPEFULLY, he'll find what's bugging me in there. Thanks again for your kind responses!! Take care, Donna in Roseville, MN.

I just thought I would post what is happening with me. I am 49 and today is the one year anniverary of my bypass. I thought for sure by now I would be fine but I have had many complications. First I had pericarditis that kept returning, then I develloped osteomylitis- infection of the sternum and after numerous scans it was decided I would need surgery to remove the infection from the bone but then a final scan showed that the sternum did not fuse together properly and since there was a wide space cartilege develloped between the sternum and now that cartilege is inflamed. I was scheduled for surgery last week to fix the problem but when they did the pre surgery blood work it was discovered that my white blood cell count was way too high so it was postponed. I am scheduled to have it this Wednesday - August 25 if all is well with the blood work on MOnday. I have been told the surgery is risky because I have no sac protecting the heart but I am in so much pain and have so much trouble breathing that the risk is worth it. I am posting this not for sympathy but to let others know that some people do really well but once in a while there is someone who doesn't and yet I am glad to have had the surgery and have had another year with my family. Gail

I meant to mention in my post that my Dad's name is Joseph and he is 65 years old. He is retired and he own's a little property with some animals. His middle name is "work" and he is always starting a new project. My mom is by his side and with him every step of the way. Just thought I would tell you a little about him! Thanks! Brenda

Hi everybody, My Father just had a quadruple bypass 1 week ago today. I have joined this group in hopes to help him. He is not one to go to support groups and he doesn't use the internet so I am hoping to get info I can print off and let him read. My Dad has become very very depressed. His mind is on the pain all the time and he is very much NOT himself. He has always been a very very active person and he didn't even have syptoms of problems....he was just blessed and they happened to catch it. I wondered if you could help me know what I could do and what other family members could do to help AND I wondered if you would be willing to email me with your stories and how you have made it through....I would like to print them off so my wonderful Father will not feel "so alone" (his words). Thank You so very much!!!!! Brenda brendacutehair@...

Hobo, I forgot to tell you,the driveway turned out great,now the roof is next,I have two of my 5 sons to help with that,will wait till the heat is gone maybe late october....Mac

What a small world. I was raised in Clarendon,TX and can't believe there is someone on here from Amarillo. This summer we went to Minnesota and Kansas and I thought about the people from there who are on this message board. Just makes you feel a little more connected. I had my bypass surgery in Lubbock in October, 2004 so I am preparing for my 2 year anniversary. I see my cardiologist on October 4 and he better give me a cake!!! ha!! Well at least a good report. I want to turn the corner at least mentally at that time. I just want to be strong enough to accept that I will always have some pain and that its just a reminder that I am still alive and keep on keeping on. This board has really been great for me. Best of luck to all of you!! Ballerina [LINK]

Hi all, I haven't posted for a while, my 3x By Pass was 13 months ago, I still am having open wounds on my insician line, last one was the size of a 50 cent piece, wide open, we could see up and down and left and right, wide open dead space, they call it. Now 3 weeks later, it is almost healed again. Went thru CAT Scan, X-rays, and a 3 day Bone Scan. All came back ok, which I am very thankful for. Drs were thinking I had a Bone Infection, but that's all ok now. I am scheduled for Surgery again, (the 6th, since my By-Pass) to clean out chest area, look for infection or something inside that causing infection. Cultures have always come back as Yeast Infection.... So one more time, surgery again, leaving a open wound again, to heal again. Maybe this time will be the last time. I do feel pretty good other than walking around with wound holes on my chest, bit I do want to let others know the Power of a Nap !! Rus, Hobo and others, try having a nap in the afternoon, takes the edge off, refreshes oneself for another round of walking, hobbies, watching tv, reading or whatever. I even get to stay up for the Letterman Show, sleep midnight to 6 or 7, even 8AM. All this just from taking a nap, I figure !! Just have to turn your body clock around a little. I get so much more done around the house and yard work. Take care all, Try a Nap!! Donna in Roseville, MN.

Does anyone else have a burning, tightness in their chest when the first start up on a walk? I believe my chest discomfort is another vein closing up....slowly. I have to "work through" the sensation for about the first 8 minutes. After that I begin to feel better. I guess I'm answering my own question here........ I know the progression will leed me to another procedure...when it hurts too long and too strong. Just thought I'd ask you all!!!!!!!!!Please and Thanx, Bogie

This free software, which is unobtrusive with no pop ups etc, can be downloaded at www.smileycentral.com I also think that a few selected Smileys can brighten up everyone's day which is important. Colin Scotland

I am 64 have always been very active. I jogged,worked out at a gym,taught tennis,played tennis and many other things for physical exercise. am not over weight watched my diet,mainly vegetables yet i still had to have a triple bypass. I have many questions like how long before your stamania returns. Will the heat and cold tolerance get better or will that be something you will always put up with?? when you overdo is it normal to get an upset stomach?? I am seeing other things now that i didnt have before and am really wondering how much of this is permanent and how much is temp. It has been ten months now and my DRS. say i am doing great. Well none of them have had this so even as smart as they may be none of them have had this and probably not as active as i was. I would love to speak with someone who has gone through this and have remained active. THANK YOU THE HOBO

Hey folks, I was reading this the other day in a publication, and really like it. My hubby who had the CABG was very moved as well, so figured maybe I would send it on.....(after I labored to type it up:-) hopefully some will find a meaning in it as profound as the one my husband and I got from it. God Bless. Don't look Back -author unknown As you travel thru life there are always those times when decisions just have to be made When the choices are hard, and solutions seem scarce, and the rain seems to soak your parade. There are some situations where all you can do, is simply let go and move on. Gather your courage and choose a direction that carries you t'ward a new dawn. So, pack up your troubles and take a step forward- the process of change can be tough, but think about all the excitement ahead, if you can be stalwart enough! There might be adventures you never imagined just waiting around the next bend, and wishes and dreams just about to come true, in ways you can't yet comprehend! Perhaps you'll find friendships that spring from new things as you challenge your status quo, and learn there are so many options in life, and so many ways you can grow! Perhaps you'll go places you never expected and see things you've never seen, or travel to fabulous far-away worlds and wonderful spots in between! Perhaps you'll find warmth and affection and caring and somebody special who's there, to help you stay centered and listen with interest, to stories and feelings you share. Perhaps you'll find comfort in knowing your friends are supportive of all that you do, and believe that whatever decisions you make, will be the right choices for you. So keep putting one foot in front of the other and taking your life day by day... there's a brighter tomorrow that's just down the road- don't look back! You're not going that way! [INLINE] For every minute you are angry, you loose sixty seconds of happiness. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm Back Thought I'd find out the method they use for my decaf coffee. Reply posted. Seems like a natural method with no chemicals so I should survive this one. Sipping Tea Colin Scotland

I had quadruple bypass surgery 4 and half months ago and have developed the typical symptoms of depression. I used to love to read and haven't opened a book since, I wake up early in the morning (2 4 am), have become a pessimist, which my wife says I never was, etc. All I had to do was google CABG emotional problems and there I was with the typical symptoms of depression. I had no symptoms of depressions prior to the surgery. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated. I'm currently taking 12.5 mg of Paxil a day, which seems to help for half the day. I scrolled back thru several months posts here looking for something on depression. Is anyone else suffering from depression or have been through it because of the bypass surgery. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated. Rus

And some of our doctor's have said no coffee, not even decaf. It might be because I also have high blood pressure and chlorestrol and used to have an irradic (?) heart beat. It's pretty steady now with the atenolol and may be coffee just upsets the works. I really miss having real coffee every day and I do cheat by having decaf daily but even that has to be watched. And I work at Starbucks. Talk about temptation! Michal zippered down the middle and flattened on the sides

Okay........before I go try to do an extensive research of which I do not have the time right now, I decided to try here again. My husband is on Niaspan because of his inability to take statins. It has worked very well, however...the doc is trying to get him really up there is dosages. My question: Have any of you had reactions to this besides the flushing, pins and needles thing? He has had that and is coping...but he also went downhill real fast mentally and physically when he upped the dose again. He could not get out of his tracks. No ambition, no drive, no nothing. It is totally NOT like him. He has cut back down and is feeling better, altho last night he was awake with the flushes and this morning he was quite frustrated........now threatening to quit them altogether. Please, if anyone has a place to steer me for research...or any experience themselves, please let me know. Thanks so much. Jill For every minute you are angry, you loose sixty seconds of happiness. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

A quick question. I know that coffee is a stimulant and is not good for post heart bypass patients, but can someone explain why this is not healthy for us? Also, is de-caffinated coffee OK? Sipping Tea Colin Scotland [LINK]

Please share - or do you attempt to control cholesterol with statins?

My cardio told me from the beginning 1 out of 10 will block. I had to have 2 stents put in about 9 months after. One was from the graft. I just had another berkley lab test done and the blood work is excellent. And that is still no guarantee. Its one day at a time. But try to remind yourself its the same for everyone. Even those without our problems. Life is too short. My biggest gripe is I also was told I would feel great after about 6 weeks. I didnt feel bad before. My own thoughts is maybe 5percent experience that. With the recovery and the side effects of the pills thats just plain bs. Its been a little over a year and I firmly feel its as good as its gonna get. I also feel its much harder on us women. I did ask the dr and he agrees. Claims its due to our makeup and also men have bigger veins and stuff like that. As far as the depression im still on antideprssents. I always considered myself a strong women. After surgery about from 4-10 weeks I cried and cried. I told my hubbie "I dont wanna be a sickie". All he could do is hold me. It does pass but I stll need a low dose of the anitdepressents. Perhaps its just a mental thing now. I wish you all well. Stannis

Bogie wrote <y laprascopic or the long cut method? I had the lapscpc method. I'm angry for different reasons. Cause 2 out of the 4 (bypass) closed in a months time. How did you know this? My husband had CABG last month (7/6)- 5 blockages - 4 bypass - and this is his biggest fear now. The cardiologist refused to meet with us until midSeptember saying it was too early. In the hospital they suggested a low salt diet and he is now on Lipitor. He is 67, total cholestrol before was 170 something, not diabetic, not over weight, active, family history of heart problems. The surgery was over 8 hours (they had to reopen since there was bleeding from mammary artery they could not use) and he doesn't feel well, lots of pain and things seem to be improving slowly.

The women that signed below are Budget Analysts out of federal Washington, D.C. offices. Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA. As we have revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In our independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America. The chart below speaks for itself. Celebrex 100 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60 Percent markup: 21,712% Claritin 10 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71 Percent markup: 30,306% Keflex 250 mg Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88 Percent markup: 8,372% Lipitor 20 m g Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80 Percent markup: 4,696% Norvasec 10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14 Percent markup: 134,493% Paxil 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60 Percent markup: 2,898% Prevacid 30 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01 Percent markup: 34,136% Prilosec 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97 Cost of general active ingredients $0.52 Percent markup: 69,417% Prozac 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11 Percent markup: 224,973% Tenormin 50 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13 Percent markup: 80,362% Vasotec 10 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20 Percent markup: 51,185% Xanax 1 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79 Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024 Percent markup: 569,958% Zestril 20 mg Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89 Cost of general active ingredients $3.20 Percent markup: 2,809% Zithromax 600 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19 Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78 Percent markup: 7,892% Zocor 40 mg Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27 Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63 Percent markup: 4,059% Zoloft 50 mg Consumer price: $206.87 Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75 Percent markup: 11,821% Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone I knew should know about this. Please read the following and pass it on. It pays to shop around. This helps to solve the mystery as to why they can afford to put a Walgreen's on every corner. On Monday night, Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. Yes, that's not a typo.....three thousand percent! So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves. For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug, and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are "saving" $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 generic pills may have only cost him $10! At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs. I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug, and get its online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from my own experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients. I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08. I would like to mention, that although Costco is a "membership" type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there, as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in. (this is true, I went there this past Thursday and asked them.) I am asking each of you to please help me by copying this letter, and passing it into your own email, and send it to everyone you know with an email address. Sharon L. Davis Budget Analyst U.S. Department of Commerce Room 6839 Office Ph: 202-482-4458 Office Fax: 202-482-5480 Email Address: sdavis@...

Gail, I haven't posted in awhile and saw in prior posts that you said you were diagnosed with a bone infection. I hope you are doing better. I remember your chest pain from almost a year ago on here. I have experienced constant pain in the chest myself for about a year also. Indomethacine has provided relief for me. My cardiologist thought is was pericarditis to begin with but switched to an inflammed rib cage cause several months ago. It remains a mystery to me! After reading your recent post, I am now wondering if it might also be an infection, since this has lasted so long. I believe it might be time for a white cell body scan myself. Anyway, I pray that you are doing better. What is your present status? Are you still scheduled for surgury? You certainly have been through alot. Remember, there are people that read this group that really do care. Best wishes, Bill

my moms arteries reblocked one month after triple bypass she went to mt sinai had medicated stents now shes great

Today I was taken back into the ER for more chest pains, 16 days out from the triple bypass. Doctors could not locate anything and sent me home, with orders to return if something is wrong. Anyone else have this happen? Is it normal?

Hi Bill; My brother really benefited from his valve replacement. He was like a new man. I am still not doing stairs as easily and hope that cardio rehab will help me. Actually I know it will because I do well with encouragement on losing weight and keeping my sugars under control. Hope your breathing gets easier. Michal zippered down the middle

Hey Bill Ryan; Your symptoms sound like my symptoms. Last year I had the enzyme test positive for heart attack, this year no; but, the symptoms weren't as bad as last years. Stress test not great and angiogram showed blockage. Last year I had triple bypass, this year a shunt. My brother is six years past his bypass and valve replacement and feels great...the dog. And he is 14 years younger than I am. I don't think the cardio docs think of us as cash cows. May be the hospitals do since they get most of the cash. Michal zippered down the middle

Hi folks Does anyone know if the following is anything to worry about for someone who had the bypass in November of last year- swelling in the right foot resulting in excruciating pain and also symptoms of shivering/feeling cold. Rick

Hello. My name is Elizabeth. I am 27 years old and am looking for some answers. I have thyroid cancer that has spread to my chest and am scheduled to have an operation this coming Tues (7/27/04) which resembles that of open heart surgery. I have tons of questions regarding the recovery for this kind of surgery. I am a mother of four (an eight year old, a six year old, a sixteen month old and a four week old) and am wondering what is realistic for me to expect of myself. I would like to be able to pump breast milk for my newborn and other such concerns. Am I in the right place? Please help. Sincerely, Elizabeth Beregron

I have the book that dpaul spoke of: A Cure is not Welcome - America's Successful Failing Health System. It is astounding . . . great information! The book is very well documented, and the cure it speaks of is documented by thousands of published medical research projects with the amino acid L-Arginine, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin C. I used the information to get of my hypertension medication. The book is a must have!

Just wanted to post a quick note that I got home today after my triple CABG on Thursday. HAve the ups and downs. Walked really well in the hospital, to the point where the nurses were concerned I was overdoing it. I blow 2500 on the breathing excerise device also. Right now the pain is the problem, and I am very easily tired. So I just want to thank you all very quickly for the support this past few weeks.

Doctors Continue to Neglect the Noble Prize Winning Cure for Cardiovascular Disease The continued, albeit ineffective, treatment of cardiovascular disease is the backbone of the modern medical economy. Avoiding the known cure for cardiovascular disease is imperative to medicine's financial stability. Disease is its business and money is the bottom line; thus the orchestrated neglect of your health is paramount to its success. Simply stated, A CURE . . . especially for cardiovascular disease . . . IS NOT WELCOME. The information in "A CURE IS NOT WELCOME: America's Successful Failing Health System," by Desmond Allen, PhD, ND, MBA, LaRue Publications, could save your life! This refreshingly truthful and analytical insight into the healthcare system bares it all. Beyond its stunning peek behind the sacred curtains of modern medical practice--exposing the growing, mindless obsession with synthetic pharmaceuticals and the deliberate over- utilization of expensive, unnecessary procedures--it reveals medicine's known but decisively neglected cure for cardiovascular disease. Although every American needs to know this cure the medical community cannot afford for it to become common practice; because the medical industry is largely dependant upon cardiovascular disease for its livelihood. None of us can afford to blindly trust our health to this system and that each of us must take control of our own health. This out of control medical system has run amok, developing a life all its own--a life far removed from its patients' life or well-being. Note: If you log onto www.laruepublications website you can take advantage of a 20% discount by referencing the special Promotion Code: NEWSLETTER, at the checkout.

Joe, hopefully you have decided to have the angiogram, then YOU will know for sure what you need. Find a Dr, that you can trust, believe in him or her, save your own life by having the procedure. You said you had a by-pass 20 years ago, just think of all the advances in medicine since then. Maybe you can have another birthday, Happy Birthday !! Donna

June 1st 2004 is when I had a tripple bypass plus an aortic valve replacement. All is going well and I seem to have more stamina and energy. My question is that at night I can feel my heart aggresively pumping and also hear the pulses in my ears. I would like to know if this is the norm or should I be a concerned?. Any help would be appreciated and hopefully put my mind at ease

I am leaving for awhile, will be back. My hubby who had the open heart surgery going on 12 weeks ago, is scheduled for knee surgery the 20th. He is so anxious to get it fixed. (artheroscopic meniscus tear) so he can get back to excersizing. He had to pull out of his rehab classes for two weeks as he just couldn't even walk anymore due to the knee. He was pushin it to feel better heartwise....oh well....I hope the surgery goes well. I can't say enough about the rehab program OR the off-pump bypass. By the way, to the young man who is going ot have bypass surgery and was wanting to know what to expect...... Good luck to you:-)......check out the off pump way and see what your hospital offers.....also, I wish you had someone with you......I met an older woman who had her daughter come live with her for awhile.....and she said she could not have made it w/o her help....BUT......I also saw a young man about your age in the surgeons office a week after his off pump surgery....he lives alone and was doing real well. He had a friend drive him that day tho, as you are not supposed to drive for 3 weeks. (standard for here) My hubby tried at 3 weeks and found he was not comfortable yet, so I did the driving for awhile. Anyway, the young gentleman in the doctors office said he had overdid it and did something to his wire, etc.....as he found it hard to follow the docs orders about lifting, using his arms for support, etc.I find it is so hard especially for the men to learn to NOT use their body in the same way for awhile..... So my advice is......please make sure you listen and follow doctors orders, use your pillow to you chest like you're supposed to, and do not use your arms.......a nurse told my husband to pretend you don't even have arms for a few weeks, that way you will not goof and damage yourself:-) The young guy tho, was getting around much faster than my hubby did.....due to his age no boubt...I thought he was doing terrific for just one week out. Make sure you keep your incision clean. I took care of my husbands and seriously you can hardly see a scar. The other gentleman tho, was not as neat.....I wanted to go over and clean his while in the doctors office:-) Good luck to you, keep positive healing thoughts.....God Bless, Jill

Hello, My name is rob and I live in Western Kentucky. Last November I wasn'e feeling very good and it was also my 47th birthday. I was having chest pressure. We called my wifes mother and she took us to the hospital in Henderson, Ky. After a couple of days and a stress test, the drug induced stress, It should be called the guided tour of hell,I was told I had blockage and that I was being transfered to St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. They did a cart cath that afternoon tha the dr. then told me I needed a bypass. This was done the next day. The surgery was off the pump by-pass and I had 2 by- passes done. I can honestly tell you that it was not anywhere as bad as I had thought it would be. I had the surgery done on 7Nov03 a Friday and was on ICU until Monday morning then moves to a regular room. At St. Mary's, all post surgery rooms are private and at this hospital, they treat every body like royality. The staff are all first class and the care is the best i have ever seen. I went home a week after surgery. If you are told that you need this surgery, dont put it off and get it done as soon as you can. Feel free to email me directly if you have any questions at all. Rob KC4JTA

Well today I had my meeting with my heart surgeon and he will perform the show on this Thursday, July 15. All three main arteries are blocked, including one at 100%, the LAD. This happens to be the one I have the stent in. Tomorrow I go in for pre-op blood and x- rays. So I guess it is close to show time for me. He also told me the odds of dying on the table are 2%, I was hoping for better odds like .01% lol. If anyone has any further advice to get through the next fews days of anxiety, please let me know Logan

Hey Des, What happened to you? Let us know how you are doing......Mac..USA

Just a quick question for my dad. He had his surgery 5 1/2 weeks ago and he now has kidney stones. Has anyone else had this experience?

Hi. To tell you a little about myself I am a 37 years old diabetic and have had an angioplasty stent in 2000. On Father's Day I went in wioth chest pains and 3 days later was told I have to have the dreaded bypass. This is all inherited from both sides of my family. What I want to know is what should I expect from all this, pain wise, recovery issues, etc. I thought better to seek thouse who have had it done, other than the doctors. Also I have an added problem, so far we have not found a pain killer that can touch me. I have that high a tolerence to the stuff. Again not looking forward to this. Thanks Logan

hello my name is judy and i had a heart attack in june of 1996,then bypass surgery in dec. i am doing pretty good , i am a glad to be alive and surviour.i still need help and to know i am not alone ,others face the same day to day path i travel

[USEMAP] [INLINE] [USEMAP] In August's Sinatra Health Report Newsletter: This month, I'll be unmasking the "hormone of darkness" and discussing its effect on your blood pressure. You'll also read about a disturbing ear condition called tinnitus and what you can do to ease the suffering. And when it comes to bone health, find out why "natto" is going strong. Be sure to subscribe by August 5th. Help Dr. Sinatra Spread the Word Please forward this Health Update along to those you know and love for their continued health and safety. [INLINE] July 8 , 2004 During the spring, I hosted our most successful Web chat ever. I was amazed at the number of people who participated in this event and your questions were excellent. It was no surprise that many of you shared similar concerns about particular health issues, so Ive compiled a selection of the most frequently asked questions along with my responses from the chat. Keep those questions coming and I will continue to highlight them in future e-letters and The Sinatra Health Report.

Jamey...... I had by-pass 6 years ago and at that time I had cardiac rehab which I think actually got me to a better place physically. I had been afraid to do much after surgery and rehab actually helped me mentally realize I could do things......... It was three days a week at the hospital.........totally monitored for the six weeks I attended.....started off with warm up exercises. Then few minutes on the treadmill,,,,,,few minutes on the exercise bike.......few minutes on a machine similiar to a rowing machine.....and then finished up with a arm ergometer which I found the hardest to do. Had cool down period and it was over.....think the class lasted about 45 minutes. I gradually was able to build up the lenght of time of the various machines. Once rehab was done I signed up to continue going to this fitness center that was in the hospital.....it was filled with lots of machines and most everyone that worked out there had graduated from the rehab class and decided to keep working out..........oh yes, once we joined the regular fitness center we also did some weights. Unfortunately we moved out of state and didn't keep up with the regular program....something I think was a mistake. One can work out at home but for me the idea of going to a center witha ll the other people working out kind of motivated me. Hope this gives you some idea of what it was like......... Carol in Atlanta

Hi All, I had my triple bypass in April and when I went to visit the cardiologist a couple months afterwards I fully expected to be placed in a cardiac rehab program. I was very surprised to hear her say that, since I didn't actually have a "heart attack" before my surgery, she didn't think I needed a rehab program... Instead she suggested I get into a "Lifestyle Management" program where there is no supervised excercise, just education on excercise and diet. It sounded good to me - but then I learned it was all done on-line and over the phone (no one-on-one with a real person) and cost nearly $400/year. Well I don't think there is much they can teach me about diet that I don't already know (and too my Mother-in- Law is a Registered Dietician) and I doubt they can help me with excercise over the phone! I couldn't see getting any benefit from the program - so I'm on my own. I had really hoped for a supervised rehab exercise program to get back into exercising. Before my surgery I was visiting the health club 2 or 3 times a week. I've been trying to get back into doing that but I have no idea how I should be starting, how long I should be riding the exercise bike, or how much weight I should be lifting, etc. (I can see that guys at the health club - the muscle guys who bench press 200+ pounds - are amused to see me sit down at the machine and slowly bench press 10 pounds. :) Can y'all tell me about your cardiac rehab programs and give me some advice on the exercise program? - Jamey

Greetings from B.C.Canada. I had emergency bypass surgery on March 16th 2004. All in all I am feeling pretty good. Still have shortness of breath, but no chest or incisions discomfort. My brother was great moral support has he has had by pass surgery twice, mind you they were 25years apart, and he is active and enjoying life and traveling etc. My main complanint at this time is my legs where they removed the veins for the bypass, they are slow in healing and numb, which makes walking difficult at times, as my ankle is numb and I don't feel that I can trust it. I find this chat room informative,wishing you all the best.

Des, Are you still having inflammation in your incision after 7 months. That seems like a long time. I don't remember having anything except some drainage for about two weeks. Sure hope you are doing better real soon. Sorry to hear about your friend. What would cause the shortness of breath after the surgery fixed the heart problem. Ann

Boy....nice to hear from others and how they are reacting to their surgery......believe it or not it has been six years since my surgery and I still suffer anxiety attacks.......I had surgery on a Monday morning......woke up on Friday with my arms tied with tube down my throat being told my organs had crashed and I had had another surgery on Tues to save my life.........well, let me tell you this puts a whle new perspective on what one has gone through and the after effects....I live in fear that my new shortness of breath is an indication my arteries have blocked up again.........and then I will have to make a major decision My cardio dr told me that everyone has short term memory loss for a few months after surgery whether one was on machine or off machine but it is those that were on it who most likely develop permanent damage to the brain......great......as if I wasn't goofy enough before surgery! Ann.......I don't like to be a pessimist and I certainly hope my experience with surgery is just mine alone and most people get along great BUT I am not the same person......I don't think I wil ever be the same person....before I was happy go lucky...extremely involved with everything.....walked three miles a day.....had regular exercise routine daily...took monopril to lower BP and basically thought I was as healthy as could be.......had absolutely no symptoms of anything wrong.....never even got a cold...........today I am very impatient and jump down hubby's throat for no good reason.....I no longer can exercise.....filled with aches....no energy......pessimistic about most things particularly my health.......well, the list could go on and I won't bore you........but .....I have accepted the way my body is today.....and adjust my lifestyle.......worse I guess is my anger against the drs who told me I would die within a week if I didn't have surgery immediately.......today I don't believe that and I wish I had been strong enough to walk out of the hospital and done some research and see what my options were..........perhaps I'm really angry with my self Another point of curiosity.........did anyone develop long term shortness of breath or perhaps asthma symptoms? I have just developed this and I don't know if it is heart related or lung problems........I have wheezing and shortness of breath upon exertion........... Take care everyone.....for those who have just had surgery....be patient.....it will get better and most people do indeed go on to a much better life than before surgery.......... Carol in Atlanta...

Hi Carol. My hubby had the off pump op. He still had some memory lapses, and just, couldn't think very good. It seems to have gone away now tho...9 weeks.... and he is way more like his old self. I think he and i both have day to day fears.........you know, will it happen again.....that kind of stuff. We feel totally vulnerable. Good luck to you. We post notes everywhere also.....you are not alone:-) We are also off statins........ now:-) Jill

I'm in the process of deleting my very full mailbox and noticed some posts from this group that I hadn't read........... Most likely this has been answered before but if not.........the question of memory problems and the heart lung machine. My memory is so pitiful that I have given up and just write a million notes that are plastered all over the house.......when I go to the store I tack notes on the dashboard to remind me of all the stops I may want to make before I get home...........and no my memory was nothing like this before surgery. At first I put the blame on my taking 40 mg of lipitor and the fact that some have hazy memories while on a statin drug. But one day I overheard some doctors talking and they were using the term "pumphead"......which I couldn't figure out...........so I asked my doctor about it and he said it is a term used by the medical community who have many memory problems after surgery and that it was discovered many years ago that the longer one is on the machine the worse the memory problems are........I would like to do a survy or do research on whether this is in reality true .......if anyone on this list had the "off pump surgery" do you have any major problems with your memory?? I know that they say you should only be on the heart-lung machine for a certain amount of time but my surgery took longer because of problems and I was definitely on the machine longer than they advise.......... So many things we didn't know before surgery.......in my total haze of knowing I was having the surgery the next day I'm afraid I neglected to ask my doctor many things......... Carol in Atlanta

Does anyone feel like we weren't meant to live on machines for hours and life is and never will be the same now? Rose

i had to get sleeping pills during my recovery period. after a month or so i went back to work, i had no trouble sleeping after that. i would get up in the dark hours of the night and chat or ebay til i crashed. i just finished building a 10 by 20 deck, i'm not so much tired as hurting....good pain sorta, muscles n joints didn't love the work. thanks to the surgeon, no chest pains, even though i did take it in easy steps. so have faith, it's been a year n a half since the first heart attack. you will get better. popbear

Atorvastatin Reduces Blood CoQ10 Levels Laurie Barclay, MD June 22, 2004 Atorvastatin substantially reduces blood coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels, according to the results of a prospective blinded study published in the June issue of the Archives of Neurology. The investigators speculate that this may underlie some of the adverse effects, and they suggest that supplements may be appropriate. "Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are widely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease and for the prevention of stroke," write Tatjana Rundek, MD, from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City, and colleagues. "There have been various adverse effects, most commonly affecting muscle and ranging from myalgia to rhabdomyolysis. These adverse effects may be due to a [CoQ10] deficiency because inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis also inhibits the synthesis of CoQ10." At the stroke center of an academic tertiary care hospital, the investigators enrolled 34 subjects eligible for statin treatment according to National Cholesterol Education Program: Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. At baseline, mean blood concentration of CoQ10 was 1.26 ± 0.47 µg/mL. This decreased to 0.62 ± 0.39 µg/mL after 30 days of atorvastatin therapy (P < .001). A significant decrease was already detectable after 14 days of treatment (P < .001). The most common adverse effects were flatulence and constipation, which were usually transient. There were no complaints of myalgia, weakness, or other severe adverse effects. One subject experienced weakness and tingling in the legs, which disappeared two days after reducing the dose of atorvastatin calcium to 40 mg per day. "Even brief exposure to atorvastatin causes a marked decrease in blood CoQ10 concentration," the authors write. "Widespread inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis could explain the most commonly reported adverse effects of statins, especially exercise intolerance, myalgia, and myoglobinuria." The authors note that this study did not evaluate tissue levels of CoQ10. "Despite this limitation, our findings raise the possibility of a widespread inhibition of CoQ10 synthesis in patients treated with atorvastatin," the authors write. "Given the many patients exposed to relatively high doses of this drug and the persistent occurrence of adverse effects related to statins, it may be reasonable to add CoQ10 in patients receiving long-term treatment with statins in general, and atorvastatin in particular. This recommendation is strengthened by the general experience that oral CoQ10 even in high doses is well tolerated by patients." Pfizer Inc., the Hazel K. Goddess Fund, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association supported this study. One of the authors has received honoraria for lecturing and consulting from Pfizer Inc

I had quintuple cardiac bypass surgery in the middle of April and got very little sleep (2-3 hours at night - some daily naps) for about 6 weeks after that as I was also diagnosed with Sleep Apnea shortly there after. The last week or so I have been getting about 6 hours sleep at night but am still very tired during the day and sometimes napping an hour or two (I NEVER napped during the day pre- surgery). Is this normal 2 months + after the surgery? How long might it continue? -- Thanks in advance... Bob

I read the part about Lipitor and I am taking it with much objection. I will now cut it out on my own. I was doing so good in my walking and now my knees ache, my arms ache, my elbows ache. Even my ankles ache. Is this normal? I finally got a nites sleep with no pills. My chest feels better every day. The incision is really sensiktive to anything touching it-blouse, lace etc. I am hoping I get to drive next week. I truly feel blessed that I have done so well so far. I only have you guys to compare to and my neighbor who had this 14 years ago. He does everything. God Bless RB

I have logged in 3 times this morning becasue I go to the exit instead of forward. I have less pain this morning in the chest. Each day it seems to get less and less. I had a bad nite and ended up crying hysterically about 2am about the items that were pulled from my body-drains -=wires and etc. The trauma I guess! Being only 6 weeks into this I cannot be sure what are permanent changes. My hair seems darker, my skin has more color, (blood getting to it), I seem to have some personality changes-Everyone says there are some and they like it! they say my countenance has changed too. I can't remember "words" to finish saying what I want. Sleeping alone does not bother me. Been doing that for 25 years. I am getting that dry cough back now and then and that bothers me. The loss of a breath now and then bothers me. Of course I still tire easily but not as bad as before the surgery. I still feel blessed and that I had a woonderful surgeon who knew what he was doing. I've never had anything but a ceaserian 35 years ago so I have nothing to go on except how I feel. Ice cream! A friend brought a pint in. Took me 2 weeks to eat it. I do have blue Bunny fudge bars that have about 4 grams of fat I eat now and then. Friends brought carbonated drinks but I don't dare drink those. The carbonation makes me hold water. company gets them. Thank you for your answers. May God be with all of you each day. RB

Julie, I live in Roseville, Mn. Is there a Roseville, CA?? Actually, I had 5 surgeries since July 10, 2003. #1 -I had a Heart Attack last July 10th, then a angiogram and angioplasty, then a stent put in too. #2 Then I had a triple by-pass on July 28th. Then had Dressler's synmdrone and I also got the Shingles in August and September, not good either, hurts like crazy.... Then I started to have blisters and a open wound on my incision line, then a couple more blisters, and more open wounds. Infections and I was seeing Wound Dr. . Infection was Yeast candidia. Dr. thought maybe the wires were causing the infections. Had a CAT scan, Dr then found a loose wire floating around in my chest. So Surgery #3 in Oct. 2003 to find that floating wire, bore a large hole in my chest, another super big wound then, then that was yeast infection also.... Dr. took one wire out, Getting treated for Yeast, massives does of antibiotics. More Blisters and open wounds continued. One would heal up, then another would blister and break open. Surgery #4, Now it's March 2004, Dr. decided to take all the wires out, had test, CAT scans, antibiotics. Then also had PIK line put in my arm, that's a semi-permanent line for a IV Therapy, that lasted six weeks, husband and I did that. Still trying to heal the open wounds and recover from another surgery. Surgery #5 -Then May 7th, 2004, pains in my left arm, taken to the hospital, Heart Attack, angiogram and angioplasty, my one artery from the By-Pass had failed, causing the Heart Attack. Still having 1 open wound. Was going to have surgery again this week, but thankfully Dr. decided to wait another month. He says I'm healing up the wound, just a tiny little thing now, I feel good and look healthy now. So I agreed to wait..not hard to do, just wait for my body to heal some more. I still get pretty tired, but I'm up and out every day, wondering why I am so tired. But then, after reading all this that I wrote, it's been a tough year. take care Donna

No ICE CREAM???? What a way to live....maybe not ice cream every night but sometimes, you just got to... I'm 11 months out from my heart attack and triple by-pass, then another heart attack 6 weeks ago, because one of my arteries failed the by-pass. I do think I have changed also, mentalty and physically. Now I'm afraid to sleep alone at least in the same house without anybody with me.. strange huh.. We have a summer place, if summer ever comes, I 'd like to go there, play golf and swim. But I would be sleeping alone, people around me are there, but a hospital is 30 minutes away. What if.. something happens... that's where my thinking is... Donna

Count me in on the changes. I will never be the same both physically and mentally and yes emotionally. I believe right now Im as good as Im gonna be and its up to me to make the most of it. I still have trouble going to sleep, its the moment you drift off I wake up with a start. I think its because of the anasthesia. The loss of control. The back pain is lessened but still there. The left breast also. I live in Florida and right now the heat and humitity it really bad. I also have the fear something will go wrong and have to make a choice to go thru it again. Maybe just need more time. But one thing Im very glad to be alive. :) Best wishes Stannis

thank you for your answers. I am experiencing not being able to remember words but then I am only 6 weeks into this and I had a most wonderful Dr. Sleep is my thing tho I have done pretty well the last few days. I am also afraid something will go wrong and this has all been for zero. I do have to say I am very excited about how well I have healed and how little pain I have had except for the back...I never want to experience that again. I have experienced several changes -that is why the question. thank you for the answers. RB

I finally got sleep last nite by putting a cold wash cloth on my head and making myself "relax" by telling myself over and over to relax. When I awoke once in the nite I was strung so tight and went thru the same process again and it worked. Will it work again? I have no idea! I will see. I did manage a whole block of walking with my therapist again this morning. Shoulders hurt so bad by afternoon had to take pain pill. I still feel very blessed after reading more of your letters. I have one question for anyone and everyone: Have you felt a change in your life after the complete operation? Maybe a personality change or some such? How about your hair? More intense color or change of color? Do friends say you have changed? God bless RB

I live in Roseville, Minnesota, not California... but I would like some of those warm, sunny rays floating over me..... Well, I've seen your name before, Colin Steele from Scotland, as I do read the posts here, but Colin Steele From Scotland, I just love saying your name, it reminds me of a heart throb on Soap operas.....just had to say that....or on the cover of those novels. What do you think girls.?? Donna

Hi: I'm Indies Mom. I read alot of the messages. I truly feel blessed after reading them. My leg has never given me any trouble-operated on for 5 by pases on May 7- My breast was black and blue where they used that vein. My chest has had very little pain. Maybe I missed alot of it because I was on so much pain medication for my back. That was horrible! I could not believe anyone could hurt so bad. Just touching my skin sent me into tears and as bad a backrub felt I could endure it more than not having one. I told my surgeon I knew he had taken a baseball bat to me but assurd me not true! He had used me for a door hinge! I feel the pulling of the places under the skin when I lay down but find if I massage the area gently it soon smooths out and the pain is gone. Same with my leg. I massage it gently each morning and some during the day next to the incision and it sure helps. Today I start putting Vit. E on the scars. My problems are I can not sleep. I have one great day when I walk the whole block and for 3 days I am so tired I can hardly move across the room. My body aches to get exercise and yesterday I figured out a way that worked for me. Dancing! 2-3 walzes and your walking is about done-2-3 of those crazy rock and roll things and your arms and shoulders are working and no heavy stretching. ANd its cool inside. Its 100 degrees here. and no on to see how awful or how good you are aftr so many years of NOT dancing. Maybe we should have all done more of it.... Gods blessings to all of you. RB

Bob, Maybe it is the driving the car or in my case, I figured out, it is the pressure from wearing a seat belt across my chest, that hurts. Putting in a little pillow, between the seat belt and your chest solves the problem. Donna in Roseville

I have coronary artery disease. I am 64 and also have osteoporosis, hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, possible some rheumatism, a failing mind and just seems like I am a walking corpse sometime. Just wondered is others have multiple problems and how they cope with all the medications, pain and confusion.

I am about 2 months out of surgery and am having the expected chest pains from healing. Occasionally I have lifted a little too much and noticed an increase in the soreness. For about a week now the sorenes/pain has increased and I do not know of anything I may have done to cause this. Yesterday evening it increased significantly and the only thing I can think of is that I did drive about 3 hours yesterday although mostly on the expressway where I wouldn't have to turn the wheel much. Any ideas? Is this normal? Perhaps I should see the doctor but I don't want to call for every little thing. One concern is that for me it is VERY HARD to tell the difference between the post-op "healing" pain as compared to the chest pains I was having before my surgery. Thanks in advance... Bob

Just wanted to ask, mostly you woman out there, if you've had upper chest pain or burning after your surgery? It's been 8weeks now since my quadruple bypass and I am still having discomfort or pain in my left breast and even some burning. I swear I can also still feel my wires which I hear is normal but still is uncomfortable. I am much more comfortable not wearing a bra. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Thanks for your input. I know this seems so minor compared to what some of you are going through, so all you others that are going through so much, you are in my thoughts and my prayers. Judy

Hi, I'm new to the group. Had single bypass in February after a heart attack in Sept. 2002. A lot of bad genes and luck more than anything. My recovery has gone well, but I wonder if anyone can tell me why I still get tired regularly. I was always someone who awakened at 6 a.m. without a clock. Now I can sleep to 9 if allowed. I feel like I need a nap all the time. Is this normal post-op? Doc says it's not the meds so I wonder if this low-stress life I'm now living compared to the old Type A one is my body now relaxing? Any help is appreciated. Rick

I am posting this as someone asked me to re-tell my story and what is presently happening to me. My story begins with the diagnosis of diabetes in April 1998 because of neuropathy symptoms. Diabetes has really played a big part in my needing a CABG. In the spring of 2002 I started having chest pain and a nuclear stress test was done. It showed small blockages so I was put on Cardizem CD and the Nitro patch 0.8.I continued on a program of exercise and a very good diet. Meanwhile my blood sugars remained unstable and I was taking more and more medication for the diabetes. January of 2003 because the neuropathy in my hands was so bad I had surgery on both hands similar to carpal tunnel surgery. The hands should have healed in 6 weeks but one took 6 months and the other took 9 months because of the diabetes. August 9th 2003 at the age of 48 I woke up with a lot of difficulty breathing. By the time we arrived at Emergency I was having a lot of chest pain. Unstable angina was the diagnosis but things went downhill fast. I didn't respond to any treatment. An angiogram was done showing 95% blockage in the main left artery and 80% in 2 other arteries. The doctors referred to my condition as the Widow Maker. My family was told I would have been gone in 4 months if I hadn't sought medical treatment. On August 21, 2003 I had a triple bypass done. Other then the post surgery pain and the slow healing things initially went fine. I was out walking at 2 weeks post op and doing the family cooking and laundry by 3 weeks post op. On September 19 I wolke up with a lot of chest pain and difficulty breathing.I didn't know what it was so back to Emergency i went. It was diagnosed a pericarditis (dressler's syndrome) and I was put in intensive care for 6 days. I made a good recovery and went home and continued to do well. Over the next few weeks I noticed I was having a little more trouble breathing. I was sent to a lung specialist but she couldn't find anything wrong. The heart reamained to be fine. From the postings on this site and Ed's continual persuasion I decided to give CoQ10 a try since I was also having more difficulty each day to get from point A to point B.The CoQ10 didn't take away the breathing problem but it did help it as well as greatly increase my energy level and my overall ability to continue with my life. Things continued much the same until February 12, 2004 and again I had the chest pain and breathing trouble, I was put back in Intensice care for 6 days - diagnosis - inflammation of chest. This time I did improve but I never got totally better. I continued to have pain in my chest and trouble breathing and I just didn't feel right.A angiogram was done - all bypassses working and no new blockages. March 20th I wwent back to emergency with severe chest pain. i was put on prednisone as well as many other medications for inflammation of the chest Despite being treated the inflammation did not subside and I have been on prednisone ever since. The pain in the chest has continued to worsen on a daily basis and I have difficulty breathing all the time therefore in May more tests were done and I was referred to a rheumatologist. he diagnosed it to be inflammatioon of the bones in the chest area but after more tests were done he discovered that I have a bone infection. So far they know the infection begins with the bones in the jaw and continues down through the chest both front and back to the bottom of the ribs. On Friday June 18th I am having a Whole Body White Blood Cell Scan to see if there is any infection elsewhere. Once the scan is completed I will be scheduled for surgery. To fix the problem they have to re-open my chest and scrape the infection from each and every bone wherre it appears. If they can't remove the infection from a particular spot then that section of the bone will be removed. I have been told that this surgery makes bypass surgery look and feel like a piece of cake To all who have read this if you believe in the power of prayer then please say one fo rme. I will post an update as soon as I know more Thank you for reading this and for your prayers Gail

I just wanted to thank everyone for their support and suggestions while my husband was recovering from his CABG. He is doing really well from the surgery. He is still having some memory problems from the heart/lung machine, but we're hoping that will get better with time. He sees his cardio doc in two days (probably last visit for a while). Anyway, I'm unsubscribing and I didn't want to leave without thanking everyone. Good luck to you all!! Nina Campbell

I was just wondering if there was any one else from the Uk :)

Joe, you are quite funny! Enjoyed your humor. << I'd start a group TakingStatinsAndLoveIt but who cares? If you experience myopathy then stop taking the darn things. I mean, if it hurts to hit yourself on the head with a hammer then don't do it. Don't sit around agonizing about it.

May I say thank you for this group its really helping me what a great bunch of people. a huge thnaks for being here from me Pauline

I am being offered my 2nd bypass surgery. This time with mitral valve repair.So off pump is not an option. I have CHF and am 73 with diabetes. My past bypass has made me very reluctant to have another go at surgery. But I had my second MI last month. Has anyone experience with the combined bypass and valve repair or replacement. HAS anyone refused the surgery and still alive a year later??? BUN 33, creatnine 1.5 and BNP 426 Bill.

I wish it were that easy:-) I look to my doctor to know about health matters, and I guess I always felt medicine was part of their job. I thought the pharmasict was just the dispenser..... Ed said: After his death it was determined Ya know, I think this is a big problem......maybe we all put to much confidence in the doctors in the first place. I always try hard to follow my doctors recommendations.....because she is not happy if I don't.......and I really do not want her upset with me. Many people are very trusting and would not even consider a second opinion, IMO....if they liked their doctor or figured they knew best.Especially elderly patients. Nina...I think that is what they are doing...research. What better way than to meet others with the same problems? Well, ya know Ed, there are probably people out there who would join. I know there has to be some people for who the drug has worked well.I hope so anyway. Nina, have you had bypass surgery? At rehab we are learning about stress and stressors. It is a very good class. They talk about hostile people........angry people, as having the highest risk of H.A. Anyway.......sometimes i am amazed I guess by people who blast other people. I admit sometimes i feel like it, but truely try to hold back cuz I do not like making people feel bad.(I am a woos:-) Anyway.....I think ed was just trying to let other people know about his group, in case it may pertain to them or someone they know. Take care, Jill

Does it mean no heart and lung machine?? and where they don't stop your heart?? Pauline

Ten years ago I had a four way bypass and soon after that my cholesteral count was way over two hundred. My doctor put me on zocor and it got better but not good. He then put me on zocor and lipitor together and that helped. I took both for about six years and never had any adverse effects or certainly none that I noticed. About three years ago I took myself off of zocor and doubled the amount of lipitor. That worked fairly well until now and lately its been climbing up. I'm not sure why I am writing this unless for some reason I need to vent a little. Larry

I talked to the nurse at my hubby's cardiac doc's office about this surgery to see if it could be done when hubby needs to have the surgery redone down the line. Here's what she said: "Beating Heart" bypass surgery, also known as off pump means working on the heart while it is beating and not on the heart lung machine. They usually do this when there are 1 - 2 arteries that need bypass. When there are multiple vessels involved, it takes much longer. It is too difficult to work on them while it in motion. There may be some parts of the country where physicians perform more than 1 vessel off pump (OPCAB) but none around here. Just too difficult and risky for the patient.

Has anyone else experienced severe nightmares after surgery? My dad has been experiencing severe nightmares since surgery. He rarely dreamed before. These nightmares are bad enough that they wake him and cause him to cry out. I am just curious if this is normal.

<If a person is having so many side effects from statins, why would they continue to take them? Hi Nina, my guess would be as in my own case..I am trying to work with and please my doctors.I personally have seen many people messed up with these drugs, but everyone is different, and I have known of a few that do ok.:-) Jill

Had a 5 artery by pass on Jan 31, 2004. I have been coughing steadily since the oepration with a lot of mucus which seems to be worse after I eat. Anyone with a similar problem and/or advise?

Hi, My husband of 33 years just had off-pump bypass surgery almost 5 weeks ago. I just need some place to vent i guess, get support and wisdom, and information. His major issue is with neck and middle of the back pain. Thinks his chest and heart are fine, itis just the neck that is killing him ...... he was so anxious to drive after 3 weeks...and he did once, and has not attempted again. That does hurt his chest he says. This is a man who was never ill, and worked like a horse all his life. He is not used to "taking it easy" and now I think depression maybe creeping in. Well, at any rate, if any of you can let me know your experiences, and how you are now, etc., I would be most grateful. I will up front tell ya, I am very nosy, and have always investigated health stuff. I have had unresolved health issues for many years, so do alot of research. In this case however..I am nervous to do too much research. I do not want to second guess the docs. We have been the type to eat healthy, and no pharmaceuticals....till now. My husbands dad died at age 65, had his first heart attack at age 57. He smoked, and worked hard and ate terrible....my husband felt he would have much better odds, since he quit smoking like 10 years ago, and really eats good food, (altho a bit to large portions) The fact he got his first before age 57 has unsettled him alot. His mom passed from heart attack also at age 76. Well, I will quit rambling and just hope some responses come in.....I would sure appreciate it.We are both enrolled at our hospitals rehab program which I admit has been great so far. Thanks, Jill ps.They only kept my husband in the hospital one night.....I was glad to get him out of there..(him too) but what alot of pressure..living an hour away from the hospital...

"Memorial Day" Veterans many, How can we say we're grateful for your gift to us? To unknown places You went when ordered to go, facing life or death. Souls of all the wars, we celebrate you today, your courage and strength. by blue 2004

Hi I am newish to this group. I am 50 and had my triple bypass 14 months ago. I have been back at work (I am a lecturer) almost a year. I cant say I feel 100% I have days when I feel tired and anxious but I guess its normal. I still get the odd ache and my left side is still numb but that is getting better. In my case the best thing I did was to get back to work and get my mind on other things. It really works!! You completley forget you ever had a bypass. The worst times are holidays when I have time to think. Thinking can be a curse! Stop thinking and live as the book says. I also find prayer and meditation helps and keeping in touch with friends who have been through the sdame operation. I hope my few thoughts help Godbless you all Ken from the UK

I had my by pass surgery 5 weeks ago now and I am really having a problem with diarrhea. I thought maybe it had something to do with some of the meds I on but the doctor doesn't think so. Has anyone else had this problem after surgery?? With everything else, this can really get you down. My doctor suggested Imodium but that doesn't seem to be helping. Any suggestions? Thanks. Judy [INLINE]

Please Can anybody tell me if they ever strain the heart muscle? Im sure thats what I have done from time to time and did it again last week. I lifted some newspapers out of cupboard for the bin and it just absolutely knocked the daylights out of me for a few days. I also get palpatitions when it happens and feels sooooooo uncomfortable. The last time I spoke to Dr and said thats what it feels like..im sure she thinks thats not the prob....if not I wish I knew what it was. I had By passes in Feb 2003, after h/att in Dec, also suffered massive H/Att 10 years ago and that did damage also. Can anybody HELP me please...Today am still finding things i lift...eg, the kettle, are still feeling toooo heavy, 5 days after., but did go for a bit of a walk today and feeling a lot better now. Catch you all soon...Take care everybody...Wish to Chat in room here one Day please!! Annmarie

Hi, I am new here and need a question answered. My dad had CABG x 4 done yesterday. He has been removed from the vent. and I thought he was doing great...they even talked this morning like he would be moved from ICU this evening. The nurses made the comment that he has had to have 5 pints of blood today. He is staying in ICU tonight due to this. This amount of blood seems like an awful lot and no one will tell me if it is or not. Can anyone here help me? I am getting concerned. Thanks.

Went back to the Dr. for check up on wound vac and incission healing. Things are healing better now and he seems in a better mood although he is not feeling there yet. He talked to the Dr. about getting pain medicine that is not so addictive and the nurse told him not to take the meds unless he started to hurt that way he would not get addicted. He still hurts but seemed a little better now. I hope when they do the stress test he does ok. The refraction of the heart is not known yet on how much damage has been done to the heart muscle. The Dr. said that he had the attack on the table so hopefully that would cut down on the damage, hope so. He stays so tired and the wound vac is pumping off a lot of infection off. Thank the Lord for that invention, have never heard about it but glad it is here for us. The damage to the heart muscle is what we are waiting on and hopefully no more complications will set in as a result of my husband's body. He has muscle spasams in both of his shoulder blades in his back area and I have been massaging that area lightly that seems to help him. When they pull off the drape of the vac it hurts his chest because of the soreness but he bears the pain. Thank you for reading this and any helpfull suggestions you can give us is greatly appreciated. Have a good Memorial Day and enjoy life. Barbara

It begain on March 21,2004, Sunday afternoon, severe pain in the chest after we came home from Gold's gym. He was driving and told me to take over, I drove to the nearest rescue squad and they transported him to the hospital. The Dr. could not do the angeoplastic, his heart attack was too far they called the surgeons in they operated on him, the cabage was completed. He was off the breathing machine the next day. Surgeon told him he would have a lot of pain because of the muscle build he had in his chest from exercising at the gym. He came home within 3 1/2 days, which they said was remarkable for the surgery he had. Two weeks later staples were removed and all things looked good. On April 17 my husband noticed the middle of his incision was red. We went to the ER the Dr. on call admitted him for infection of the sternum. They pumped him full of (8) bags of vancomiacin which is the strongest antibiotic for stauph. He was in the hospital for 4 days and sent home with instructions to do wet/dry dressings to the infected chest incision. On April 24, that Saturday he felt strange in his right lung, went back to the hospital and found out he had pleurisy in the right lung and (2)blood clots in his left. Was in the hospital for 7 days and sent home with instructions to continue wet/dry dressings. On May 12 his surgeon put him back in the hosp. and reopened the chest area because of the infection. After 1 night in the hosp. he was sent home with instructions for a wound vac to be put on by a home health nurse. This has been going on for a week now and looks better. Tomorrow we will go back to the surgeon but my husband feels so bad and we are afraid he will be addicted to the pain meds. He still hurts in his chest area and his back. His legs also are hurting not from the incision, it did fine, but from the nerve siatic if spelled correctly not sure. Can anyone help us. Is this normal for what he has been through or should we seek another surgeon or Dr. Help if you can. Thank you. A greiving wife for her hurting husband.

Hi All ~ Just asking for some friendly advise after Bypass Surgery. I had a single bypass on my LDA by attaching my LIMA to the bottom of the LDA. The operation was off-pump and successful except for an alergic reaction to the operation "prep" solution.Right now I'm pretty sore and it's very difficult to get around.(All expected) Does anyone have any suggestions for sleeping arrangements? I'm hoping to make it easier on my poor wife getting me to an upright position.Also are there any suggestions on coughing up flem in the lungs? That just about kills me when I try. I do hold a pillow to my chest for support but the breast bone pain is pretty harsh.Finally does anyone have a time table as to when things are going to improve? After reading some of the Q's & A's I know I have had it very easy compared to some. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Doug

Hi there everybody, Have visited this Chat room quite a few times wondering if anybody is ever there for a chat....and havent struck anyone yet!!!! Please let me know if any of you are interested in going there. Am in Australia, so i realise we are on different time zones. Thanking you....Bye Annmarie

How many weeks after open heart surgery have people started back playing golf? I've heard I can start after 8-weeks, other say after 12.

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There's no FDA RDA. Right now the most common recommendation I've heard is to take your body weight in milligrams per day. There also seems to be no toxicity so you can take as much as you can afford.

Hi folks, I haven't posted in a LONG time, but I do occasionally check in here to see what's going on. I just passed my 3rd anniversary of a 3X CABG (May 11, 2001) and I'm doing really well. I was only 45 at the time; it scared the living crap out of me, but I got through it, did what the doctors said, educated myself on coronary artery disease, and I'm doing all I can to prevent a recurrence. I eat right, excercise 5 days a week, and try to keep stress under control. I took up motorcycling about 2 years ago (something I had wanted to do since I was ~10 years old) and I've really enjoyed that. I'm really sorry to hear about those of you who are having major complications. I guess I'm really fortunate to have everything going so well. Those of you who've just had surgery or who may have to have it, sometimes it does turn out well, you just have to remember that all they're doing you is "fixing" you, it's not a cure. YOU have to do what it takes to keep it from happening again. Best Regards, Hugh

Hi folks... l have been in the Hospital ... l had so much trouble breathing and my back was in so much pain l could not stand up streight.. l went to se the doctor..he did not like the way l looked and all the pain l was in.. Well l gat the right amount of pain meds.. and they uppered the Imdur to 90 mg... and also some of my other meds they changed..l tell you later witch one.. l feel better.. They also did an Cardiac cath...becouse it had been over 1 yr since the last one.. but no bloackagde so bad they do not have to do surgery again.. l am going back to the doctors.. Cardiac and Internist in 2 weeks... My pain meds are now for my back.. Oxycodon.. every 6 hours.. sure better than what l took.. and l can at least sit here and tell you.. My breathing is also better.. l have Oste Arterotis in the spinal cord..very painfull..like l neede this on top of everything else.. Gail...Boy did my sugar levels get out of waak .... up to 380 by the time l went to the doctor.. it is down to what they should be now.. 110 this morning.. OK now my puter did somthing wired too... LOL eveyrthing l wrote all fo sudden dissaperred... well as you can se l found it... l thought maybe l had a goast in here...LOL we talk later..have loads of e-mail to get to... Hugzz Rita

Hi All, just checking on a weeks worth of messages. Last Friday 5-7- 04-, 9 AM in the morning, my arms were very painful, hurting 1st my left arm, heavy and weak at the same time, then my right arm, went back to bed to lay down, started sweating, got all clammy all over, arms are very very painful.....husband called 911 - started vomiting, paramedics here, I don't know what they did, but then nest thing I knew, in the ambulance, sirens going, gosh my head hurts, got tears, everything hurt, no control over my arms or legs, like limp gadgets. Got to hospital I am told, into CATH LAB had angigram, then angiplasty , with the balloon, I wwas a little awake, telling dr, that my arms hurt and where they hurt. Turns out that they cleared a block artery from my By Pass last July, 2003. It was blocked 87%, Dr. said, it is twisted or kinked or sutured to tight. Just a drop of blood going thru at a time instead of flowing blood thru.... Here I am, Heart Attack and a Stent, then Triple Bypass July 2003, now another Heart Attack, my by-pass failed.......damn........what luck do I have?? But I am alive and still kicking, somehow God is not done with me yet, stayed a week in the hospital, Seems the DRs. are still trying to figure out about my Sternal Infections/Wounds......probably I've had 10-12 open wounds in my incisian area, mostly Yeast Infection, been on tons of drugs, IV Therapy at home, but still have infection, and "pockets" in my chest area, and smething gong on with the bone too....waiting to hear now, how extensive of a surgery I am going to have or if they are going to still prolong it like they have been doing. Donna in Roseville

Hi Judy, You sound perfectly normal to me...I was water works for weeks. Im still on a small dose of a anti depressant. Im not usually a crier and I cried on my husbands shoulder "I dont wanna be a sickie". We laugh at it now. I did take pain pills for the back pain. It did not ease up and Im still on vioxx. I had my surgery 6/16/03 and in March went back in and 2 stents were put in..You bet one was in the back. Do try to walk some but dont overdue it...Right now you need to heal and its very hard not to push yourself but try not to, it will just make things worse. Im back to work full time, and have more good days then bad. Its a different life style for sure but we are alive. I take my meds and different vitamins. One of our memebers has a web site for the supplements and I will vouch for the COQ10. There are many more you can take. It does take a bit to kick in but well worth it. Since taking Vit E I do see a difference in my skin too. It doesnt remove wrinkles, oh well. Fish Oil, B6,B12, Folic are excellent. Oh if anyone is near a wallgreens I got the 200mg COQ10...Buy one and get one free. 27.00. Keep your spirits up. Each day will be a teenie tiny improvement. Hugzzzzzzzzz Stannis

hello all! my name is charla and im a 47 yr. old who had triple bypass in june 2003. i had several complications after but the worst was a staph infection in the wound, then in august another surgery to remove tissue destroyed by the staph. the wound care people finally got this wound closed last november. but in december i started having pain in my sternum area. since then it has continually grown worse. i live in a small town and having no medical insurance i cant seem to get anyone to find out why and what's going on with this. about january i noticed a deep valley right down the center of my chest. the people who have looked at it only say that the bone has either separated or the staph may possibly damaged the sternum and made it "spongy". i was wondering if anyone here had possibly had the same or similar problem or has even heard of this happening. with every day now the pain gets worse and these dr.s dont seem to want to do anything but write pain med's and that's not fixing the problem. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks, charla

Well at least I can sit here and type this message..... for a few minutes. God, when does it quit hurting? The short of it. Hi all, my name is Ted and I am now a 9 time MI survivor over the last three years and just had my first heart bypass on Thursday afternoon. This is all due to a very bad, genetic cholesterol problem (800+ when I was a young , active Marine) My opinion of Bypass surgery. IT HURTS Thanks for having this group, I will have many questions as I start to heal and feel a bit better. Ted anyone in the WA state area?