Got news yesterday evening my bro (63) had a heart attack, was in the ER and has already had a stent put in the blocked artery. He is doing fine now.
This bro is the gem of our family-actually, of our entire relation--he's the family comedian and when we get together everyone begs him to tell his funny stories. What a wake-up call--the entire family would be devastated if he hadn't made it! His life has been stressful--although he wouldn't tell you that--he'd say it's been perfect, because he's a non-complainer (exactly like my dad was). My favorite bro!!!
What's weird is that two weeks ago his back started hurting really bad. X-rays showed he had two compression fractures in his thoracic spine. He hasn't had an accident, and I think he probably has osteoporosis.
Unfortunately, he was a smoker up until a year ago. He also has a precancerous condition in his esophagus.
His only symptom of heart problems was occasional numbness in his left armpit for the past month. Yesterday he started feeling really nauseous and unwell, I suppose other signs that scared him into going to ER.
My family's genetic weakness is heart problems.....my sister survived a heart attack at 50. Most of my uncles (my parents both only had brothers, no sisters) had survivable heart attacks in their 70s. Funny thing, neither of my parents had a heart attack and only one (of about 70) cousins has had (died) of a heart attack, and he was in his early 50s.
Anyway, I'm going to see him today and I'll get more details. Just so glad he's okay--when I got the call I fell apart, thinking the worst. So, its a big relief to know the blockage is fixed and he'll be ok!
Glad he is doing well. Have a great visit.
Just imagine, That stent delivery system came out of a garage in Missoula Montana.................
Wow, I didn’t know that! Think of how lucky we are–not too many years ago ppl were dying from heart attacks that can now be fixed fairly easily. He only has 13% damage so I guess that isn’t too bad.
Oh Grandma that is scary. I'm glad he is doing better. I hope he has a smooth and uneventful recovery. Are you OK? It is really intense when someone so close has such medical scare.
GrandmaJ! Your brother is lucky and your whole family is lucky that he was able to get a stent and go home. It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it, what they can do. I’ll bet when you saw him, you were amazed at how well he looked. Those are usually very successful procedures.
Look after yourself well, be glad that you are treating your PsA aggressively, and give everyone close to you a special hug.
Thanks everybody....I went to hospital to visit him this evening. He looks great and will be going home Wednesday. I saw the pics of his angiogram. The first one showed the blockage in a main arterie. The blood flow stopped abruptly at the blockage--it was 100% blocked. The next pic showed after the procedure and there were a bunch of veins full of blood branching off from it. Amazing! Anyway, the cardiologist who did the angioplasty is the dad of my daughter's best friend since childhood who's actually going to be in my daughter's wedding. So I told my bro to tell the dr he's Emma's uncle. Dr said, see you at the wedding!
My brother is sort of a fearless guy--nothing ever scared him, and as a kid he drove my mom nuts with worry he was such a daredevil. His kids gave him a gift of a skydive for his 60th birthday because he said he always wanted to try that. Anyway, he told us he was really scared when he had the heart attack. I'm hoping and praying his squashed vertebrae and now this heart attack is the end of his problems! I love him so much.
That's really scary. So glad that you were able to see your brother and that he is stable.
He very much is quite a guy, Sybil. Like my dad, a most unforgettable character. Very good story teller, and he's by far the sweetest of all my siblings (along with my sister who died 23 years ago)--some people just have a knack for sweetness.
Thanks, you guys, for your kind remarks. :-)
I hope he continues to do well and recovers quickly.
Thank you, Louise. :-)
Louise said:
I hope he continues to do well and recovers quickly.
So sorry to hear of your brother.....glad he is OK now! Please take care of yourself!! :)
Thank you, sunshine! (I love the name you chose--we have a granddaughter named Sunny, and she is like sunshine!). Butch, my bro who's real name is John, is doing great. I think he is a changed person, tho. He's a little more serious now. He's the same bro who suddenly had 2 compression fractures not much more than a month ago. Just praying everything is OK with him!
sunshine said:
So sorry to hear of your brother.....glad he is OK now! Please take care of yourself!! :)
Grandma J! Im terribly sorry about your brother! What awful news! I know your so thankful that the stent has gone so well! The things we have in our life that make us laugh, have a way of also making us cry! Hope he does well! Hope you’ve been feeling ok! Take care of yourself!
Thank you, Rhea! I hope you’re still feeling good, too!
Rhea said:
Grandma J! Im terribly sorry about your brother! What awful news! I know your so thankful that the stent has gone so well! The things we have in our life that make us laugh, have a way of also making us cry! Hope he does well! Hope you’ve been feeling ok! Take care of yourself!