Need A Little Support Here
 

I just found out that my next younger brother (I'm the oldest at 64; he's 5 years younger) suffered a heart attack today coming back from a holiday weekend at the beach in Bethany. When they stopped for lunch, my sister-in-law said to him he looked 'funny' (she's a dental hygienist). He replied he wasn't hungry and didn't feel well. She insisted on getting him to the local hospital, where they diagnosed the M.I. and choppered him to the U. of Md. Med Ctr. in Baltimore. Within 12 minutes of his landing, they had diagnosed the blockage and had a stent inserted. He seems stable for now; we'll find out more tomorrow with the follow-up tests. The bitch is he's in 10 times better shape than I am. I'm much more overweight, and due to arthritis am now more inactive. He still actively plays both golf and tennis. While as a nurse I can see this as a positively resolving situation, as a brother it has scared the hell out of me. So I turn to my banana family here. Thanks guys.

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

Being a younger fat man (that's the oldest too) I wish you the best Howard on your health and especially for your brothers full recovery. :^)

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

I hope we serve as a sort of 'stress relief' for you.

I always get concerned when I hear/read about a person near my age or slightly younger having died. It makes me that much more aware of the clock ticking down.

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

Your all in my prayers.Say somthing to me if you need to talk brother.

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

Went and saw him today. He looks good, and is making jokes about it, which is his normal way of life. Outside of him being overweight, we now know he's had 'pains' for over 2 weeks now but ignored them An object lesson to us all. As he was adopted, and never pursued his birth families' histories, we don't know what they would show in terms of genetics. Kind of have to assume the worst, since he had a MI at 59. Waiting for the rest of the results to see what extent of muscle damage he has. However, baring complications, he should be home on Friday. Thanks to all for the prayers and good wishes.

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

We're very lucky, as this was the artery blocked. Notoriously known as a 'widow maker heart attack'.

From Wikipedia-

A widow maker is a nickname used to describe a highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery of the heart.

This term is used because if the artery gets abruptly and completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to a sudden death. The blockage that kills is made up of platelets streaming to the site of a ruptured cholesterol plaque. Even a small amount of plaque in this area can (for a variety of poorly understood reasons) rupture and cause death; bypassing chronic blockages or trying to open them up with angioplasty does not prevent heart attack but it can restore blood flow in case of a sudden blockage or heart attack. An example of the devastating results of a complete occlusion of the LAD (Left Anterior Descending) artery was the sudden death of former NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert.

From the minute a widow maker hits, survival time ranges from minutes to several hours. Rapidly progressing symptoms should signal the need for immediate attention. Symptoms of initial onset may include nausea, shortness of breath, pain in the head, jaw, arms or chest, often of a novel but imprecise sensation which builds with irregular heart beat. Early symptoms may be mistaken for food poisoning, flu or general malaise until they intensify. A widow maker cannot kill instantaneously but induce cardiac arrest which may do so within 10 to 20 minutes of no circulation. A victim with no pulse or breath is still alive living off oxygen stored in the blood and may be able to be rescued if treatment is begun promptly within this window. [1].

Once again, all praise to my sister-in-law!

Re: Need A Little Support Here
 

Yes the clock is ticking but look at it in another light. This reminds us that life is today, don't wait 'til tomorrow as it may never come. Many of us have survived serious health issues and thank God for the modern medical procedures. Live now, love now, laugh now.