Comments on: from the heart- complete chronicle

By: This Week In Mobile Tech Manor #63: Rain, Rain, Go Away

This Week In Mobile Tech Manor #63: Rain, Rain, Go Away — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:12:59 +0000

[...] his recovery process. What I realized as I read this account was that it was similar in style to my chronicle of my own life-changing health episode. It was rather cool to find that similarity in style. Of course, I am biased and may have imagined [...]

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:25:28 +0000

Very well written story. I believe you are very lucky indeed that you did not have a heart attack that could have caused permanent damage. My father had a massive heart attack that left 60% of his heart muscle damaged. He was always in pain afterwards and was constantly trying new experimental drugs to help reduce his pain. He was able to resume working and spent as much time with his hobby (fishing) as he could. But I could always sense the misery he was going through, although he would never acknowledge it. Anyway, he lived for five more years before passing away from a second heart attack at the age of 55 while out on a fishing trip. It is believed that his first attack was caused by many years of heavy smoking and drinking. So, count your blessings, because I wouldn’t want anyone to go through years of misery like my Dad endured.

Beware of MONDAYS, it is the most popular day for heart attacks.

I really enjoy your blog, podcasts and videos. I try to check you site at least once a day. Keep up the great work you and Kevin do.

By: Srini

Srini — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:45:05 +0000

JK,

It was very moving to read the entire recount of events.

“Good Health” is the best gadget a person can get. I am happy that you are feeling great with good health.

God bless your family.

Thanks,
Srini

By: suzanne

suzanne — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:55:40 +0000

So interested to read your account. My husband is going for a triple bypass next month. In some ways I wish we didn’t have to wait so long – the waiting is hard. Best wishes to you and your wife and as the caregiver it is important for me to know how you felt during the recovery period. Now I need someone’s wife to write their side of the situation.
Suzanne

By: Family Heart

Family Heart — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:22:27 +0000

Thanks so much for writing this. My father has just gone thru the same thing, with the medical staff telling him he was lucky he was so healthy – it would help with recovery. It came is a shock. Fortunately he had a relative who had a triple bypass five years ago who has been able to help him through some of the strange elements like drug reaction, memory loss and the weird noises his breastbone makes as it repairs. I find talking and writing about this kind of stuff helps me to cope with it. It’s taking my dad a while as he finds it frustrating that he can’t remember everything and that he misremembers things, but it’s good to know these are all ‘normal’ reactions.

Thanks again.

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:00:58 +0000

Willy, as it stated at the end of the chronicle the most likely cause was undiagnosed diabetes. I had probably been diabetic for years but with no symptoms it was not caught.

By: Willy

Willy — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:10:31 +0000

Thanks Mr Kendrick. If that's possible, will you mind tell us what is the cause for the such seriously blocked artery? There are many young people reading your site and maybe you can share some prevention tips.

By: Gene Schmeling

Gene Schmeling — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:08:27 +0000

Wow! It’s an excellently written article! An event like this is so personal and I know it took guts to share it with the world, but I also understand your motivation. I originally began reading the article because of your “Geekapalooza #5 – Win a Sony U71 contest”, but found myself rivoted to it because of its brutal emotional honesty. I’m 46 years old and need to be careful of my own heart because a genetic predisposition. Take care of yourself, truly!

By: Lilly

Lilly — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:25:36 +0000

Hi, Everyone. Thanks for sharing your experiences. One thing I’ve learned going through heart surgery is that it truly helps to communicate to others going through the same thing. It is very surreal and definitely helps put things into perspective. My name is Lilly and I am 55 yrs old. Very healthy, never had any cholestrol, or blood pressure problems. Been active all my life, but I had a heart murmur all my life. One day last year, my doctor suggested I see a cardiologist and lo and behold, I found out I had an aneurysm due to a bicuspid aortic valve (2 leaflets). Feb 20, I had open heart surgery, and wow, it was rough. I had it done at Stanford Medical and they are truly great!!! They repaired my entire ascending aorta and spared the valve.

It’s almost 7 weeks, and things went really smoothly, no complications whatsoever, except for the normal things like, some nights I couldn’t sleep, coughing for the first 2 weeks, hard to physically get out of bed, etc. My scar is 10inches long and fully healed already. Still some tenderness aroung the incision and lots of tightness in the upper chest, neck and throat. I’m hoping massage will loosen it up…it hurts!

Has anyone out there had the same experience regarding the tightness?

I look forward to following up.

All the best, everyone, and take care of yourselves.

Sincerely,

Lilly

By: Michael Martens

Michael Martens — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 07:09:15 +0000

Hi forgive my english not too good by acceptable.I m
german born living in Argentina, age 60 and in 10 days
I ll undertake a 4 by-pass surgery, and I am very very
afraid, I am writing with great anxiety and depression
I have tear drops in my eyes and sweating.The more I read about the subject the worst it gets, but I need to know, I must.Somewhere I read : live as you were to
die tomorrow. Learn as you were to live forever.
I must overcome this feeling I dont want to die,to be confronted with my own mortality and vitality is a challenge.You all are survivors with a reborn life and
I am taking the best out of it. Love you all.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:07:40 +0000

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My experience was almost exactly the same as yours. The doctors called it, Widow maker, a term I hadn’t heard since I was a child and they would use that term to refer to someone who dropped dead suddendly. I had always been active until last fall when out of no where I began to have shortness of breath and within six weeks I had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, nothing but morphine touched the pain. From there it was a whirlwind of doctors, tests, procedures, all leading to by-pass surgery on 8 January of this year. I am now just about 7 weeks post surgery and the pain is still there, the swelling from the surgery along the sternum, and the breast bone is still there but overall I am making terrific progress. I can get into and out of bed without help, I can walk, I can fix a meal, I can bathe and dress myself and next week I will be able to drive again… the whole experience has been surreal in many ways…the first couple of weeks home were almost like being somewhere else, another time, another place, nothing seemed real, I didn’t feel grounded at all…terrible nightmares, waking up crying, I would find myself reaching out for people and objects that weren’t there in reality but sure felt like it in my mind. All in all this has been a life changing experience and I am not sure what the future holds, but I know that I have been changed. I still have a hard time believing that I really and truly had a Heart attack…for some reason I have a hard time wrapping my head around that reality but I’m sure in time I will accept the truth. I start cardio rehab next week and I’m looking forward to that. Mainly I just wanted to say, “You have written a truly real account of what this procedure is and how people feel and what they go through before and after the surgery. I hope you are doing well and that you will have a long and healthy life. Thank you again.”

By: Paul Sharp

Paul Sharp — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:41:29 +0000

Very well done and thanks for doing it.

All the best

Paul CABG 2-6

By: Paul Sharp

Paul Sharp — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:41:29 +0000

Very well done and thanks for doing it.

All the best

Paul CABG 2-6

By: Simon Coulthurst

Simon Coulthurst — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:11:15 +0000

Puts my little aches and pains into perspective and makes me realise that I need more excercise. Have always enjoyed your blog, it is on my daily read list, but I now feel as though I know you a bit as well. Thank you!

By: jk

jk — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:08:44 +0000

Thanks gork! Good luck with your walking, it's the best exercise there is.

By: gork

gork — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:01:24 +0000

You know, I need to read this every year and I am glad you post it every year. Alot of people don't know that going to get a physical every year is almost essential to avoiding something like this. I have started doing this every year and even though I am overweight(ok, I am obese), my levels....glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides are all ok. I need to get more serious about my health. I stopped going to the gym a while back because work kept getting in the way. I need to get back on a schedule. I do however walk whenever I can. If I want to go to Walmart, I throw my iPod on which, depending on the day, usually has a MOTR or Tablet PC on the run on it and walk to Walmart. I have walked to the grocery store too even when getting a case of pop. I carry it back all of the way also. Just doing that has kept my weight relatively static (not going up), but I need to have it start going down. Anyway, I am glad you made it through that as well as 9/11 itself. I imagine that all of your cares about yourself went away the moment that second plane hit. Take care James.