It's amazing how quickly a week passes in our lives. Last Thursday afternoon I listened to my doctor saying, "I would like you to go home and pack a toothbrush and get yourself straight to hospital". Over a period of four or five months I had been experiencing mild chest pain, after exertion, which had worsened and being a form student I deduced the blood flow to my heart was not what it should be. I was correct but the extent of the damage was not apparent until after my angiogram, th
It's amazing how quickly a week passes in our lives. Last Thursday afternoon I listened to my doctor saying, "I would like you to go home and pack a toothbrush and get yourself straight to hospital". Over a period of four or five months I had been experiencing mild chest pain, after exertion, which had worsened and being a form student I deduced the blood flow to my heart was not what it should be. I was correct but the extent of the damage was not apparent until after my angiogram, the process where they send special dye into your heart.
The amazing part of the angiogram process was that I was awake during the procedure and apart from some mild pain from the insertion of the wire the doctors use it was all fairly ho hum. What was not ho hum was the finding that I had a 99% blockage in one artery and about 50% in another and it looked like open heart surgery was on the cards. Naturally, everyone close to me was in mild shock, and initially I was surprised to say the least, but I have been a punter for over forty years and as you all know punters are made of material tougher than tungsten. I have always believed the words from the old Doris Day song, later sung by Normie Rowe, called "Que Sera Sera" which means "whatever will be, will be" and I entered into the thought processes about the future with positivity.
After spending a couple of days of lounging around receiving visitors, family and being monitored with various clamps, blood tests and blood pressure checks a team of doctors decided that stents should be slotted into the worst artery. If that was a problem then cut me they would. Well, I had the stents put in about 12pm on Monday and I was home Tuesday afternoon 1pm in what I can only describe as an astounding turn around. I did spend a miserable twelve hours on my back from the start of the procedure through to the excruciating hours where it was vitally imperative my right leg was not moved at all. At 12.30 a.m. I gingerly stepped out of bed and sat down for an hour and a half, with great relief , and at just after 2a.m. I toddled off for a sleep.
So, I am back home with enough tablets to choke a crocodile and more instructions than the pilot of a jet airliner would receive but you know what: it would really take some doing to upset me right at this moment. As for my future, whatever will be will be, and as for yours can I suggest you ask your doctor for a full check up for cholesterol (mines ok at 5.0 but will need to drop a fraction now) , blood pressure ( I have had high blood pressure for a few years - it's those close photos!!) and an ECG test (I had that) for starters. As an extra ask about how to you can get your arteries checked: it's the check that could save you.