Some of these tests included examination of his heart. It is only too common for people to ignore the early signs of a heart attack or mistake them for something else like gastric reflux or other conditions. I hope this helps. Upper body pain or discomfort. The patient's blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent. Are older than age 50 for women and people AFAB. I am 50 and never had any trouble till then. The extent of the blockage can vary widely from 1% to 100%. My mother died at 42. I couldnt believe it? CABG is usually best for a total blockage in the LAD. It feels strange how sudden and close such a life-threatening issue grazed us by. (2017). I had open heart surgery 2 years ago,buy the have stopped up.the dr said they are 100%blocked is ther see anything that can be done.I have chest pain all the time please h3lp. Should I get another angiogram since I did only 3 minutes on the thread mill and had severe angina. The graft diverts blood around -- bypasses -- the blocked LAD artery. My dad was skeptical and still felt that nothing was wrong with him. the extent of the damage to the heart muscle, eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, avoiding artificial trans fats and added sugars. Sigh. I told him if I died before getting to the hospital he had to tell my son he had done everything he could to help me. What happens during a heart attack? For patients without heart attacks, if cholesterol is elevated, I support motivated patients efforts to lower it with lifestyle and diet changes, because that can really work. About the time I was going to fall over in the swing, my son pulled up in front of the house. I was put on effient , 81 aspirin, beta blockernever really had high blood pressure.it was border line.also put me on stronger cholesterol meds. He x-rayed my neck and said I had a compressed vertebrae pinching a nerve. This can happen with or without chest discomfort. It depends on the types of blockages, where theyre located, how severe they are, and what the best options are for the individual patient. Your story sounds just like what happened to my brother. A widowmaker heart attack occurs when a blood clot or plaque completely blocks the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, one of the arteries around the heart. Patients usually will start with cardiac rehabilitation, which is supervised exercise training. There was an autopsy performed but we wont know results for awhile. I eat very healthy and I am just thru went my current doctor he told my husband I should have been dead a long time ago. The doctor is a top cardiac surgeon in or area so at have to trust his decision but area a bit confused. He was calm on the phone, I could hear him. Patel N, et al. Reading other similar stories makes me feel less fearful and more hopeful. He was blessed as he was only 5 minutes from the hospital and taken there by a friend. Are there any specific topics youd like to see us cover? Science & Doctors kept you alive. But your presentation explained exactly what happened. pain that radiates into the legs, back, neck, or jaw, thrombolytic medicines to dissolve blood clots in the coronary arteries. Multiple pages reviewed. I thought that going to a cardiologist was complete overkill, since I had lost weight and had good stats, but I went along with them. ( no meat only fish) for 6 years this time, moderate activity, dont use cooking oil, butter magarine . I was sent to the cath lab where they found the cause, a 100% blockage of the LAD. Breathing was still painful but I was reluctant to go to the hospital. The quickest way to get help is to call 911 not to drive to the emergency room. Cartliatist. I understand at my age I should expect some health issues, but I surely am entitled to pursue treatment if I believe it will help. I had terrible pain in my chest and arms. Immediate treatment is crucial for a chance at survival. What happens in a urethral stent removal? I will thank you but whats to say its not greatly increased from 20-30 in 4 turbulent years if no one will check for a recent prognosis. I now have a large amount of heart muscle damage. Barry Braun on Twitter: "HEART ISSUES Posting this hoping it helps at That all happened in 2003, Of course, I dont blame them. - WebMD, Upper body pain or discomfort. A widowmaker heart attack occurs when a blood clot or plaque completely blocks the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, one of the arteries around the heart. Too many rehab places of old folks and no one to help the young. I believe running and a higher power kept me from dying that night. I was only on treadmills about a minute and they stopped it and told me that they would have the pictures from the hospital in about a hour and to notify my wife to come in to review them with me. MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Does anyone know if this is normal? There was an ambulance tech in the neighboring court who went to work on him immediately. Very informative Dr. Ahmed, an excellent resource. Emergency personal were there within 6 minutes and it was a 15 minute ride to the hospital, but I was in good hands! The name sounds like a widowmaker heart attack only affects men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). How Viagra became a new 'tool' for young men, Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/03/18/avoid-daily-aspirin-unless-your-doctor-prescribes-it-new-guidelines-advise, https://openheart.bmj.com/content/5/2/e000852, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htm, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-attack, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm, https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/36/19/1163/2293202, https://bmccardiovascdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12872-017-0482-9, A safer blood thinner? No heart attack, but a 90% blockage was giving me chest pains. And later he, couldnt get the needed knee replacements because of his heart condition. Today still have some pain. I am a nurse and have seen the miracles of science but in the end, it is Gods plan. You are young yet you were saved for a reason.Enjoy the life you have left I am 61 and I find a reason every day to enjoy my life. (This is called non-stemi). I had two stents installed into my heart as I had 100% blockage in my LAD and 99% blockage in my Ramus. (The medical term for this is a proximal LAD lesion.) Well, now Im getting ready to change my eating habits. A quick pull on a little string to pull it out of the urethra, or by using a flexible scop First, a urethral stent (urolume) is in the urethra and usually placed in men with enlarged prostates and urinary obstruction who cannot have surgery. Ptca w stenting has come a long way in recent years with better equipment and easier to place devices (smaller caliber stents). Amen and thank you for sharing your experience. I am now afraid of having these procedures knowing what i know now. also means keeping conditions like diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol Met others out walking daily as part of rehab, similarly afflicted. Got two stints with one more to go in couple weeks. until I became an embalmer at the age of 36. Trying to eat more vegetables, fruits, fish. Scientists use genetic rewiring to increase lifespan of cells. I am curious. He copes when I cant. 4 aspirin, 2 nitros later and about 8 minutes we were at the hospital They were terrific, in ER for heart attacks and strokes for another 5-10 minutes and then in cath lab and finished in less than a hour. At that time, the chest pressure was intense with sweating & nausea. wouldnt have this major blockage shown on any of these tests? He also told me,that several times during the whole ordeal, he thought he would never be talking to me again. And true to its name, a widowmaker is especially deadly. 100% block in three arteries, put stents in the fourth. with a 95% blocked widow maker. A lot of people get motivated to change what theyre doing in their life after a heart attack or severe blockage. Call 911 right away. Dr. Kirtane: There are three major arteries of the heart that supply blood to the heart muscle. I had a widow maker heart attack on 8-16-16. Anyone who thinks that they or another person may be having a heart attack should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room immediately. Plaque is present. Well I had my incident on July7th of 2016, I am an active runner and swimmer, eat well and do all I can to take care of myself- I was only 47 years old when this happened and had a lot of stress before this happened, my wife had just finished a yearlong fight with breast cancer. A widowmaker heart attack is caused by a complete block of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. He got sick at fire station so he had everything available to him to help save him but it didnt work. But on the way died. I am 30 years old. Apple Watch saves woman after 'widow maker' heart attack I had no warnings. Delayed treatment for a heart attack can lead to significant tissue damage and scarring. Healthcare providers call a heart attack a myocardial infarction, which means you dont have enough blood going to your heart muscle (myocardium). He is managed on a lot of prescription meds including the water pill (furosemide). Saturday morning it happened again. My phone was also beside the swing. On the morning of 12/18/15 I was headed to my spot on the couch waiting for my coffee to finish brewing. The sooner you get treatment, the better your outlook. They explained to us that only 5% have survived what he went through that night. At age 40 I was overweight, a smoker and drinker. I have a total of 13 stents and have had 2 open heart by pass surgeries. If we dont live healthy lifestyles in our 20s, 30s, and 40s, then we start having problems in our 50s, 60s, and 70s. American Heart Association. Widowmaker heart attack symptoms include: Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have these symptoms. Whats the Difference Between a Heart Attack and Heart Failure? I called my Doctor after my wife threatned me with every thing she will have to do after Im dead. Gotta do something because I would like to live a lot longer. Thank you for sharing this information to help others. And the patients blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent, he added. I would just like to say thank you Jesus and thank you to all the doctors who have dedicated their lives to saving others lives!! He has now started living a heart-healthy lifestyle. He passes urine every 1/2 hour 24/7! Some people can return to work in two weeks. A widowmaker can damage a large part of your heart very quickly. I guess my point was. I need to change my lifestyle and eating habits but life is good. Off pump surgery is much easier on the body than On pump surgery. Alternatively ask the initial Dr for a more reassuring explanation regarding you symptoms as they are scary to you. They worked on him at hospital. I walked more than 1/2 mile yesterday, Dec 3rdthen walked to the store and spent a few hours chopping up my Olive tree branches that were snapped in a storm, bagged them and put them in the garbageand felt good afterwardsmore than I have done in any 1 day for months! I have had no problem before and was pretty healthy. He was the definition of healthy. Last year, May 26, 2015 I had a stent placed in my LAD with 99% blockage. Theyll want to see how youre progressing in your recovery. It seems that your risk factors were controlled? Was cutting up an evergreen tree Thursday afternoon and got a burning pain in my chest and felt an invisible hand squeezing my throat and breathing felt like my lungs were filled with cotton. Best of luck to all of you. Why would my bp be this low if everything was ok. Im on blood thinners (Brilintia). I was able to call my husband at work just before they rushed me out the door to another Hospital that had a Cath lab! By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. But if it doesnt change in a fixed period of time, we work to come up with a plan for additional interventions, so we dont get into a cycle where riskier cardiac events can start occurring. Kathiresan S, et al. Patients sometimes are released from the hospital within a few days especially if they sought medical attention promptly and the cardiologists were able to open the blockages very early. This happened april 4 2016,i had no clue thought it was indegestion. I have had a desk job for 30 years. Thank you for sharing your story. We went to the ER at our nearest hospital, had and EKG, blood test and X-ray. Passed out during the event and did not awaken until 4 days later. Praise be to God!!!! I didnt have any chest pains prior. Look forward to your messages. 157/106. I have two boys and they are the world to me. Had chest pain for 3 days but felt more like indigestion. . My husband too had a heart attack and double bipass at your age.