Quick Update

[Uenth]

Just wanted to keep y'all informed, as briefly as possible.

We've seen our regular doc and hub is now on 3 different bp meds. His bp is now a few points lower than mine (mid 110's) so that's a positive.

I take him in early tomorrow for the chemical stress test, which neither one of us are particularly looking forward to that but it's the next step in determining what is going on.

Energy level is pretty much non existent, gets winded halfway across a room and the most horrendous cough I've ever heard. We both are expecting some blockage issues. They need to be over 70% blocked to require medical intervention according to our doc.

Not sure when we'll hear results. I'm sure they'll let us know all that tomorrow.

So, I'll likely be mostly out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the kind words in the thread I took off-topic.

Uenth

 

[Hsker Fanatic]

Just wanted to keep y'all informed, as briefly as possible.

We've seen our regular doc and hub is now on 3 different bp meds. His bp is now a few points lower than mine (mid 110's) so that's a positive.

I take him in early tomorrow for the chemical stress test, which neither one of us are particularly looking forward to that but it's the next step in determining what is going on.

Energy level is pretty much non existent, gets winded halfway across a room and the most horrendous cough I've ever heard. We both are expecting some blockage issues. They need to be over 70% blocked to require medical intervention according to our doc.

Not sure when we'll hear results. I'm sure they'll let us know all that tomorrow.

So, I'll likely be mostly out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the kind words in the thread I took off-topic.

Uenth

I am the proverbial lurker on this site but it seems that I get to know people by their postings. I wish the two of you the best of luck today, come back soon so I can continue to read your thoughts and comments as this site is my mental health break in the day.

 

[Uenth]

I am the proverbial lurker on this site but it seems that I get to know people by their postings. I wish the two of you the best of luck today, come back soon so I can continue to read your thoughts and comments as this site is my mental health break in the day.

thanks for your kind words.

never hesitate to post. If people like my blather, ...

It's a great place to opinionate!

 

[NUinNC]

Just wanted to keep y'all informed, as briefly as possible.

We've seen our regular doc and hub is now on 3 different bp meds. His bp is now a few points lower than mine (mid 110's) so that's a positive.

I take him in early tomorrow for the chemical stress test, which neither one of us are particularly looking forward to that but it's the next step in determining what is going on.

Energy level is pretty much non existent, gets winded halfway across a room and the most horrendous cough I've ever heard. We both are expecting some blockage issues. They need to be over 70% blocked to require medical intervention according to our doc.

Not sure when we'll hear results. I'm sure they'll let us know all that tomorrow.

So, I'll likely be mostly out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the kind words in the thread I took off-topic.

Uenth

Good luck

actually the cough can be caused by the BP meds so don’t let that part bother you.

chemical stress test shouldn’t be bad either. It just makes you feel warm and a little tight in the chest but only for about a minute. No pain associated with it. Worst part is sitting in the MRI machine and having to be still for what seems like a long time.

Diagnosis can be lots of different things. A blockage would be a good diagnosis because that is correctable. Fingers crossed though on damage caused by the heart attack.

please keep us all informed.

 

[Doc Fumble]

 

[MRJFB]

Just wanted to keep y'all informed, as briefly as possible.

We've seen our regular doc and hub is now on 3 different bp meds. His bp is now a few points lower than mine (mid 110's) so that's a positive.

I take him in early tomorrow for the chemical stress test, which neither one of us are particularly looking forward to that but it's the next step in determining what is going on.

Energy level is pretty much non existent, gets winded halfway across a room and the most horrendous cough I've ever heard. We both are expecting some blockage issues. They need to be over 70% blocked to require medical intervention according to our doc.

Not sure when we'll hear results. I'm sure they'll let us know all that tomorrow.

So, I'll likely be mostly out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the kind words in the thread I took off-topic.

Uenth

I always tell people not to turn 50, its a mistake. (kidding of course). I'll pray for your husband's and your comfort and that the medical team can come to a clear diagnosis.

I've been very aggressive in watching my health all through adulthood but genetics seems to win either way. My dad died in his 40's from his third heart attack and that was a pretty normal occurrence in his family. I thought I'd escaped that but about a year and a half ago the chicken's came home to roost. I've had three procedures dealing with the heart in the last year plus.
When my dad had heart surgery in the early/mid 70's it was an archaic mess. Nowadays its amazingly efficient and clean. They've got this stuff down.
Keep us updated. Prayer can be amazing.

 

[Doc Fumble]

I've had three procedures dealing with the heart in the last year plus.
When my dad had heart surgery in the early/mid 70's it was an archaic mess. Nowadays its amazingly efficient and clean. They've got this stuff down.

Growing up as a young adult, it seemed like a lot of the hard-driving, 'Type A' personalities I knew and respected passed away long before their time. It wasn't uncommon back in the early 70s to hear about some 'mover and shaker' dying of a heart attack in their 40s or 50s.

Over the years, I've come to realize that wasn't a coincidence---the high blood pressure that contributed to their drive and ambition also led to their early deaths. But thankfully -- as Mrjfb said above -- we do a lot better job of dealing with heart disease than we used to. I haven't had to deal with scary heart procedures like Mrjfb has but I've been on daily high blood pressure medication for probably 15 years now. Modern medicine has dramatically changed things for people suffering from heart disease for the better.

Prayer can be amazing.

THIS TOO! ^^^^^

 

[Huskergod84]

You should have results within a couple days I would think. NHI is an awesome place and you wont find better care for the hub. Will keep him in our prayers. I have also had the medical stress test after I tore up my knee and couldn't do the tread mill one anymore. Its a breeze. And as NUinNC said the cough could be part of the BP meds. Ask your Doc about that. Especially if hes never had it before. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions. I have had two heart attacks and have had to have 3 stents put in so I'm an old pro at this stuff LOL.

 

[Nebraska99]

Stay positive. It's amazing what these cardio docs can do these days. I had open heart surgery back in '16 to replace a leaky valve. The doc actually was able to repair it. Recovery was super fast. Went into AFIB a few years later and they did an ablation. Zero issues since. I walk four miles every day and do various exercises six days a week.

Funny thing about when the doc had me opened up he noticed one part with 50% blockage. He said he cleaned it up while he was in there to save me a co-pay a few years down the road. lol Thanks, Doc.

Word to the wise though. Watch the weight!

And to make this a football post.....GO BIG RED.

 

[Pavlov's Dog]

Uenth, glad to hear you're being proactive. A lot of procedures that seemed fantastic in our youth are now pretty standard. Sending good thoughts your way for a much-improved quality of life for you two.

 

[Uenth]

Uenth, glad to hear you're being proactive. A lot of procedures that seemed fantastic in our youth are now pretty standard. Sending good thoughts your way for a much-improved quality of life for you two.

Yeah, you're correct on that one. My FIL had his first open heart surgery in the late 80's and he literally looked like death warmed over for several days. Maybe 15 years later, he had another open heart surgery and the difference in the procedure and his recovery was night and day.

I'm glad to hear that the chemical test isn't as horrendous as it was 25 years ago when his best friend had the original chemical procedure. That dude is one of the toughest SOB's I've ever known and he thought he was going to die before it was all over with. That was in the late 90's so I'm sure things are much different. Plus everyone reacts differently. I thought the biopsy done on my breast a couple of years ago was no big deal but one of my SIL's and my best friend had the same procedure done and both said they found it incredibly painful.

Looking forward to tomorrow and getting this part over and done with.

Hub is one of THE most laid back people I've ever met. We worked together for years and nothing ever got to him. He'd go to work, do his job, walk out the door and forget about everything til 7 AM the next day. I was the one who would go home and stew about things if there was an issue going on. Not hub -- it was all water off a duck's back.

He's been on bp meds for years. He's now taking 3 different meds to keep it at a good level. A lot of it, I suspect is family history since his dad died of congestive heart failure and his sister had a very sever heart attack. He's had a cough for years, it's just much worse since the first of the year, along with a sever decrease in energy and his getting very winded walking across the room.

N99, we're way past the watching the weight but has last 20 this last year (how I don't quite now). He broke a leg badly and wasn't able to even put weight on it for months. It didn't heal well and makes even climbing stairs an absolute bear. I try and get him out every day for as long of a walk as he can stand and he does some light weight lifting. I'd like to see him do more. This time last year we were riding several miles on our bikes pretty much every day.

Talk to you all in a day or so.

 

[HuskerVotary]

Just saw this. Sincere best wishes to your husband, you and the fam, U.

Hope it steadily gets better.

 

[RED ED]

Wishing the best

 

[Righteous Red]

Health, Healing, Happiness for our Best HUSKERS!

 

[redfred]

Keep us informed.

Glad you guys aren’t “doctor queasy”. Was sitting in a doctor’s waiting room yesterday waiting on a family member and had a conversation with someone who kept ignoring symptoms. A coworker finally said she was taking him to the ER. A few tests later the doctor came back and said “Well you’re having a heart attack” It took some surgeries, and a pacemaker but all is well now. These kind of things are best left to medical experts.

Take care and prayers It sounds like it’s been a long haul.

 

[SUHnami]

Just wanted to keep y'all informed, as briefly as possible.

We've seen our regular doc and hub is now on 3 different bp meds. His bp is now a few points lower than mine (mid 110's) so that's a positive.

I take him in early tomorrow for the chemical stress test, which neither one of us are particularly looking forward to that but it's the next step in determining what is going on.

Energy level is pretty much non existent, gets winded halfway across a room and the most horrendous cough I've ever heard. We both are expecting some blockage issues. They need to be over 70% blocked to require medical intervention according to our doc.

Not sure when we'll hear results. I'm sure they'll let us know all that tomorrow.

So, I'll likely be mostly out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the kind words in the thread I took off-topic.

Uenth

Praying for the best possible outcome for u 2.

 

[Uenth]

We're home. A long, early morning but that part is finished.

Absolutely no reason to sweat the chemical stress test. I could hear him chattering away like a magpie while I sat in the waiting room. None of the possible side effects.

They brought us out coffee and granola bars between segments (45 minute wait and then they retake pics.

So now we play the waiting game.

 

[Uenth]

So we still really don't know what's going on. We got the stress test results back and to quote our doc "Stress test looked great!". Words I didn't expect to hear about hub's almost 73 year old ticker but that was great news.

I mentioned that she had put hub on a 3rd bp med. He went in for blood work last Tuesday, mostly to check his sodium and potassium levels. They were marginally low, like just under to low end of the median so not a big deal. Plus he looked at his past history on lab work and he's generally on the low end of the median or slightly under so not particularly a big change.

The issue is that doc emailed him that he's dehydrated, enough that she's wanting him to push fluids. My first thought was how in the heck is supposed to push more fluids. He's always drinking sodas or coffee, not to mention what we drink with meals (all non alcoholic, FTR). This explains the issues we've noticed since he switched to the new bp med. A lot more weakness plus dizzy/light headed which is definitely a new thing. He just has never felt as lousy as he's been feeling since starting the new med.

He supposed to have the labs run again next week, in addition to "pushing fluids". I am pleased that he's now drinking water instead of so much soda as I've never been convinced that sodas are "as good as water" -- I have one Frostie root beer a week and other than that I drink water once my big glass of iced tea runs out.

So this morning he got up and had me check his bp first thing because he just felt "weird" as he put it. Doc wants him under 130 and he was 128, without taking the third med. He's been taking that with his after breakfast meds. Anyway he was a few points under 130. He made a command decision to discontinue that med as most of his current symptoms started in conjunction with the new med. We have no idea what caused the issues when we went to er.

He'll go on the portal tomorrow and let doc know that he's not taking the third med and see what she says.

I'm really much more concerned with the dehydration issue. I'm sure she'll still want him to do the blood test as that can be an indication of a serious kidney issue, one of the many fun side effects of having diabetes, even when your blood sugar is pretty much under control as his is.

That's about all I know right now. Just a day to day thing.

 

[Chris]

He's always drinking sodas or coffee, not to mention what we drink with meals (all non alcoholic, FTR)..

But how fluid is that in total? He may need substantially more... I target 64-128oz a day minimum IN JUST WATER, beyond soda etc. And I can feel the difference. Plus, if the soda and coffee has caffeine, it's a diuretic.

 

[redfred]

But how fluid is that in total? He may need substantially more... I target 64-128oz a day minimum IN JUST WATER, beyond soda etc. And I can feel the difference. Plus, if the soda and coffee has caffeine, it's a diuretic.

This most definitely. I lived on caffeine during some of my most hectic years. Not being able to transition away from it completely I made the move to unsweetened ice tea……both black and green. Green is better but sometimes I just need that fix and drink black. Yes, they’re both still diuretic, and water is better, but it’s a reasonable transition for us caffeine junkies. Force the water tho.