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Family Forum / Parenting / Mothers / September 2008Nasty gene pool
My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother was even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He had to have stents (sp?) put in, because there were no less than three blockages (they are trying to fix the third by medication). As it turns out he has an irregular heart beat as well, so they are currently looking into the options to fix that, including putting in a pace maker. Since I myself have been having cardiac problems for years, this whole thing adds some concern for me (not to mention for my nephew and niece, for who knows what rotten heart vessels /they/ were dealt with...). Anyway, my brother has now been downgraded from the ICU to the regular cardio unit, so we'll see what the next few days will bring... I promise I'll post an update one of these days, but things like this obviously throw off the regular scheduled programming ;-)  SignatureMo > My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother was > even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He had to have [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I promise I'll post an update one of these days, but things like this > obviously throw off the regular scheduled programming ;-) ((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))) Mo - it's so scary isn't it ... heart disease strikes hard in my husbands family at young ages :-( - we can only make good choices and keep ourselves informed and even then, it often isn't enoug :-( .. sending good vibes to your brother and family. Teri >> My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother >> was even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > often isn't enoug :-( .. sending good vibes to your brother and > family. Thanks Teri, that's much appreciated :-). So sorry about not getting back until now... Last week was very hectic, not in the least because hospitals have these absolutely impossible visiting hours :-(. My brother was initially scheduled to be released last Wednesday, but in the end he had to stay until Friday. He has been home ever since, trying to get back to normal (which is of course not happening any time soon). He is still very tired, undoubtedly not only because of the heart attack, but also from his body adjusting to all the meds he now has to take. In the end they decided not to put in a pace maker, so that at least saved him another medical procedure. With my father we saw the heart attack coming miles away, with my brother it was a surprise, although we as a family are taking it rather calmly (that's our way of doing things...). I'm only two years younger than my brother and I've had cardiac problems for years, so for me that aspect of it is very confrontational. I guess I'll be seeing my doc some time soon, to have him refer me for diagnostic testing. Annual check-ups is not something we really do in the Netherlands, so in this case I'll have to take the initiative. SignatureMo > My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother was > even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He had to have [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I promise I'll post an update one of these days, but things like this > obviously throw off the regular scheduled programming ;-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ yes, it is stents. good luck, fingers crossed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Marc >> My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother >> was even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > good luck, fingers crossed > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks Marc :-). He's at home now, resting and trying to get back onto his feet again (see my response to Teri for the longer version). He's even stopped smoking (finally, duh! (Though he never was a heavy smoker)). SignatureMo >>> My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother >>> was even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > feet again (see my response to Teri for the longer version). He's even > stopped smoking (finally, duh! (Though he never was a heavy smoker)). Yes, I read that. Glad to hear he is recovering, and the family are all together. Marc >My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother was >even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He had to have >stents (sp?) put in, because there were no less than three blockages (they >are trying to fix the third by medication). As it turns out he has an >irregular heart beat as well, so they are currently looking into the options >to fix that, including putting in a pace maker. Gosh, really sorry to hear that. >Since I myself have been having cardiac problems for years, this whole thing >adds some concern for me (not to mention for my nephew and niece, for who >knows what rotten heart vessels /they/ were dealt with...). Are there shared lifestyle aspects that might account for at least part of the family history? (diet, weight, untreated cholesterol, exercise...etc.) Improving on any of those aspects that you can, would give you some feeling of control. Banty >> My father was just 41 when he had a massive heart attack, my brother >> was even a year younger when /he/ had a heart attack yesterday. He [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > exercise...etc.) Improving on any of those aspects that you can, > would give you some feeling of control. I know :-). Cardiac problems run in both sides of the family and I have inherited pretty much everything there is and ever was (medically speaking) from my ancestors. Long list of medical problems already for me. If anyone in the family has a particular medical problem, I am sure to get it too at one point in time. Irregular heart beat is not something my father ever had to deal with, that comes from my maternal grandmother. I have it too... Other cardiac problems here as well, for quite some years too. Both my brother and father have been diagnosed with elevated cholesterol levels (not extremely high, just elevated), that's pretty much the only thing I haven't been diagnosed with. Yet ;-). I am the melting pot, so I have no doubt that will come my way too one time or another. Still, there are differences. My father has hypertension, as do I. My brother does not. My father's hypertension responds well to medication, mine doesn't, because of the medicine intolerance I inherited from my maternal grandmother. The same grandmother passed on her not so great working thyroid onto me, so diet and weight are always a problem for me. Still, there's only so much you can do. My brother had regular check-ups and always got a clean bill of health. Still he had a heart attack at 40... I've been slacking with my check-ups (I have seen /way/ too many docs in my lifetime, so I tend to avoid them as much as possible), but will have my doc order some tests and perhaps a referral. SignatureMo |
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