- Joined
- Mar 7, 2017
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- 234
so it's about finding that balance eh ?
You are becoming Canadian...
so it's about finding that balance eh ?
FWIW, my ejection fraction is in the mid-50s, and has remained at that level for over six years now.
As a CCU/ICU nurse, who's specialty is trauma & cardiac, and I'm here to tell ya, 50% is awesome! Good for you!!!FWIW, my ejection fraction is in the mid-50s, and has remained at that level for over six years now.
I'm coming up on the 1 year anniversary of my near Widowmaker event.
My situation was almost identical to @NESkier_26 , I had a complete blockage, dropped to the floor and was immediately given CPR by an off duty EMT. The stents went in the next morning and I'm pretty much back to normal now. I went in on a Monday evening and was released directly out of the ICU on Thursday morning. They let me walk to the street.
After the cardio rehab, some time on the bike, six weeks in Whitefish, 2 miles open ocean swimming and a little practice, I did a 5000m personal best on the C2 Rower about a month ago. I'm pretty stoked to be above ground and doing the things I love, like REALLY stoked!
I met the guy who saved my life a few weeks ago, I knew who he was but we must have been on different gym schedules (this happened at my local YMCA). He was an EMT over in Sun City (the retirement community) for 14 years. He told me he's done CPR on at least 1000 people and he's never seen anyone get up afterwards like I did. My Momma always said I was special...
The only thing I noticed now is my recovery time after being in oxygen debt is a lot longer. I can max out my heart rate and not feel bad but I need an extra minute to get it back together. I'm on a blood thinner (Brillinta) that has "shortness of breath" as a side effect so I'm thinking it may be the cause of that. But if it's the only thing I have to live with I can't complain.
Sounding off about how healthy I am and how little I had to suffer seems like tempting fate a bit but honestly I feel more alive and engaged than ever. I may suffer a terrible fate in some other way but for now I'm enjoying life.
Glad you're with us, in more ways than one.This thread is near and dear to my heart. (Pun intended)
I had my acute MI event in November 2013: blockages 100%, 99%, and 80%.
No prior history of hypertension, high cholesterol, or smoking, but really bad genes (both grandfathers and my father) and LOTS and LOTS of STRESS.
The wonderful folks at Medical Center of the Rockies scrambled the cath lab in 30 minutes, and placed drug eluting stents in the first two.
As they rolled me out of surgery, my first words were, "when will I be able to ski?" My doc told me, "let's not worry about that right now."
What he didn't tell me was that he told my wife that I had a 1 in 3 chance of making it through the day.
My blood pressure was so low that they would not administer any pain meds for the first day, an experience I would not like to revisit.
It was four days before I had the strength to stand, but today I am robust enough to climb Lookout Mountain, Deer Creek Canyon, and Vail Pass on my road bike.
I still stuggle with weight, but I am as healthy as a horse (OK, maybe one closer to the glue factory than the Derby). I have no clue what my ejection fraction is or what percentage of function I have in the circumflex, which was left alone at 80 blocked, but life is more meaningful and precious. It is easier to live in the present (easier, but still not easy).
More than once I have thought about initiating a gathering of heart attack survivors, because we really appreciate what so many take for granted.
The two most memorable days of skiing for me are Day 1 over 40 years ago and my first day on skis after cheating the widowmaker.
Nietzsche said it best: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”
ThanksGlad you're with us, in more ways than one.
Think we'll see you this winter? We missed you last year.Thanks
Hard to escape from behind the Epic Curtain. You guys need to make it to Vail.Think we'll see you this winter? We missed you last year.
Perhaps a celebratory new pair of skis are in order.
After visiting Canada last winter, I realized why its easy to have a heart attack. Poutine is the devil!!I do live by the equation that explains how many sets of skis one needs:
N = N + 1
Where N is the number of ski sets you currently have......
Hehehehe,..... I have 11 sets now,.... & one set that I bought at only 6 days before the heart attack that never got to see snow...... I'm pretty sure that my "Minister for War & Finance" would not approve the expenditure on another new set just yet,...... At least not until I've actually skied on the new ones I already have !!
After visiting Canada last winter, I realized why its easy to have a heart attack. Poutine is the devil!!