Fat To Skinny
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jen1975 on November 29, 2011, 11:10:21 PM
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Hey guys. So I'm not really sure what to say or how to say it. I went to the doctor today to get checked out because I had chest pain Thanksgiving day, bad enough to make me think I should get it checked, not bad enough at the time to be more than just somewhat worried. Well, apparently I had a cardiac infarction - that would be doctor talk for a minor heart attack. WTH?!
I'm scared, I'm kinda mad, I'm frustrated. I've been busting it since March, I've lost almost 40 lbs, I've lowered my cholesterol by 61 points, I'm not prediabetic anymore. I'm fricking 36 years old!! And I had a heart attack?! On Thanksgiving day?!
I don't even know where to go from here. I have tests scheduled all week; I have a follow up appt with my doc in 2 weeks. Thanks for letting me vent.
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Wow Jen that is horrible :( I am so sorry you are having to deal with that... I know you must be worried. Just know that we are all here and my thoughts are with you..... Hope you feel better soon
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Goodness Jen!!!! I know you must be scared. I remember at 28 having a routine pap and finding out that I was "borderline" cancer. Had an eight year old, just married for the 2nd time, thinking I was going to trap my new husband into raising my son alone, etc, etc.
The good news for you is that you LISTENED to your body and you are on the way to finding out what might be wrong. A lot of women ignore chest and back pains that are warning signs. Bless you for going to the doctor!
Thoughts will be with you!!
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Oh, I am SO sorry to hear this. :-\ So thankful you did go to the doctor and didn't ignore the pain. The pain was a warning sign, and I am sure your doctors will get to the bottom of the problem. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted! Your FTS family cares about YOU!!!!
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Jen I will be thinking about you . A heart attack that takes me out is my greatest fear . Please keep us updated .
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All will be well you are on top of it.When you are overweight for many years it does a lot of damage.You are doing everything right ;)
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Hi Jen, this morning I have my arms around you. I know exactly how you feel for the same thing happened to me. Years of high Triglycerides (over 400) caused my blockage and my heart episode even though when I had the episode they had been well in check (66) for over 2 years. The truth is the plaque caused by high Triglycerides (blood fat) is the type of plaque that hangs out inside your arterial walls forever. It hardens inside the walls and is the cause of the term, "hardening of the arteries" In my experience the hard plaque started to soften and swell causing a closure inside my LAD "left anterior descending artery" I was told by my cardiologist that stress is a major cause for this type of plaque to suddenly soften and swell. At the time I was building a house and yes... there was plenty of stress...Thanksgiving dinners also cause stress :o By the way stress doesn't need to be negative stress...it can also be positive stress. You may be having a good time but your body still may be stressed. The LAD is an artery which flows blood into the front of the heart through a series small branches and capillaries. It's only the size of a bic pen insert....very small, so it really doesn't take much to create a 95% blockage which is what I had. The symptoms which convinced me to go to the hospital started with strong "heart burn" and a pain in my neck.
I don't want you to be scared Jen. You've acted on your symptoms quickly and are now in the hands of the doctors. Believe me when I tell you this, the medical community has come light years dealing with this kind of stuff and they really consider much of it routine. My best advice for you is to stay as calm as possible, keep yourself educated on your particular issue and make certain you have the best of the best cardiologist.
Most people don't realize that any doctor can hang a shingle out front calling themselves a cardiologist....even if they have no special training! The only group of doctors who actually specialize in cardiology are doctors who are members of the Cardiology Fellowship. Here's a link to one of the schools participating in the program- http://cvmedicine.stanford.edu/education/gen_fellowships/ (http://cvmedicine.stanford.edu/education/gen_fellowships/)
It's going to be OK Jen, please click here and download this article I wrote to read the rest of my heart story
A Divine Mission Ordered By GOD, the spiritual story of Doug Varrieur CLICK- https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/3sXvdQ0GtPynWH (https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/3sXvdQ0GtPynWH)
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Most people don't realize that any doctor can hang a shingle out front calling themselves a cardiologist....even if they have no special training!
Doug is so right!! My husband says "what do they call the person who finishes last in their class at medical school?, they still call him doctor!"
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Hello Jen,
Your FTS family has given you wonderful support and advice about this condition.
And like Doug advised, do not become overly alarmed (stressed) as that could just make matters worse.
I know you're scared.
I'm rooting for you and know you WILL be just fine! :)
Tony
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Thoughts & prayers ...
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Jen- hang in there.I am also sending my prayers for you.
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Keeping you in my prayers.
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Thank you all for your words, thoughts and prayers. It IS scary - Doug, I kinda figured that I probably had plaque built up from my cholesterol being so high and some maybe broke loose. I ended up in the ER tonight again with chest pain up into my neck. They didn't find anything specific causing it; at least it wasn't another heart attack! I have to say, I was very impressed by the protocol in place in the ER for chest pain. In under 10 minutes they had me in a room, drawing blood, running EKG, baby aspirin and hooking me up to a monitor. I have an echocardiogram on Friday and a stress test next Tuesday. Hopefully we can get some useful information. Trying very hard to not let stress get worse - I have had a super high stress job up until Thanksgiving, then it starts tapering off some. Probably any combination of issues; just got to figure out what and how to take care of it.
Thanks again y'all!
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Jen the EKG won't show anything out of the ordinary UNLESS you're having an episode while the machine is taping. A nuclear stress test is a great route and I'm glad to see you have one scheduled. Don't be surprised when they find a blockage and you need a stent.....don't worry, it's a relatively simple procedure done all the time. A stent is a wire mesh "conduit" installed into the clogged artery at the point of the clog. It opens it wide open.
Check out this link for more info- http://www.smart-heart-living.com/cardiac-stent.html (http://www.smart-heart-living.com/cardiac-stent.html)
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Trust God to take care of ALL of your needs Jen. Praying for you :)
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Your in my thoughts and prayers Jen. Hope you get to feeling better soon!!!
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Trust that all situations are in God's plan for you both good and bad. I will pray for His will in your life in this situation. As Doug said...this has been years in the making even though you recently changed your eating habits. Trust that you are in God's loving hands. There is a reason for everything and it could be just to bring it to your attention so you would take care of the problems before they got even worse.
You are in my prayers!
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Hi all, stress test was this morning. Initial results are good - they are not showing any problems or damage with my heart! My EKG is still showing abnormalities, so I'm not sure what that really means. The bigger issue, I may have to learn how to deal with the stress in my life! ??? Anyone have any ideas?! I never realized that stress could do soo much damage physically. I mean, my mind hasn't been right in years lol :P but this is the biggest physical problem I've ever had... and for it to be caused by stress?!
I think right now I'm having the hardest time dealing with the fact that I "allowed" myself to have such a reaction to stress. Is that stupid? Shouldn't I be able to control this?
Thanks all for your continues love and support; I truly appreciate everything you all do for me! I do have a followup appt with my doctor on next Tuesday to go over everything and determine what happens next.
Jen
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Exercise! Great stress reliever. Also, yoga. Relaxing baths. Let the things that stress you go...in the big scheme of things they don't really matter do they?! ;) Read daily devotions for women.The things of this world are of little consequence. Prayer and time with the Father is the best stress reliever of all. Just remember that He is in control of EVERYTHING so you need not worry, just do your part and let Him do His. It changed my life by submitting to Him and asking His will in every situation as well as fully relying on Him. It takes all the pressure off. I spent a lot of time trying to control everything...it's a heavy burden to bear. What a relief it was to give it to Him.
My 2 cents. ;)
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Let go & let God !! We only have control of very little ,I had to learn this the hard way when Tyler was diagnosed I worried myself sick for a year . then I put it HIS hands . Of course I still worry but I say to myself "Let it go sister "!!! remember today is the day that you worried about yesterday
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Aw Jes honey, this was the first post I saw, and I am praying my little heart out for you! Just keep looking up, and knowing that all of us here are behind you 100% !!!<3 ~Renae
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What I learned from Dougs doctor (who is amazing!!) that stress is not just negative events,its also caused by getting overly excited with happy stuff too.He calls doug a A type personality.We have just learned to create calm in our home and our lives.We talk everything out and never hold things in.We exercise and eat well.We get plenty of rest.We live in a bubble that we allow people in but can close the bubble if we are getting stressed.I also find routine helps.I tell my kids all the time,"you can't control the world but you can control the eight feet around you".And its true. ;) Its all in what you allow Jen :)
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Right on IzzeT and Jo, give it to God. Sometimes He uses hard situations to get our attention, to make us realize He is sovereign.
The past two years I have had 30+ laser eye treatments and three surgeries. Twice I was blind for about three days. Finally, I said ok. Lord if this is your will, ok. I'm yours Jesus. And you only are big enough for my problems. One month ago I was scheduled to have a vatrectomy on my left eye four days after a vatrectomy on my right eye. My church from childhood, my church I now attend, and countless others that I cannot name prayed for healing in my left eye. Three days before the second surgery I met with my eye dr to have pictures taken of my retina and abnormal blood vessels causing so much trouble. The photos were taken, printed and laid on the dr's desk across from me. When he picked them up he said "ohh, ohhh my...". I looked at him, scared of what he saw. He turned to me and said "Jessica, the blood vessels pulling on your retina are gone. They aren't there at all. Your retina has flattened almost to normal. I have never seen this."
Well, I know exactly what happened. Jesus healed me.
I hope my story will encourage you to put your trust in Him. I am praying for you!
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Hi Jess! :)
I agree with Marty... That is a wonderful testimony.
Praise the Lord!
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Blessed Be Jess ;D
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Ahem ;D. I still have blurred vision in the left eye....SO! When I post incorrect nutritional information ( I. E. Ihop) you are allowed to giggle and move on! ;D
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I only see out of one eye Jess.I have a detached retina.So I can relate to your eye issues ;)
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They put pancake batter in the eggs in restaurants to make them fluffy. Lots of hidden carbs like that! ::)
So if you want eggs at a restaurant, the safest bets are sunny-side up, easy-over, poached, or boiled.
Otherwise, your eggs may be booby-trapped! >:(
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You're right, Marty! :)
Our experience has been that restaurants are willing to do whatever is necessary to meet their customers' needs.
But like you said, they may add some high-carb ingredient(s) not realizing it.
And you can't really blame them... Our culture has taught us that calories make FAT not carbs.
If, for example, I don't have the nutrition info on their salad dressings, I will ask for plain mayonnaise and/or vinegar to put on my salad.
You can never be too careful. ;)
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If you are following the FTS rules, it does not matter whether food is fried in lard or veggie oil.
The problem is the POTATO!
But I understand what your saying, Marty.
Restaurants, like other businesses, will follow what their management tells them to do.
But... Smart restaurants understand that if you purposely "fool" your customers, you'll go out of business.
It's just a matter of time.
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Hi all! Just wanted to update you on my goings on... My doctor has said that while I did have a "cardiac event" I did NOT have a heart attack - there's no damage to my heart! Yay!! However she did inform me that I HAVE to find a way to manage stress in my life. Or next time it might be a heart attack. So I'll be working on that. Struggling some with tis the season (for candy and cookies and all that stuff). But I've broken through 40lbs and will continue onwards and downwards!
Hope you all stay strong and have a wonderful holiday! Thank you to Doug and Umpa for all you do for us! And thank you to all of you here on the forum helping and supporting everyone as we go through this journey together!
Love to you all!
Jen
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Izzet and Jo gave you great advice....now mine. I've been where you are. Interesting fact about stress...what is stress? We believe stress comes from negative things in our lives but the truth is stress comes from anything that causes a stressful experience for our bodies and mind....positive or negative. So what's the answer? Quack Quack...be a duck. Ever notice how water rolls right off a ducks back? This exactly what you need to do...simply keep calm and let all things roll off your back. Deep breaths, tai chi, walks on the beach or in the woods...whatever you can do to create an 8 foot bubble around yourself. Learn how to say NO to people who want things from you. Learn how to find your inner self. Learn how to talk to each of your organs with your mind through concentration. You trully are the pilot and your body is the vehicle....tomorrow morning I want you to do something for me...do somthing for you, only for you. I don't care what it is but it needs to be totally selfish. A massage, a pedicure or manicure, a visit to the hair dresser or a trip to to the dress shop. Make yourself the single most important person in yhour life. Don't worry you're allowed ;)
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That is great advise Doug.... everyone could benefit from that ;) ;)
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That's wonderful news, Jen! :) :) :) :) :)
And I agree with TooSweet... Doug has given you excellent advice.
It's no secret that stress is a killer. And each of us holds the keys to disarming it.
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oh my Jen, I am so sorry to hear about this.. How scary.. you will be in my prayers... This thread has been so helpful as well.. I have had so much stress and sometimes I am scared of leaving behind my little ones... :'( :'( :'(