Open Heart/Bypass Surgery

Miscellaneous
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I had a heart catherization a couple of days ago anticipating the possibility of a stent and being down for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately it did not go that well. The cardiologist identified six blockages with the worst one classified as 80% blocked. He chose not to attempt stents for multiple reasons including coronary disease/hardening of the arteries. I have an appointment with a surgeon on Wednesday to discuss. The cardiologist told my wife he expects a triple bypass recommendation.

A little background: I was routinely running 20+ miles a week until becoming a caregiver a couple of years ago. I was returning to running last year and became winded and experiencing chest pain about 1-1/2 miles into a slow run. I recovered very quickly and wrote it off to just returning to cardio exercise. As the days progressed my runs were becoming shorter and shorter - definitely not the goal. I should have gone to the hospital at that time, but because of hospital backups with COVID and some other things going on in my life I did not. Instead I bought a bicycle and seemed to be building up endurance with it so thought all was well - for a couple of months. Then I started getting winded on the bicycle and that’s when I went to the cardiologist. I’ve not had a heart attack, but the cardiologist put me on a combination of beta blocker, BP medicine, and some kind of calcium channel blocker. He added Lipitor to the equation after the heart catherization, I have had very adverse liver and muscle reactions to Lipitor in the past, so will discuss with him tomorrow.

I am sure there are some bypass survivors on this forum, so please give me feedback on your experience. I personally am hoping I feel a lot better 6 months from now than I have in recent years.

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Thoughts and prayers go out to you @Gary_H. I have never personally had anything like that happen, but I can only imagine how scary it must be.

This does sound like a similar situation to what my mom went through when I was in high school. A. year before they found out what was going on, she started getting symptoms when she would do any level of physical activity. She had actually driven herself to the hospital, but when she got there she felt better so she went home. A year later my dad finally made her go and they found 2 blockages and later on in surgery a 3rd partial blockage. The bypass surgery went well and she is now doing better than she was before. She is far more active and in the best shape of her life.

The recovery was long and took a lot of time for her, but that was because of how invasive the surgery was at that time. I know now there are such great medical advancements, where they don’t always need to crack your sternum.

All of us hope that your surgery goes well and please keep in touch so that we know how you are doing!:pray:t3:

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@Gary_H
I will be praying for you, for supernatural healing and my mother in law had triple bypass and she is doing very well for being 75 years old. I have faith that everything will work out for you also.

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200 mile per week cyclist here. Very similar story but I got by with a stent on 100% blocked Main descending coronary artery. You’ll feel better after. I I would try my hardest to stay off the beta blockers, they will destroy your ability to exercise. Every cardio exercise feels like your climbing Mt Everest. I am a HR monitor user and always have been so very aware of my HR. The Dr wants you to exercise after procedure but the beta blocker wants you to watch tv. Usually the goal of the beta blocker is to protect the heart but with new plumbing you might find a better way with better results. Make the Dr help you find it. Medicine is magic these days but each case is different. Good luck and God bless,

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Thank you for sharing. Prayers for you.

This is a topic that worries me. I only know of one blood uncles in my family that had heart disease. I pray this never happens to me or my last living blood brother. I’m open to advice on how to check it.

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I have multiple family members that had bypass surgeries over the years. The last was scheduled for a quadruple that ended up being a triple. Most of them were between the ages of 20 and 50, and some were very active both before and now after. All of them are living well today. The last one had noticed shortness of breath while performing his daily swim (his cooldown for other exercises). He is back to his exercises today.

Heart surgery has come a long way since the 80’s. Some people return to work from a multiple bypass within a week. I think it’s important to remember that the healthier you are going into surgery, the faster the recovery. It’s better to have this procedure now before an incident where permanent damage can occur. Just follow your doctor’s recommendations and you should be fine.

Thoughts and prayers going out to you.

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I’m with you on that one :+1: they have knocked my energy in the dirt :-1:

Cardiologist has advised me to lay low and take it easy for the time being. Either my blood pressure is high and pulse rate normal, or blood pressure is normal and pulse rate is high without the beta blocker - right now.

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I’ve been through heart problems, Prayers help a lot and I’ve got you in mine. God bless.

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Praying for you, @Gary_H!

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Been there, done that. I had quintuple bypass 7 years ago. I was in hospital for about a week. Recovery was much better than I expected. Worst part was pain in sternum for better part of year, declining steadily. Being older, I also had other aches and pains, which I assumed came from being contorted during surgery. I was surprised that my thinking was clearer than expected, because it takes awhile to get anesthesia out of your system. I started serious physical rehab within a month. You will feel sooo much better. Follow docs instructions.

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My prayers for you @Gary_H :fist: Think positively.
I wish you qualified for PTCA or stent but living with bypasses is also not bad.

I’m not a bypass holder but I had worked for CathLab for 12 years and had seen a lot.
Just be prepare to spend some time visiting your cardiologist on frequent time basis, even you think you feel OK. Heart disease can be tricky and people ignore this. With proper thinking you will be OK !

Anyway, nothing to worry about. Everything is just like @Chris3 wrote :+1:

Follow docs instructions

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Thank you all for the support and prayers :+1:

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Just deleted a lengthy diatribe, as it ended up being about me, not about you… hoping you get through this mess as easily as possible, God bless, and hope all goes well. Lot of experience with my cardiologist due to high b/p, and I just recommend doing as much as you can with natural supplements and diet as soon as you’re able to. My wife says CoQ10 works to get the calcium to where it should be, and I feel taking fish, flax, olive and pumpkin seed oils has helped me live, so far 41 years longer than my mil. doc predicted :laughing: ( heart related assessment, adrenal gland from hell)
Looks like I replaced a lengthy diatribe with one just a wee bit shorter :roll_eyes:

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I actually want to hear about others experience, so thank you :+1:

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You have my prayers!

Have a speedy recovery! God’s got you in his hands!

A scripture that always helps me is,

----> “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Romans 14:8

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That might not give a lot of people peace but it does me. Sorry if it seems insensitive.

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Okay…came back to say, maybe it’s the vitamin K2 that does the calcium thing, just took my stuff and that’s a CoQ10 with k2, and no, not the mountain :laughing:. The oils are omegas, 3,6, 9…plus the pumpkin seed. Vitamin D good for the heart as well, and don’t forget magnesium and potassium (hmmm, k on the periodic table, wonder if that has any commonality with vitamin k.)
Anyways, no bypass here. Swam competitively from age 7-19, ran, averaged 25 mph bicycle racing (7 hills wheelmen to give you a hint at our home course). At 21, military doc checks me out, tells me to “go home, make peace with your family.” B/P is 210/140. Yeah, I’m strokin’out at a minimum. Go home, get treatment, beta blockers, first one destroys the liver, second I guess was alright, not sure, took it about 20 years, then got mad at the doc one day and quit. About 5 years later, physical at work, b/p is 190/130…dang, dying again. Call the doc, sets an appt., I tell him my b/p, he says “get here now.” Back on med, b/p down to 138/90 or so, all this time I’m running, mountain biking, hiking etc…about 6 years ago, doc wants a new blood test, notes “issues”. I don’t get a test, go back a week later, he looks at the same test and says it’s “beautiful.”. I stop taking the med as I’m losing faith in this guy. May 6, 2019,I’m out running, 38 degrees, starts raining, I get a drop in my ear, it feels weird, goes in the canal. That night at work my ear swells up, I go deaf, go see the doc next morning. My b/p is lower than normal. I say “that’s 'cuz I quit the med.”…anyways, I had a skull/ear/spine/mastoid/skin infection from the virus laden rain drop, almost hit the brain which would have been fatal, and my $8k out of pocket, nevermind the insurance, to my cardiologist/family doc, hospital and specialist, who diagnosed TMJ (huh), 14 days on ciprofloxacin which left me uncured and prone to side effects both mental and physical…I have had it with the medical profession.
My wife prescribed colloidal silver and lots of olive leaf extract, and I healed. The cysts on my spine disappeared, so I got to cancel yet another surgery for a repeat issue that the docs/surgeon never bothered finding the cause of. 62, still run, ride and weight train, b/p is high, exercise makes it low…so I exercise.
My dad died from a b/p drop,after being on b/p meds for decades. My joke is, with my best Sam Kinnison impression is “screw the meds, the way this works, by the time I’m my Dad’s age, my b/p will BE FREAKING PERFECT!!”
Don’t take my advice 'til you’re through this crap, but definitely approach your doc, and even better, look things up yourself.

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I don’t know anything about what you’re saying. I did however learn a lot by reading what folks had to say about there experiences.

Very very inspirational! I know it must sound scary to have such a surgery but I agree with the basics that everyone has put forward. We love you bro and the whole family here will be praying for your quick recovery and bet we’ll see ya back out on the road running and biking in short order.

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No personal experience however have been told that post procedure, the improvement is spectacular!

Get well

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Hang in there, you’ll join the ranks of us on Medicare in another 3 years :+1:

The fluoroquinolones are bad news for a lot of us. I took 5 days of Levaquin and the muscle, joint, and tendon pain crippled me for several years. Our internet searches lead me to taking all kinds of previously unknown to me supplements that helped me recover from initially barely able to get out of a chair and walk to swimming laps and finally running mid 20 minute 5k(s).

Nobody wants to hear my Vasectomy story - I’ll just say 9 months of Percocet was just the beginning …

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