So the dr got my husband's stress test results back, yesterday,

[LaraMN]

(he had gone in, complaining of chest pains; the dr said it was probably torn cartilage).
He told my husband he needed to see the cardiologist TODAY. Apparently, when his heart was "under stress" during the test, there was "reduced blood flow".
I can only assume that might indicate some kind of blockage. This is insane. He's only 28.
I think my husband's a wee bit freaked out, now.
Hopefully it's not terrible. I'm guessing he's going to have to have an angiogram, next.
:scared:

[wildhorses]

1. calm down--until you get more information---

:hug:

[LaraMN]

2. I know, I know...

it could be something minor or easily treatable. That's the scenario I'll try to convince myself of, until I hear otherwise.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Hugs and good thoughts to you both.

:hug:


And FWIW, Mr. Midlo had no pain and we all know how that turned out.

[LaraMN]

6. Thnaks, sweetie.

My yesterday consisted of:

Freaking out about a speech I had to give
Freaking out about a quiz I forgot to study for (because I was obsessing over my speech)
Freaking out about closing/ moving on Monday.
Freaking out about scary car problems last night and a dead cell phone, 30 miles from home at 10pm.
Freaking out about MrMN's bad test results.
Freaking out about a whole bunch of other little stuff.

I think I reached maximum freak-out stage, because suddenly, I just kind of hit the "well, whatever..." point, and zoned out. :rofl:

It's okay. Most of yesterday's issues are resolved, and I'm just convincing myself that the heart stuff and the house stuff will be o.k.

I should have taken Lamaze. It might be useful in the next few days.
:P

[Rising Phoenix]

4. It will all be ok

most likely it is something minor, but its good that it was found now....now he will be ok...

hugs and best wishes to you both.

:hug:

[LaraMN]

7. Thanks, honey!

You're right, though; if there is an issue, it's MUCH better he know about it now, than in five or ten years.

I'll relax. I can't change anything; so I'll just cross my fingers.

[Rising Phoenix]

11. my fingers are crossed with you

mwah

[Hugin]

5. Please don't be scared...

If there is some sort of problem it's much better to find out earlier rather than later.

But, here's a :hug: to steady your nerves.

[LaraMN]

8. Absolutely true.

Thanks for the hug.
:hug:

[GirlinContempt]

9. Honey pie

try not to worry too much. When I went into the hospital with what felt to me like a heart attack, I ended up with the same kind of stuff happening. I'm in my mid-20s. It wasn't life threatening or even all that serious in the end, as I'm sure I've told you. I have a mild heart condition, paired with stress, was bad news, but nothing too freaky once it was under control. Scary as fuck though, I know.

[LaraMN]

10. Gahhhhh!

That's freaking scary.
I get paranoid, because he has a BAD family history of heart *stuff*.
On the upside, they put him on Lipitor a couple weeks ago, and he HAS been trying really hard to eat more carefully.
If he doesn't stick to the diet, I'm going to tell him he'd better up his insurance policy, because I'm not moving into a trailer if he offs himself, eating crap.

[BlueIris]

12. Ms. Lara...

I will think good thoughts for you. Sounds scary, but I agree with those saying, "Don't panic until the cardiologist has had his or her say."

[LaraMN]

21. Thank you, sweetie!

I appreciate it!
:hug:

[ashling]

13. A few years ago I told the dr. that I had had some

chest pains. It didn't seem real serious, but since T have a history, blah, blah, blah she set me up for a stress test.
Well, I've had a stress test or two on a treadmill where the doctor tried to kill me (LOL) to see how I was doing, so I went for this test.

They gave me this chemical test and took x rays with dye and all sorts of stuff. Then they charged me $6,000.00 - and that was just the hospital. The cardiologist charged me another $400. Then my insurance kicked the whole thing back. and so Iam getting call's from a collection company.

Talk about stress!

[LaraMN]

20. That's exactly the test he had-

with the radioactive dyes and stuff.
He had a stress test about five years ago, involving the treadmill. He hated the new test. He said when they injected the dye, his chest started to hurt (and they told him it wasn't supposed to).

[Phillycat]

14. He's going to be fine.

They'll catch whatever it is early, and fix him right up. He'll be making a mess at home again in no time. :) Deep breaths.

[LaraMN]

19. You're right. I'm sure.

At least we'll have *some* answers, hopefully, after his cardio. appt. this afternoon.

[Little Wing]

15. Wasn't his cholesterol off the charts?

Could be time for an oatmeal drip

[LaraMN]

17. It was 240.

Oatmeal drip!:rofl:

He's been eating alot of Cheerios, at least.

[auntAgonist]

16. I'll keep a good thought for him and for you ..

It's good he had the stress test and now is seeing a cardio Dr.

Hoping for the best!

aA

[LaraMN]

18. Thanks, aA.

:hug:

[davsand]

22. You guys will come thru this fine, I'm sure of it.

If they find anything that they suspect is some kind of blockage (and it could be possible even in somebody his age!) my guess is that they'll do a cardiac cath (they go in thru an incision in the groin area) and they'll look to see what is going on. IF they find anything they can open the blockage in the artery back up and probably put in a "stent" to make sure it stays open while they are doing that Cardiac Cath. Usually they are awake for it and usually it leaves a HORRIBLE bruise that takes a while to go away. (It will go green and purple and yellow and it will start to "melt" down his leg--oddest damn thing you will EVER see.)

The good news is that even IF he's got any kind of blockage he'll probably feel a LOT better once they open him back up. They will tell him to take some new drugs (usually aspirin, some kind of cholesterol drug and maybe some kind of Blood pressure drugs) and they'll tell him to be sure to exercise and come back every six months or so to get poked and prodded. The even better news is that he didn't have any kind of heart attack so he's not dealing with reduced heart function. By dealing with it NOW he will probably be able to AVOID having that happen.

It is creepy stuff to hear there is any kind of heart disease of any kind, but it is NOT the end of the world as you know it and it is not time to start buying a black dress for any reason other than to make your hubby smile when you take it off and he sees the little black panties and bra under it...

I know first hand--kevsand had a heart attack a few months ago and we have been down the cardiac road.

Now, I also want to tell you that it is probably NOT anything serious enough to require what I was talking about above. There are MANY things that can send up warning flags to a cardio doc. Literally, they get a little bit worried if they see some kind of abnormal rhythm during a stress test. My brother had the bejeebers scared out of him by a cardio doc who freaked out because hs heart was beating just slightly different than they usually see in men. He's fine and nothing needed to be done other than they made a note in his medical records that his heartbeat is a little off compared to most other men.

If you get too creeped out feel free to get hold of me--we've been there, done that, and probably got the Tshirt.


Take care.


Laura

[Burma Jones]

23. Hey, better to find out now, right?

I am wishing you well........

[Beer Snob-50]

24. I had one last year and ended up with two stents put in

I was awake during the surgery (doped up but could talk to the nurses and doctors). the hardest part was lying on my back still for six hours after (so the wound could heal)

[WCGreen]

25. As others have said...

Better to find out and alter his lifestyle while you still can....

[SKKY]

26. Lara, if the blockage is minor enough, they this can be treated with...

...medication. Considering he's 28, perhaps that's the case. Whatever the case, I do hope all works out well.

[LaraMN]

27. An update from the cardiologist vist:

He has to go in tomorrow morning for an angiogram. The cardiologist said his left artery has reduced blood flow.
If they have to put a stint in, he'll be able to leave that night. Best case scenario: he doesn't even need a stint. Worst case scenario: he gets "cracked open" (his words, not mine,) on Saturday.

I refuse to believe it's the worst case scenario, so I'm being positive until I have reason to note otherwise.

Bleh.

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. He, and you, will be in my thoughts tomorrow.

:hug:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

29. Good thoughts for you and your husband.

:hug:

[SPKrazy]

31. They Won't Have To Crack Him Open To Put A Stint In

and with his age and reduced blood flow, unless he has tremendous blockage I can't imagine cracking him open

but here's to the best scenario, maybe he'll just need exercise, lots of niacin, plavix, things like that

:hug:

[Beer Snob-50]

41. As I said earlier

the stent is really a routine thing. the hardest part is laying on your back still for 6 hours after it is done.

Good Luck to you both.

[Shell Beau]

30. Aw, good luck! I had a friend who recently went through a

stress test (also 28 years old) and he had a rare condition and had to be strapped to a machine for a month. Still seeing what it is, but good luck with your hub. It is always better to know that there is a problem before it becomes to late.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

32. Is there a strong history in his family of people having heart/vascular disease?

Death of heart attack in the 40's for males, 50s for females? Stroke?

If so, then hereditary problems with lipid/cholesterol metabolism can cause significant coronary artery disease even in the 20s.

[LaraMN]

34. Yeah.

His Dad, who's 55 and a trim, healthy eater and exerciser (which my husband is not), had a quadruple bypass a year or two ago. His Grandma had one, his Great-Grandma, and his Great-Grandfather died in his forties, I believe. His cholesterol was already about 220 when he was about 22.

[NNadir]

33. I worked my way all the way up to an angiogram when I was 40.

My EKG consistently looks as if I had a heart attack, and I "failed" my stress test so badly that they kept asking me if I was alright and needed to get off the machine for the entire time.

The outcome of my angiogram was a blanket statement that when I die, it will not be from heart disease. I had been a vegetarian for twenty years at that point and was running over an hour a day.

I had chest pains.

It is not wise to always assume the worst. There are many alternate explanations. I have scar tissue from an old accident that messes with my EKG.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

35. His family history as outlined in post 34 is very consistent with this being real coronary disease,

and it should be taken seriously, even at his young age. Without the genetics, it would be very very unlikely. With the genetics, it's rather likely and should be approached as such.

[LaraMN]

36. Apparently his left artery showed reduced blood flow,

and his heart appeared to be ?compressing? more weakly than it should be.
The left artery was apparently the same one his father had almost entirely blocked, when he had his bypass.

Can you tell I can't sleep? I'm sick to my stomach. He goes in at 6 a.m., and I can't be there.
:-(

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

37. Good luck, Lara, to your husband and all of you.

[madrchsod]

38. been there done that -about three times in the last 4 years

you can`t be there? i think you have to be.my doctors insisted that my wife be there in case something goes wrong.

actually there`s not much to worry about the worse he`s going to feel is if they have to clamp him to the bed to plug up the hole...lol.. that really really hurts so bad morphine won`t help..or it will heal up in a couple of hours- seaweed really works fast. you did actually what you should have-any "funny"chess pains needs immediate attention you saved him from having a full blown heart attack-which, i may add, is a pain like no other. he`s a lucky guy in more ways than one..hang in there

[LaraMN]

39. His parents will be there, I can't go as we have an appraiser coming at 8 am.

(for my landlady,) and I have to be here for that, and to get the kids to school. I can go to the hospital in the afternoon, at least. We're supposed to be closing on a house on Monday. I'm about ready to lose my mind.

[NNadir]

40. I'm not suggesting that it not be evaluated seriously.

I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played a doctor on TV.

I am just saying that immediate panic is not justified.