Good stories

[DavidG1971]

I guess nature of this forum is that it will be populated by people (like me) who are worried / in treatment. Which after my first stent at 47 has scared me a bit. Is there anyone out there who had a stent - made adjustments and lived a longish healthy life?

[Prada47]

Hi David

I had a Heart Attack in 1982 nothing then until 2015 when I had By pass surgery on 2 main arteries, 2018 2 stents to another main artery. Heart Failure confirmed late 2015.

Overall almost a full house of Heart related problems. Everyday I wake I feel happy with life, why because I am still here !! I have enjoyed the last 37 years and lived life to the full. Looking forward to another few years, don't know how many but I will enjoy them. Off to bed now after my first tablet of Entresco which I hope will continue to prolong my life. If you need any support/information this is the place to be.

Best Regards

[DavidG1971 in reply to Prada47]

Not quite what I was after - but thanks for trying! Congrats on being so positive.

[Handel in reply to DavidG1971]

Hi David.

Probably not going to be of much help either as hubby was told in June that he couldn't have stents as the blood vessels were too far gone. He had a quad bypass in November. That devastated him.

He was given advice on what's best to eat (just healthy, lower fat stuff and more veg and fruit), and told to step up activity, so walking, gardening etc.

He's also taking Atorvastatin which is a cholesterol lowering statin aimed at stopping the pipework from furring up!

I think being active makes you feel a bit better. Easy for me to say as we are both retired (late 60's) but I'm guessing at your young age, you're working.

Not a great fan of counselling but if you're dwelling on how long you've got (you'll still be letting the forum know how you're getting on when you're 90!), there are some amazing cardio counselling sites. Just contact BHF or your hospital.

All the very best to you xxxx

[Trinityzero in reply to DavidG1971]

Hi David, I had a minor HA and a stent in December. It would be good to hear some stories of longevity. I have been told that I can expect to get back to my normal active life which includes walking 60 km per week and rowing so I am going with that and feeling optimistic! Good luck.

[Chappychap]

"Is there anyone out there who had a stent - made adjustments and lived a longish healthy life?"

That's a really interesting question. Even though I had a bypass rather than a stent I'd also be interested in hearing the lifestyle change stories of long-term survivors.

Stent or bypass, we're first and foremost atherosclerosis sufferers, facing the same reality that our disease is progressive. In other words unless something changes, like medication or lifestyle, then our condition will only worsen. Therefore we're all searching for the same answer, what are the changes that will give us those twenty or more additional years?

[HB-HB]

I searched for this exact thing and haven't found much. The best I found one guy comment under a Youtube video about stents is that he had his 17 years ago and is feeling fine. It seems a lot of people who get stents timely, before HA, just get on with their lives eventually as I haven't found that they are dropping dead at alarming rate or something.

What we can do is to make necessary lifestyle changes, take our meds as prescribed and try not to worry too much over things we can't change.

[Sususulio]

David, I think the majority of us having had this procedure look for the same thing - I know I did. The difficulty is that mostly forums such as this are a little wrapped up in the moment and by that I mean tend to address more immediate problems and concerns. It consumed me a little trying to find stories just like you outline, ther are a few anecdotal tales but I came to the conclusion that many people have had it done and moved on with their lives and it isn’t a story they need to constantly retell.

A couple of things helped me and I am sure in some form or other they will happen to you. About a month after my procedure I was in a supermarket a chap I knew was asking how I was and went on to tell me about his son who had had a HA 13 years previously and needed a stent in his early 30’s. He is fine and leads a normal life. At cardiac rehab a lady was there following a recent valve replacement, it turned out she had had a massive HA at 47 and had 2 stents (damaged heart muscle resulting in valve replacement) but she was 70 and the stents were working fine - 23 years after!

I will sound like a complete obsessive but a few examples that might help:

Harry Redknapp - Football Manager, King of the Jungle et al = 2 stents

Prince Phillip - stent/s a number of years ago

Paul O’Grady- I think he has 12

The man who had the first cardiac stent is still alive 40 years on

pcronline.com/About-PCR/40-...

There are I’m sure many others, look at how many procedures are carried out annually not just in UK but across the world.

Whilst fear and dread picks away at me sometime but I agree with HB-HB we can’t change what has happened, what helped me was that the lady I met at rehab -I realised I couldn’t continue on frightened and upset. Her valve replacement was a success by the way and she looked fabulous at 70.

It gets better by degrees it’s still early days for you, medical science and procedures are constantly evolving, we have to do our best in terms of lifestyle changes and dig deep to find our confidence and trust but you will get there x

[DavidG1971 in reply to Sususulio]

My favourite reply. Thank you.

[Sususulio in reply to DavidG1971]

I know exactly how you feel we all crave that reassurance - onwards!!

[Hidden]

After my triple heart bypass in June last year, when seeing the specialist who reviewed all of the information and the tests that I went through on that day, X Ray, BP, etc, he told me my heart looked and was behaving well and that my tests were excellent. He also said that he was jealous of my treatment for I would now live much longer than he would. I pressed him on that point saying that such a positive outcome from my operation had put the condition of my pipes back to normal. One thing I do find fascinating, the bypass material used is actually my own veins/arteries from inside and behind the left breast and the middle of the inner leg - which were as clear as a bell - the same pipework so to speak.

I would like to suggest that anyone who has had an intervention and who adheres to the advice and guidance should look forward to a fit, healthy and long life since the problem (in general) has been eradicated. Well at least that is my thoughts.

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which the inside of an artery narrows due to the build up of plaque. Initially, there are generally no symptoms. When severe, it can result in coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease, or kidney problems, depending on which arteries are affected. Symptoms, if they occur, generally do not begin until middle age. The exact cause is not known. Risk factors include

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

High triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in blood

Smoking and other sources of tobacco

Obesity

Diabetes

Inflammation from diseases, such as arthritis, lupus or infections, or inflammation of unknown cause

So given that information (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ather... and in the hope nothing else is wrong (cancer etc) what other prognosis could one have. Good luck and a long life. We should all be so grateful of the gift we have been given back and to look after it then it will look after you

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

About forty years ago a friend's mother had a heart attack and a colleague's father a bypass. Both are still relatively healthy and in their nineties. I also know someone who had stents for twenty years before further intervention was needed whilst a former neighbour needed restenting twice as he did not see the need to give up fry ups and smoking. So as others have said make the lifestyle changes and enjoy life!

[April_May]

My theory is that people generally only frequent health forums when they have an active issue and that the healthiest people with the happiest stories of survival and recovery don’t tend to spend time on forums as they have little reason to be part of one when life is good. So I like to think there are plenty of good positive stories, we just don’t get to hear about them!

[DavidG1971 in reply to April_May]

That’s what i was thinking. Need to find those people other places.

[Hidden]

To add to the recent posts made me try and think of why I actually joined this forum? After I had completed my rehab I was then discharged from hospital. I have maintained a loose contact with the ward I was in before my operation, delivering books for the patients and some sweets for the staff at Christmas - all as a very grateful thank you. However, when I got to the "Heart Smart" programme at the local gymnasium I began to feel a little vulnerable since the direct contact was gone, the health checks during exercise were gone, access to a nurse or adviser was also gone. The safety net of care and knowledge had gone. That alone was somewhat of a shock given the trauma I had been through. Because of some pains I was getting, pains in a hip joint that appeared for no cause, caused me to make a search of the internet about pain which led to the BHF and where I stopped and initially began to feel I had a source of information + I found some of my experiences might give some insight for others who had not been as lucky as I had been with the information given before a procedure and almost inadvertently became a contributor. I can say that having discussed my pain dilemma, some very kind person informed me about side effects of statins - through that very contact and after discussing the situation with my doctor, I am now, 10 days later almost free of pain. I will eventually be prescribed another statin, but without doubt, it was this forum that gave me a valid answer. That single experience has made me believe that each and everyone of us has something to contribute and that no one is above the possibility of actually finding out something of value here. That brings me to believe that other information can be gained, not always medical but more basic - the milk of human kindness for some people benefit just from human contact and to believe they are not alone and why we should view posts not by the content, but by the "need" of the person asking the question and not just making a knee jerk reaction. That is purely a personal view and not to be confused by a statement of fact!