I posted on here 2 days ago saying I was scared for my Angiogram. Thank you for all your responses,it really helped me especially while I was waiting to go down for it.
As most of you said the actual procedure was nothing to worry about. The only thing which I didn't like was the pain in my arm throughout the procedure. Apparently narrow arteries can cause this. Its much better now being the day after.
Wilst I was lying on the table I was given the results. Not what I was hoping to hear. All my arteries are narrowed, the full length of them, including veins down the back of my heart. He said there was no point putting numerous stents in as being a diabetic they would need redoing in /23 years. So a bypass it is, either triple/quadruple.
I cried on the table,I cried on the ward in recovery. Just can't believe things have got so bad with relatively little pain. Yes, I'm incredibly grateful they've found it but I'm so shocked. Never though this would happen to me.
I know loads of you lovely people have been through this. Eternally grateful for all your support.
love Susie
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Sljp0000
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Up and down to be honest. Also, keep getting random chest pains which I never got before. Anxiety perhaps or maybe I'm just more sensitive to what's happening now. You are a star. Thank you for caring so much x
I expected you were going to say you felt up and down and this is normal but it will pass , I was all over the place !
I suffer with anxiety anyway and one of those s health anxiety so not a good combination been told you need a triple Bypass after 3 heart attacks but the mind is a powerful thing , I sometimes think people don't realise just how powerful it can be and I know you are saying you are getting a few pains but that could be the mind focusing in on every twinge , feeling you get as it is now aware you need something done and it could be a bit of an after effect from the procedure yesterday
If it keeps bothering you give the department a ring and ask them they would put your mind at ease x
I will do. XI've got health anxiety too. Stems from my mum, she's obsessed with her health. Wish I was one of those people who just goes with the flow but definitely not gonna be me anytime soon! Xx
So glad that you managed to control your fear and go ahead with the angiogram, you cry and get it out, you have been so very brave so far, you can’t be all the time.
I am of course so sorry to hear of your news and soon you will be joining us band of Bypassers and hopefully will begin to feel the benefits that an operation will give you.
Please do not worry at the moment because you now will have a meeting with your Cardiologist and his/her team that will guide you and explain all that is involved in your upcoming operation.
Remember to ask questions to ease your mind, write them down, take someone with you { if your hospital allows } it’s all about your illness and your body and how you and your loved ones want to progress through it all.
For it will affect you all, loved ones family and friends.
I may not be medically trained but I know that they would not offer you this choice if it was not the best for you and the outcome it can give you, but as I have said you will get plenty of opportunities to ask all the question you need before any procedure gos ahead.
If we can help in anyway please ask, you are in my thoughts.
Thank you so much, such wise advice and gratefully received. I will definitely be leaning on you wonderful people for help over the coming months! Thank you again xx
I’m not going to lie about the bypass, my quadruple was 6 weeks ago now and yes it scared me and yes it like being hit by a train but for what they did it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Your up and about in no time but you have to just take it slowly and relax. Mine was a massive massive shock with no build up and such an emergency they kept me in straight from the angiogram. I felt fine which is why now my minds a bit screwed up but most people feel the same way you and I do which is why the hospital have special councillors to help.There are lots of people to answer your questions so fire away.
Hi Jako999, you replied to my first post so I know your story and I sorta understand how you feel/felt now. Thank you for replying, it is much appreciated. I do hope you manage to come to terms with what's happened to you and you can get some further help. You deserve some peace now. Look after yourself, Susie x
As a fellow diabetic this really brings home how they are connected! I would urge anyone who has been diagnosed as a diabetic to do all they can to reduce their blood/sugar levels by natural means and not just rely on medication.Getting the news is/can be a shock especially when it involves any kind of intervention but time to face it head on, personally I thought 'well it's happening, what do I need to know and what don't I need to know'. I am not an ostrich and don't believe in burying my head in the sand but sometimes I think too much info is not a good thing. Only you know what kind of person you are, lots of practical advice on here, for more in depth medical help we can try to help but maybe your GP or cardiologist can help you more (if you want to know)
I still don't think people really understand diabetes. I tried to talk to my cardiologist yesterday and he said he didn't know much about it! Hopefully my surgeon will when I meet him. I've been trying to reverse mine for 8 years since I was diagnosed but it's gradually got worse even with 3 lots of drugs. I was replacing carbs with fats (as well as protein) for energy but now I realise I shouldn't have eaten cheese and full fat yoghurt etc. Now what do I eat? I live on salads, veggies and pulses! I have a problem my liver/glycogen production and even if I don't eat my bgl are high. Yesterday at the hospital it was 10 and they clearly didn't believe I hadn't eaten breakfast!
I'm afraid my family has a history of heart disease and diabetes. Not a good mix.
Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate your care and advice. Love Susie x
You are so right about diabetes and how it affects the heart ( and the kidneys greatly and even the liver )
The problem is the doctors don’t treat the body as a whole . They just treat the patient in their own specialities So a Endocrinologist will only treat the diabetes and not inform the patient with cardio issues the effects of diabetes on the heart
My SIL is an Endo in the States and treats her patients as a whole . She gave me invaluable advice as what to say to my GP. My diet is fine. But I’m still having problems so after talking to my GP I’m now on an additional med for my diabetes which will help my cardio issues . ( and another one for my unstable angina) Sometimes we need the meds . I was reluctant to go on more meds but I’d rather have them than another heart attack and not survive it . Xx
I'm convinced that many of us here don't fully appreciate how far we are on the road towards Type 2 Diabetes. Current medical protocols mean we have to be a long way along that road before most doctors will flag up that there's anything amiss.
That's such a dreadful shame, as for most people the earlier the problem is addressed with diet, weight loss, exercise, and other life style initiatives, the easier it is to correct the problem.
My GP talks about "entry routes into heart disease", and said that he estimates around 30% of heart disease sufferers got there as a by product of insulin resistance or other pre-diabetes signals.
I actually had to go to hospital on Thursday this week as an emergency. Blood pressure dropped to 60/30 and pulse was 30. Sweaty, nauseous, chest pain. Fortunately it was a heart attack but severe Angina attack and a reaction to GTN. Anyway, I'll get to my point! Breakfast the next morning at the hospital. Did I want cereal or toast? Have you got something suitable for diadiabetics I asked? No, we've got gluten free bread?......words fail me.
Well done for getting thru your fears. If you look at Buddybeamer’s post earlier you will find really good advice and description of your next step. Keep asking questions and keep positive 👍
Hello Sljp0000, I hope you are having a better day today. I am also diabetic, and my indigestion turning out to be a heart attack which required CABG x 4 was a huge shock. 10 months later I am pleased to say I am getting there. The physical part of it all was relatively easy, for me the psychological impact has been much greater. It is very normal to be scared but you will be with the experts and they will look after you. My Cardiologist remains my hero and I am sure always will be. As mentioned by another heartie keep your blood sugars on track, and be kind to yourself. Your recovery will take time but undoubtedly you will get there. For me being able to walk longer distances, and swim a good distance has been very beneficial, though we have to build up very slowly and take our time. Please reach out to us hearties, we are always here. Although we naturally cannot advise on medical issues but we can lend an ear. Take good care and keep us up to date. My one year anniversary is in September, and I am very grateful for every day. Take care, Judi
Hi Judi, what a lovely reply. Thank you. It's great to hear such a positive account of something which isn't so great. I try to control my bgl but it isnt easy for me. I definitely know what i should and shouldnt eat but still get high levels. Liver/glycogen production causes me no end of problems.Thank you for your support. I shall definitely be leaning on you lovely hearties over the coming months. God bless you xx
Hi there. I am waiting for angiography appointment. I ound your post and the replies very helpful. I do know have to have an AV replacement. Thank you.
It's a journey which I found fascinating. The doctors, nurses etc have the hardest part. You just have to follow what they say and let them do their job. The whole experience is surreal. I look back now and wonder if it really happened.
It will be done before you know it. Search for heart ambassador on you tube where it tells what happens before, during and after cabg. It helps knowing what will happen and what to do and what to expect. It will be much simpler as my cardio friend told me before surgery “they will put you to sleep and by the time you wake up its done!”. Goodluck and here’s to your recovery!
Should be pretty much of a standard. Same here in Philippines. Just focus on what improvement in your health this procedure will do. Seek answers to all your questions from your medical team. This will minimize unknowns to you which causes anxiety. Cheers!
Ask them if your case qualifies for a minimally invasive procedure.
I’m sorry to hear that . Heart by pass operations are seen as ‘routine’ by surgeons and aren’t complicated . You will be fine xx My mum had a quadruple and it gave her life for over 20 years! And she was able to breathe and had no chest pain for many years . And my cousin had 2 major heart attacks, was in ICU - survived . He was grossly over weight and he had a quadruple heart by pass . He even had weight loss surgery after that! He leads a great life now!
My point is that your quality of life will improve and it will give you extra life . And they’ve caught it in time ! Although you have little pain you obviously were in discomfort to go to your GP.
I realise you’re scared and that’s normal .xx Most people are , Try to think of the positives of what the operation can do for you . That might help you
Thank you so much for your reply. I'm so pleased your family had successful surgeries. Messages like yours really make me feel more confident so I very much appreciate them! X
Hi Susie. Am glad your angiogram went OK and so sorry to hear you need a bypass.
The same thing happened to me, I was told on the table I needed a bypass. Give yourself time for the news to sink in, it took me about a month to get my head around the idea during which my emotions and thoughts were all over the place. I found it really helpful to find out some information about the process. If they didnt give you one in the hospital the BHF do a really great booklet which is a great place to start.
While it's a big operation and the recovery can have its ups and downs (I have certainly vented in the past on here about that!) overall I don't regret having mine done and would probably be in a much worse state now if I hadn't had it.
All the best and you can always reach out on here for advice and support.
Thank you for replying. One minute I think I can do this and it's 'only' an operation and the next I'm remembering all the open heart surgery I've seen on various TV programmes and that really freaks me.
I just want to get on with it now. 2/3 months seems an eternity. At the same time I don't want it to come. Such a mix of emotions. I'm crappy with anaesthetics too which makes me scared.
But, as many others have said, they've caught mine before a major cardiac event (even though I'm in hospital as I write having had a mild HA they think) so I have to be grateful.
Hope your recovery continues to get better and better. Take care xx
Reading your response it brings home how we are all different.
I wanted to know very little about the actual operation, I didn't ignore it all but didn't even think about the ins and outs of it as I knew how scary it was.
I think it is important to know the basics so you can understand things that happen during the healing process, I had numb fingers for months after and pains in the most unusual places. Luckily my GP had done some work in cardiology so would talk me through the reasons I felt certain things, he was incredibly helpful.
I was lucky in that I never had a heart attack but I knew that the pains I was feeling were not 'right'. My poor dad at just 52 never had the warnings and a massive coronary took him from us.
Thankfully things have moved on a lot and they can do some wonderful things now before it is to late!!
Aww bless you. I lost my dad to heart disease when he was 58. To be honest all my tests today show it wasn't a heart attack. They're now thinking unstable angina which isn't good. Like you I get random pains which don't feel right. Just want to get it sorted now. Thank you so much for replying xx
Thisnis rewlly rubbish isnt it? How are you feeling? Your nerves must be hyping up now but then it actually means you're so much closer to recovery. You waited a long time between your Angiogram and your operation, not long to go now. You've got this, it'll all be over before you know it and you'll be on the road to getting back to normal life.
I'm actually in hospital as I write. They think I have unstabe angina now. I've still got to wait 2/3 months for my urgent op. Please let me know how you get on. You've had some fab feedback amd advice on your other post. Keep positive and lean on everyone on here. Wishing you lots of healing wishes xx
I’d just got off the table thinking that’s great didn’t even need a stent I can go home now! How wrong was I- quad bypass 7 days later. Got used to the idea pretty quickly after lots of tears & just thought they know what they are doing & it’s needed so better to have calmly found out than having a traumatic heart event that may have ended things. Stay strong - there is definitely life after
How long ago was your op and how are you feeling now? I can't comprehend what's happening at the moment. It all feels surreal, like I'm gonna wake up amd it's all a bad dream. Things like this don't happen to me.
Having said that I'm in hospital atm after being treated for a mild ha/unstable angina. Just want to get it all sorted and over with. But I still have 2/3 months to wait. Xx
3 years ago now - i had been running the day before & was known for being strong & fit so it was a complete shock. It took my head longer to get there in recovery than my body - but I held on to it being a chance to get things fixed - although I had no idea it was broken before. The op is a daily event for the surgeons -so you will be in safe hands. I still sometimes can’t believe it happened but it did & I got through it - you will too- just be kind to yourself & go with the flow one day at a time x
I had the same result and needed a quadruple bypass. Devastating but the best thing that happened to me, 6 months later and I feel great Today I am just about to go on a 60 Mile bike ride.
Thanks for letting us know what happened and sorry that you need a bypass, however at least they have found out what is needed and can do something about it before you have a bad heart attack . Take care
Hello Sljp0000, glad to hear that the angiogram wasn't too bad but so sorry to read of the outcome. DIabetes is a nasty condition. I don't have it, but my brother has type 1, diagnosed at age 11. He is now in his 60s and experiencing the consequences of decades of ignoring it - but I admire his strength and courage to carry on living his life and try and repair some of the damage. I also have several friends with type 2 who struggle with weight, diet and general lifestyle changes - makes me very very conscious of the links between diabetes and heart disease. My whole family is riddled with diabetes and heart disease - so for us its a genetic and lifestyle thing.But back to you. No wonder you cried. You must have been quite tense and on high alert anyway, given where you were, crying becomes a natural response to bad news. Of course you're worried, I'm sure most of us were before such a huge procedure.
I was terrified before my first aortic valve replacement - and that was inspite of knowing that my dad had had open heart surgery x 2 (he had one of the early bypass surgeries then had endocarditis which destroyed his mitral valve, which was replaced), my diabetic brother had a quintuple bypass and my brother and sister an aortic valve replacement - all successfully and all well - but when it came to me, well. as I said in my first response to you....what a wuss I was. All the evidence from family was that OHS is survivable, but imagination plays funny tricks and I was frankly terrified. But I'm still here.
Cry away and please lean on us. I won't pretend its a walk in the park - its not. But the NHS is so skilled at this now that within days you are home and recovering in the comfort of your own surroundings.
Please keep in touch with us all, waiting really is the worse part and its good to have the support of others whilst you wait.
What a wonderful account of how far you and your family have come. Well done to all of you, it must have been an extremely worrying time for your family over the years. God bless you all.
My brother had Endocarditis a few years ago and had to have a valve replaced. He still struggles with his warferin and balancing his vitamin K (think I've got that right). My dad died of Heart Disease in his 50s and diabetes runs in the family. I've been told there's not much I could have done about my condition. I've struggled with my diabetes for 8 years since diagnosis. I eat healthily but I'm afraid insulin resistance has its own agenda.
I guess I'm going to continue to be up and down for the next X amount of months. In incredibly grateful my disease has finally been found (I've complained of Angina type pains for 12 years but always been told there's nothing wrong!) I do trust the amazing surgeons and NHS staff and for me my faith helps enormously.
Thank you so much for your response. It means so much knowing people are out there caring.
I'm sorry you cried Suzie. You were scared of the angio, and now you are scared of the bypass, that's very normal. But i promise you, it really isn't as bad as you may think, and just think, after the op you will be so much better than you are today 😃, who knows, you may even want to become an Olympic runner like Thatwasunexpected 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
That made me giggle! Not sure I can see myself in the Olympics.....well, maybe I could show people to their seats! 🤣🤣 Thank you so much for caring, really can't wait for all this to be over with before it messes with my mind anymore. Roll on 2/3 months xx
Sorry to hear you haven't had the best of news. The only thing I can say is that a friend had a quadruple bypass at Royal Brompton about 15 years ago and he has been absolutely fine since. He often walks five or more miles a day and doesn't seem restricted in anything he does. Your post is sobering since it's brought home that I could be facing the same situation on Monday. I've always assumed-without a shred of evidence-that the worst I could be facing would be stenting, but that's clearly not the case. Good luck with the procedure when you have it in a few months.
Thank you so much. Please don't worry, I've had pains for 12 years and been told it wasn't Angina. I knew it was. I think Stenting is far more common than bypass. I guess the thing to remember is that we have to trust the professionals and whatever they decide is the best thing for us.Hope your procedure goes well, there is really nothing to worry about.
P.s I can actually walk 4 miles now without pain, its going up hills and swimming in cold water where the problem lies.xx
Thanks for replying. I only developed the symptoms about six months ago, completely out of the blue; these usually come on after walking a few hundred metres but stop almost immediately when I cease walking. The consultant said “let’s hope it’s a chest wall problem” but doesn’t sound too optimistic. I wanted to have the CT scan but he advised against that.
On the the question of the bypass procedure, do you get a choice of hospital? My friend chose Royal Brompton because of their outstanding reputation in this area and said he was not disappointed . Apparently, even the food was good! If you do get a choice it’s definitely something worth looking into. Obviously distance may be a factor.
I'm in Derby so I realistically had a choice of Nottingham or Leicester. The latter is world renowned and specialises in heart surgery. I'm very happy I'm going there. I guess I could go wherever I wanted though.
Thank you for your update - not what you wanted to hear , so many of us know that feeling of shock . You’re on the way to getting better - you can do this ! Didn’t think I could but did - you will be on very safe hands , they were amazing at the hospital from me walking in to going home they ooze expertise , care and compassion . It’s all the unknown to you , so many here are through it and can try to reassure you . If you’re anything like me it took me 10 days to accept my news , fighting it saying it wasn’t happening to me etc. then I resigned myself to it and decided I just had to surrender to what is , from then on I started to find some peace and continued to try and think positively about the outcome- big hugs sent
Thank you so much for replying. Yes, I'm still in the denial/surreal stage but I guess that will soon change. I just wish I didn't have to wait for 2/3 months. It will seem an eternity! What did you have done and how long ago if you dont mind me asking? Xx
I had a bypass end of February as the LAD was completely blocked , this was discovered in October angiogram - told stents would only solve for a few years. I hope as told it was critical , in January I agreed to take any cancellation anywhere - I had phone call weds as scheduled person had tested positive , rapid return on hospital car park the next day , sat with suitcase waiting for result - operation next day !! 48 hours from phone call - I too had stable angina diagnosed last July - I feel healthier than I have done for a couple of years - write down all your questions, try to live day by day with special things in your day . I wish I had discovered this forum prior to my op , some lovely people here to support as much as we can .
Ahh chick x try to stay positive and take one step at a time .Happy times and good thoughts are often as good for your health as all the treatments etc thinking of you x x
Hi Yes a terrible shock that mirrors my own experience 3 months ago. I have supposedly stable angina but in this instance, for the first time, I needed to use the spray at 1AM which immediately relieved the symptoms.
I felt fine the next morning but eventually managed to get through to the doctor who suggested I go along as soon as possible to the assessment unit at the Hospital. I made my way there within 30 minutes and to cut a long story short after other tests I eventually went for an angiogram where they diagnosed severe blockages very much like yours .
They confirmed I had had a heart attack and I stayed in hospital for some 12 days primarily because the Plymouth hospital that deals with Bypasses did not have a bed. In hospital prior to transfer I had a second heart attack.
In Plymouth they decided during the course of the operation on a quadruple bypass as they thought a triple bypass initially considered would only store up trouble later on. Now the point is that I had no idea for how long my arteries had been so furred up nor therefore that I was susceptible to a heart attack. The first six weeks after the operation were difficult but feeling much better now.
I don't know your age or general health but are you being considered for immediate bypass surgery or are they suggesting a date some time in the future?
I'm 56. I wouldn't say I was fit but could walk for 4 miles on flat ground without too much difficulty although I do get a pain in my upper tummy which I always think is connected in some way. Hills are a different story!The timescale I've heard for now is 2/3 months for an urgent referral. Wish it was sooner to get it over with. I'll keep praying xx
I regularly walked 10000 steps a day including some steep hilly terrain on Dartmoor and the coastal foot path. Some days were better than others, in which case I would restrict my walking. As I was prescribed the spray 10 years ago but had never used it, when I then had to use it at 1Am I saw it as a line being crossed.
Fortunately I was persistent with the doctor-so difficult to get through-but could easily have given up as it was a nice day and I felt fine.
Have you had different medication prescribed since your angiogram or told to change things, lose weight, more exercise, different diet etc?
Our angiogram results are very similar its just that we took different routes to get them.. Although you are substantially younger my suggestion would be to press hard for a quicker referral than 2/3 months.
I've been told not to exercise but to be very careful not to bring on the pains. They've not mentioned weight or diet but these things control my life as a diabetic. I don't eat fatty food and have low carb. I'm hoping when I finally see the specialist cardiologist at a different hospital they may give me more guidance. I'm not sure how I can push for earlier surgery? Any ideas? I've even considered going privately but it's super expensive. Xx
I was in Torbay hospital very close to my home but they don't do bypasses there. Due to extreme pressure on Plymouth I was 'held' in Torbay then a bed suddenly became available at Plymouth and I was taken there by ambulance at midnight and had the operation the following morning. If cottage hospitals hadn't been closed the 'bed blockers' at Plymouth who had nowhere else to go (terrible unfair term) would have been sent there, thereby releasing a cascade of beds for sicker patients.
Do you know when you are going to see the specialist cardiologist? if only a week or two I would persevere and the angiogram results should be persuasion enough that you shouldn't be expected to wait 2/3 months or likely more. Presumably you got a letter-sent to your doctor as well-detailing the results? Few are heart specialists so may be no point discussing it with them but you certainly need an objective considered rapid re-evaluation of your results by an appropriate expert.
Next time you visit Plymouth to visit your son why not stay at the Bistrot Pierre rooms-nice suite) at King William yard-fabulous-previously the largest military dock yard in Europe..
Sue, so good to know the procedure went well. Did you mean redoing the stenting in 23 year years which is not too bad considering your diabetes or 2 to 3 years. Would you mind checking it. You also said that that the veins meaning coronary sinus at the back of heart are narrowed. That is not bad because they are taking out the bad blood and not feeding the heart with good blood.
No definitely 2/3 years. He said that diabetics witj severe calcification tend to need their stents redoing in the short term. I would have needed 3 stents in each vessel as the narrowing is all the way up each artery so bypass definitely the best option for long term health. X
So very sorry to hear this Susie. To get that news there & then when so vulnerable must have been very distressing.Are they keeping you in to do the bypass or is it a waiting game?
Have they been able to give you any self help tips so you can regain some control? I found this very helpful myself though different circumstances. I really hope you are being well supported and treatment is prompt x
They've said 2/3 months which is a nightmare for me feeling so anxious. Not had any support. Maybe i should rung my GP tomorrow?
I actually was admitted to hospital on Thursday night with a BP of 60/30 and a pulse of 30. I thought it was the end, felt so ill. Turns out it was a bad Angina attack and a reaction to GTN.
I still can't get my head around all this. Totally shocked and emotional.
Oh Susie this is absolutely awful for you. Do ring GP as hopefully they'll have access to your hospital notes and can talk it through. Also the BF nurses on here - they are so supportive.I note from other replies you are also diabetic, do you have a diabetic nurse at your surgery. They maybe a good source of support too. I'm thinking of you & hoping the times goes quickly with no further set backs 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
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