Grateful Newbie seeking clarity on Natural bypass of 100% total occluded RCA

[MyHeartyMo]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my message. I inadvertently posted it in my bio/profile. So I won’t take too much of your time.

I’m 57 and had my first heart attack at 27. The first one went undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed for five years, and was finally diagnosed by several cardiologist in Germany. Initially, I was told when it happened that I was just having bad gas. When I presented that information to the German doctors they said that it was not bad gas but rather a heart attack that I had.

I come from a long history of coronary artery disease and several members, including my own father, his sister, her son and a few uncles who all had open heart surgery before age 40.

I have been living without any medication or treatment whatsoever for the past 30 years. However, in April this year I experienced the most horrific pain (second HA) I ever knew existed.

It started out as indigestion, in my upper abdomen that escalated into my esophagus area and then my throat. By time it reached the center of my chest and my throat there was a burning sensation as if someone had put a blow torch down my throat.

The pain spread out and across both shoulders, down through both arms into my wrist and fingers leaving me feel extremely fatigue and breathless. My upper back felt like there was a Charlie horse in between my shoulder blades. I wasn’t sure what it was but I was hoping it was an extreme case of terrible indigestion and heartburn. I was in a cold sweat. Within several minutes, impending doom kicked in as I realized this was not just bad gas. I became weak fell into my husbands arms and he wanted to call 911, but we did not. Instead, he gave me CPR, and gentle chest compressions to alleviate the pain. Every time he blew into my mouth it helped me to breathe easier but not for long. I just needed to lay down because I was too weak anymore to stand up.

I hope people will be more understanding and not pass judgment on me here. If people knew our rural situation and love story perhaps they would understand. My husband and I were childhood sweethearts, twice engaged at 18 and 28, and finally after 21 years apart got married at age 50. Neither one of us were ready to say goodbye.

The notion of making it from my home to the hospital was unthinkable because of the distance. Ambulatory service in my rural area is terrible. At that time there were still Covid restrictions were spouses and family members were not permitted in the hospitals in emergency situations. Miraculously, after several hours of excruciating pain and not knowing what happened to me I awoke and saw my husband standing at the doorway crying.

we made it to the doctors office who set me up for a nuclear stress test and imaging, including the treadmill and tracers that were injected into me. I’m not sure how those test work but it seemed as though once the tracer was in my system I experienced the same type of pain all over again. I was told there was possible 15 to 30% blockage but they weren’t sure.

My condition and appointments were put off for three months, and then another several weeks before one of the cardiologists could even schedule for a heart catheterization.

We finally found an exceptional cardiologist who was recommended to us by a friend that works with him. I was in the hospital within three days with a heart catheter that revealed my right coronary artery was 100% totally occluded with 60% blockage in the center. I was told that I have an extra heart vessel that worked with the other vessels (which were 100% clear from any blockage) to produce collateral arteries that bypass the blockage and extended blood and oxygen to the right coronary artery.

My question: do most persons who’ve had a heart attack with 100% blockage survive without any surgery? My cardiologist recommended the lowest dose of aspirin every day, continuous power walks (3 miles each day), and a follow up in six months.

I have had an echocardiogram that showed everything is ok. I don’t have diabetes. Ive changed my daily nutrition and am eating oatmeal every morning just before my 50 minute power walk with my husband. My cholesterol has dropped 27 points and is now 187, and my LDLs are way high! Would love to know how I can get my LDL down. Thank you!