Coronary heart disease.

[dovetail]

Hi everybody & a happy new year to you all! I just wanted to ask if coronary artery disease is caused by fibro &, if any other members have this, please could you tell me your experiences? I have had many tests in the past month, including one that was utterly dreadful! I am now waiting for the results of these tests & I'm worried about the outcome.

Thanks,

Dovetail

[Cookie72]

Hi dovetail sorry to hear you are concerned, I'm afraid I can't help you on that one,but would be interested to read what anyone else has to say, ...please try not to worry, it won't help you fibro, ...take care.. Keep us up to date when you receive your results, when do you go back, let us know how you get on, take care...gentle hugs...Dee x

[dovetail in reply to Cookie72]

Hi Cookie72, thanks so much for replying to my post, I really appreciate your kind words & I will certainly tell you when I have the results of the tests that I've had, although I have an echocardiogram on Fri 10th & I think they will wait for all the tests to be completed before I get the results. Take care & gentle hugs, Tracey xx

[gillyb59]

Hi Dovetail

I have artery disease i went in hospital in sept i had to have angioplasy and a stent put in im also waiting to go in again as they think i have another blockage in the arorta. i had no pluse or pressure in the left arm and arm was aways very painful since i had the stent i have got the use of my left arm back although it is still painfull but because of my breathlessness they need to do more tests..

So i know what your going though with the worry of the outcome of your tests thinking of you and hope that all goes well chin up and try not to worry

Gentle Hugs

Gillyxx

[dovetail in reply to gillyb59]

Hi Gilly, thanks so much for replying to my post, I hope you don't mind but I've got quite a few questions for you. Before you were diagnosed, what were your symptoms? Did you go to the doc because of your symptoms or did they find out about your heart in a different way? When you had the angioplasty, what was that like? Were you put to sleep or did you have a local? What was it like after you'd had it done & did you feel much better straight away or not?

I'm so sorry to ask all those questions, Gilly, but you are the first person I've spoken to who's had it done. When I went to hospital for the first time after being referred, the consultant was aware of my anxiety, so he didn't tell me why he was referring me for all the tests, he was being kind but I'm the sort of person who wants the facts! When I pushed him, he said "if there's something wrong, I'll be able to fix it!". I only found out because it was on the consent form I had to sign before I had one of the tests!

I hope you don't mind all the questions I've asked, please don't answer any that you would rather stay private, I completely understand.

Love & gentle hugs, Tracey xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Dovetail

I don't know if it is caused by fibro or not but I'm sure the two will have knock-on effects on each other. I'm not particularly familiar with the ins and outs of coronary heart disease tests or anything like that either.

I would like to wish you well though and suggest practising a few relaxation techniques to help with the anxiety and also to help your body heal a little too as you must be exhausted with worry. Stressing will only make the fibro worse!

Thinking of you and I'm sending rainbow healing fluffies to help soothe your pain Dovetail

xxxsianxxx

[bluebell99 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Dovetail

I had an angiogram some years ago which is similar.

You wear a gown and lie on the bed as flat as possible, in the theatre. I had a local anaesthetic in my right groin, uncomfortable but okay.

All the little electrodes are stuck on your chest, like having an ECG, so you are monitored constantly.

Then they threaded a wire though the artery in your groin up to your heart. You are awake and can follow the procedure on the screen. I was told if there was pain or if I felt unwell to tell them and they would stop. Just having that option is very reassuring.

A dye was given through the catheter/wire, which shows up the circulation of blood through the heart and the doc takes photos to check later. .

It is painless and very interesting if you are in to that sort of thing, (I am)

They constantly ask you if you are feeling pain or dizzy.

They withdraw the wire and a nurse presses hard on the artery to make sure it closes and starts to heal over. I think this was the worst bit as mine took about 40 mins. Meanwhile they move you to a cubicle to recover properly. There are plenty of checks to make sure you are well.

I was moved back to the day unit and had to stay on my back for several hours.

Then I was sent home with instructions to take it easy for 24 hours, no lifting etc.

And that's it !! No probs!!

Hope this helps, I've had worse at the dentist!

[dovetail in reply to bluebell99]

Hi bluebell99, thank you so much for replying to my post & so comprehensively too! Your detailed information regarding the angioplasty has let me know what to expect, if I have to go through this procedure. Some of the things you have said sound a bit scary but overall I do feel better now I know exactly what might happen & I guess I'll just have to get on with it, even the scary bits-I'll tell you what bits are a bit scary-the groin area must be injected to make it numb (I'm so soft!) & this scares me & the bit where you said they had to push down hard on the groin to stop the artery from bleeding! The other thing was having to lie on your back for several hours on the day unit, as this must have played havoc with your fibro!

Thanks for being so thorough & you saying you've had worse at the dentist comforts me a lot. I'll let everybody know when I get my results, whether good or bad. I'm sending gratitude & lots of love for taking the time to write back to me, you have genuinely helped me a lot. Gentle hugs xxxxxx

[dovetail in reply to Hidden]

Hi Zeb73, thanks so much for replying to my post, I really appreciate your kind words & you are right about the fibro becoming worse with the worry & stress! I am having quite a bad flare-up at the moment, which isn't helping me at all! I'm trying very hard to stay upbeat, & I think I am for the most part, well on the surface at least! I don't want to moan to my husband & my family because it's like I'm always moaning about something or other! They must get sick of it! Thanks again, Sian, I'm sending you lots of love & gentle hugs xxxxxx

[bluebell99 in reply to dovetail]

Hi Dovetail

Oh dear. I hope I haven't made the situation worse for you, that was not my intention.

Don't worry about the local anaesthetic, it is like any other injection and goes in the crease at the top of your leg, where your pants go. The pressure after the procedure is not painful, just uncomfortable, but it does give you chance to have a nice conversation with the person who is doing it

I may have given the wrong impression about being on my back in the day unit. Yes, I was on my back but the head of the bed was raised so I could have a cup of tea and some biscuits. They don't like you moving around too much at first, although after a couple of hours you can sit up more and may even be ready to go home. It is only a precaution, nothing more.

Sorry if I frightened you, please do not worry. The nursing staff will do everything to put you at ease.

Hugs

Nancy Xx

[dovetail in reply to bluebell99]

Hi Nancy, I feel awful I've made you feel like this, especially after you took the trouble to explain the procedure in such depth. I'm so sorry, Nancy, it wasn't supposed to come across like that at all. I have a low pain-threshold & my fibro makes this even worse, so add that to me being a great big softie & this is what you get, a big scardy cat! You certainly have not made the situation worse, you've made it so much better because you have given me the facts, which I thank you very much for. If I have to have this procedure I now know what to expect. I think you're always better off hearing it from somebody who as actually been through the procedure, rather than the hospital staff, who are so kind & compassionate but they don't really know what it feels like.

I'll cheer you up now with something that has just happened, whilst I've been typing to you. IMy hubby brought me my lunch & as I was eating it, there was a loud crack. One of the veneers on my teeth cracked into two halves, one which I took out of my mouth & the other which is clinging on for dear life! I've had the veneers for about ten years, so I guess I can expect some problems with them after all this time. I had a good old chuckle when I remembered what you ended with on your first post "I've had worse at the dentist!" Hahaha, its like the powers that be have just confirmed it!

Thanks again for your reply's, I really appreciate them. Take care & a big gentle hug is on it's way to you now xxxxxxx

[jhorsf]

If,1996 first heart attack 2 more since 14 stents over these years , they tend to go in through the wrist with angiogram at most cath labs now as recovery is quicker , half a day in total now for angiogram.They do dozens a day In each lab it's routine now for them .You will be scared,right up until they wheel you out of the Cath lab ,then you will wonder why you were so worried,it's normal to feel like that every time ,no go saying don't worry but hospitals are good with heart disease today , lots of good meds for it and a great number of years understanding it and improving treatments Just go with the flow worrying changes nothing , I know easier said than done but trust me,I still live it every day against all odds I have no plans on meeting my maker