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Happy 5th Anniversary to ME!


TheX
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Five years ago today my heart tried to kill me. Thankfully I had started a healthier lifestyle ten years earlier. One of the engineers on my team actually quit smoking because of it. His wife thanked me for helping him quit, haha.

Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions I have EVER made. My cardiologist says that I got really lucky and have no damage from the heart attack. If you ever feel like something's wrong, don't hesitate...get checked out. They don't call it the widow maker for nothin'.

Getting back into cycling 15 years ago literally saved my life.

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Congrats man!  

3 years ago I went to an ER in Grand Rapids, MI, and again a few days later here in Austin.  It turned out to be panic attacks (never had them before but if you ever watch the Sopranos and heard Tony talking about having ginger ale in your head, that was spot on for me, also hot burning left arm).  I'm glad I went to the ER.  I always wondered how people could mistake heartburn for a heart attack...  now I know.  Don't mess around and go get it checked out.  Get a stress test regularly too if your insurance covers it.

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11 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

Congrats man!  

3 years ago I went to an ER in Grand Rapids, MI, and again a few days later here in Austin.  It turned out to be panic attacks (never had them before but if you ever watch the Sopranos and heard Tony talking about having ginger ale in your head, that was spot on for me, also hot burning left arm).  I'm glad I went to the ER.  I always wondered how people could mistake heartburn for a heart attack...  now I know.  Don't mess around and go get it checked out.  Get a stress test regularly too if your insurance covers it.

I've had 3 false alarms over the past 15 years, 2 resulting in overnight stays in the hospital. Each time I ended up getting a nuclear stress test to "clear" me. Like you, I just don't like to take chances. Figuring out the ol' ticker can be pretty tricky though. I only smoked between ages 14-17, have been involved in competitive athletics most of my adult life, and have never been overweight or had high blood pressure. Still, you never know what's lurking. The nuclear stress test doesn't necessarily show you where plaque is building up in your arteries. I went and did one of those Heart CTs recently that scores based on calcium deposits, but apparently they're only a good indicator of whether you're completely clear or totally screwed. Anything in between doesn't really tell you much. My best friend, who was 15 years younger than me, ultra fit, and an MD, died from sudden cardiac arrest at 42. Turns out he had coronary microvascular disease but his only symptoms were some shortness of breath that he attributed to getting "older", and fatigue, which he may have attributed to his new and demanding job as a Chief Medical Officer. @TheXGreat to hear survival stories like yours!  

Edited by throet
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23 hours ago, TheX said:

Five years ago today my heart tried to kill me. Thankfully I had started a healthier lifestyle ten years earlier. One of the engineers on my team actually quit smoking because of it. His wife thanked me for helping him quit, haha.

Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions I have EVER made. My cardiologist says that I got really lucky and have no damage from the heart attack. If you ever feel like something's wrong, don't hesitate...get checked out. They don't call it the widow maker for nothin'.

Getting back into cycling 15 years ago literally saved my life.

Holy shit dude! You mentioned the crash but never knew you were coming off this too. Damn, you've been through a bit. Glad you've weathered the storm and FWIW, I'm hoping to be as lean as you when I hit 60. 

Any heart issue is scary AF. All the men on my moms side died by mid-50s.  I'm 45 and according to my bloodwork, exams ETC, in really good health. However, that arterial blockage is whats been on my mind, particularly after seeing Mark Weir almost die.

https://www.bicycling.com/health-nutrition/a25337675/mark-weir-dodges-widowmaker-heart-attack/

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6 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

Holy shit dude! You mentioned the crash but never knew you were coming off this too. Damn, you've been through a bit. Glad you've weathered the storm and FWIW, I'm hoping to be as lean as you when I hit 60. 

 

Yeah, the last 5 years have been a challenge but I've made it through. Still active and plan to be for a LONG time.

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