The main risk after starting to have a heart attack (other than dying)and clearly realizing it, seems to be going into denial and not proceeding immediately to a hospital. That circus lasted almost two hours for me, so by the time the stent cleared the clot I was just on the edge of being on the way out (becoming unconscious). - I even had a smoke in the middle of the two hours before heading to the emergency room!
Next phase was the month to a year as one ponders whether one managed to induce heart failure (enough damage not to pump blood in sufficient quantities) when faced with the tiredness any exertion including rehab seems to induce. The possibility of always being tired IS DEPRESSING. Also there is the "fun" of pains in the area one felt the heart attack pain bringing the question of "am I having another heart attack." And then there are all those stories about how great someone or other felt after having their arteries cleared as if one got a tune up...these stories are B.S. one is looking at about 6 months of not feeling great with any somewhat serious heart attack.
My overwhelming sentiment as the anesthetic set in before they cleared my Widow Maker and inserted a stent was, well, feeling pretty good and the notion there were "worse ways to die," and a certain willingness to go with it if this was it. So I guess I'm not much scared of dying once there.
Mentioning the heart attack is devilish fun in a gathering because most males start to squirm immediately.
There is a disconnect between one feeling fairly back to oneself and other's views of you who has had a heart attack(if they never had one). No one will learn from your example and stop smoking or eating less crap so don't even bother to think so. You'll be lucky if you manage to improve yourself your own bad habits.
After a while one resumes ones devil may care posture towards life with occasional reflective moments on when the
'next one' will be and if there will be a next one(probably).
So as far as great revelations? Not many mostly mundane discoveries. A stent is better than being filleted. Being alive appears better than dead to those of us that are still alive. And next time I feel a heart attack I WILL GET MY ASS TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM ASAP to reduce heart muscle damage that ensues the longer I wait.
Next phase was the month to a year as one ponders whether one managed to induce heart failure (enough damage not to pump blood in sufficient quantities) when faced with the tiredness any exertion including rehab seems to induce. The possibility of always being tired IS DEPRESSING. Also there is the "fun" of pains in the area one felt the heart attack pain bringing the question of "am I having another heart attack." And then there are all those stories about how great someone or other felt after having their arteries cleared as if one got a tune up...these stories are B.S. one is looking at about 6 months of not feeling great with any somewhat serious heart attack.
My overwhelming sentiment as the anesthetic set in before they cleared my Widow Maker and inserted a stent was, well, feeling pretty good and the notion there were "worse ways to die," and a certain willingness to go with it if this was it. So I guess I'm not much scared of dying once there.
Mentioning the heart attack is devilish fun in a gathering because most males start to squirm immediately.
There is a disconnect between one feeling fairly back to oneself and other's views of you who has had a heart attack(if they never had one). No one will learn from your example and stop smoking or eating less crap so don't even bother to think so. You'll be lucky if you manage to improve yourself your own bad habits.
After a while one resumes ones devil may care posture towards life with occasional reflective moments on when the 'next one' will be and if there will be a next one(probably).
So as far as great revelations? Not many mostly mundane discoveries. A stent is better than being filleted. Being alive appears better than dead to those of us that are still alive. And next time I feel a heart attack I WILL GET MY ASS TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM ASAP to reduce heart muscle damage that ensues the longer I wait.