They're a major pipeline for blood. Mayo Clinic Staff. Stayed overnight and had stent in my LAD the next day. He x-rayed my neck and said I had a compressed vertebrae pinching a nerve. He is 340lbs.very little exercise. Doctors previously referred to this as an angioplasty with a stent. Very aggressive lipid lowering therapy. Why am I still here? I had my heart attack three weeks ago today, blockage of the LAD. You are getting another chance in life. He gave me my wonderful doctor who I love with all my heart!! Advertising Policy Because it serves such a big portion of the heart, the LAD Monday am stopped by family practice office, no apt available until next day. The first should read: 99.999 blockage of the left main artery of the left ventricle of my heart.. I was only about 200. Did That Stent Save My Life? One should never ignore the symptoms and if you are at all unsure then seek medical attention and let the experts decide. Immediate treatment is crucial for a chance at survival. Arteries opened with angioplasty can become blocked again. The most common heart attack symptoms are: Despite the name, widowmakers can affect anyone. I was revived at roadside and taken 15 minutes drive to hospital. The paramedics told me that I kept responding to them when they yelled at me, and could feel the chest compressions. No one can predict that really, but what we do know is that there is a proven benefit from lifestyle interventions and a proven reduction from a bad lifestyle. There are many different types of stents, that generally go in many of the tubular shaped structures in your body. Smoker. Your story sounds just like what happened to my brother. I have 2 kids and a new grandbaby that will be one year next month. This went on all night and into the next dayI thought I was going to die! A widowmaker heart attack occurs when the left anterior So so glad not to have those headaches anymore, They actually hurt worse than the chest pressure. I took two baby aspirin and an antacid. Too many rehab places of old folks and no one to help the young. The pain seems atypical and not typical of the angina experienced with blockages. The severity of a heart attack varies depending on the underlying cause, the persons overall health status, and how quickly they receive treatment. Had EKG stress test. Keep in touch with NewYork-Presbyterian and subscribe to our newsletter. What Is Om1 In The Heart - Knowledge Matrix Dr. says come on in and lets do a treadmill stress test. The heart attack may be large enough to lead to sudden death, and, unfortunately, many patients do not make it to hospital alive. I listened to my body. Multiple pages reviewed. They may suction the clot or inflate the balloon on the tip of the catheter, which helps open the artery. So they stented the stent. I had terrible pain in my chest and arms. A day after, my echo cardiogram, indicated it had increased to 45%. HE SAID A ELEPHANT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN GOD PURPOSE WAS FOR ME TO TELL MY STORY LIFE IS GOOD. Top answers from doctors based on your search: Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. I am 47 and had a massive heart attack in the LAD on January 8, 2016. Both procedures restore blood flow to the front of your heart. Ellis S, et al. He timed our walk and we beat his best time. Tried calling dr office since they normally have 1/2 day hrs on Saturday, but not Christmas week. Without shock, your chances jump to about 60 percent or more. but it took over 30 min before i was able to function again. I am an extremely lucky person to have survived this. You will be asleep and pain-free during surgery. I reluctantly went along with it. I am doing better with my diet per the new guide lines given to me. He had bypass surgery at age 52 in 1977. had a widow maker in Jan 2015 eye am 66 years old this was my second stent.and yes eye went through some depression, Problem is support groups are very limited in my area. Yes, Ive had multiple heart attacks since the original, but somehow have survived. 877-697-9355. Either way, I am doubling down my efforts to stick to a Vegan diet which I have been on since the angina started four months ago. Heart attack and heart failure share many of the same risk factors and underlying health conditions. What happens if the left coronary artery is blocked? I just had a widow maker heart attack two weeks ago. What artery is the widow maker? At MyHeart.net, weve helped millions of people through our articles and answers. My calcium score 101, stress test showed mild LAD atherosclerosis. Thank you for posting this article. He also has TYPE2 diabetes uncontrolled he uses INSULIN. wouldnt have this major blockage shown on any of these tests? American Heart Association. Does make me feel a little bit better. "Many people can survive widow-makers if we get them treatment right away," Niess said. I am curious to know if the stented area of the LAD can be bypassed and the stents removed? A heart attack is a medical emergency. I had no warnings. This is a story of what not to do!! My husband had a major heart attack and had 2 stents put in his LAD. I argued with the health professionals as I felt I had no anxious thoughts. A week before my heart attack I helped friends move heavy furniture up 3 flights of stairs. If you cant be nice, then please be gone. I am so glad that you survived. Its completely devastating and its hard to believe that this could happen to a seemingly healthy 38 year old and my kids have to grow up without their dad. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. See your doctor for regular check-ups to detect heart disease early. I thought it was okay to eat what ever I wanted in moderation as long as I kept the weight off. 2 vessel bypass surgery 16 yrs ago. If your job is physically demanding, it may be helpful to change to a less demanding job. If you are feeling these things, I think it's important to re-frame your experience. Im still in shock and find it hard to accept. Are older than age 45 for men and people AMAB. I actually have a question for others who like me have recently suffered a widow maker heart attack. He was blessed as he was only 5 minutes from the hospital and taken there by a friend. Endurance is very poor. and my insurance company fought both of these doctors tooth and nail to first against the recommendation to go to the Cardiologist, and the second to have the angiogram instead of just a stress test on a treadmill. My best friend is a cardiologist (non-interventionist) and he is the first one to tell me about the Widowmaker. He also pointed out that if I absolutely had to have a heart attack the location of my occlusion which caused my MI was a best case scenario (I still suffered some cardiac damage). How rude! Went to Dr. and he called to make a appointment for a stress test with cardiologist who was on first floor of offices. Managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. I had a doctor who took something I reported in almost an offhand way, and got me to that cardiologist, who though looking at a strong athletic looking guy, and despite not having the typical symptoms (diabetes etc..) decided to forgo the stress test, and just look. Can I cheat once a month and have a hamburger and fries? I actually thought just had a brain tumor starting and the chest pain was from anxiety about it. Thank you for your comments and we are glad you are ok and caught the dreaded widowmaker in time. What Happens If The Left Anterior Descending Artery Is Blocked? All rights reserved. It makes no sense because he had no warning no symptoms of anything. He had weakness and flu like symptoms for 2 weeks leading up to his heart attack on January 1, 2015. My dad was skeptical and still felt that nothing was wrong with him. I went to ER last week and was kept overnight, the Cardiologist who attended mt did a CT without contrast but wanted me to come back and have a contrasting scan under supervision( I am allergic to Iodine) after he has spoken to my regular Cardiologist . Normally Im a tough cookie but I was a scaredy cat for a whole year after. In retrospect, I am the luckiest guy on earth. The doctor is a top cardiac surgeon in or area so at have to trust his decision but area a bit confused. I think this was brought on by job related stress ( Illinois governor refusing to sign a state budget for a year), smoking half a pack a day for 35 years and eating too much sodium. I backed off and swam lightly for a few minutes, and the weight went away and I finished my workout. In this article, we will briefly review the blood supply to the heart, what happens in a heart attack, and an accurate definition the widow maker heart attack in order to gain a better understanding of the term the Widow Maker. I too had a widow maker July 14, 2015. This essentially means that the whole front wall of the heart goes down. Where is the proximal LAD in the heart? - Studybuff Healthcare providers call a heart attack a myocardial infarction, which means you dont have enough blood going to your heart muscle (myocardium). the extent of the damage to the heart muscle, eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins, avoiding artificial trans fats and added sugars. This Dr said the tests on my legs looked good. I almost became a certain victim of the Widowmaker. Without enough blood, part of the heart muscle dies. I had left jaw pain on Christmas night 2015. Read those nutrition labels. In feb. This paper will discuss the characteristics of a valves performance curvespecifically, where flow [], Qosina announced that it introduced Colder Product Companys (CPC) new AseptiQuik W Series connectors to its product line. As someone told me, you have 2 lungs but only 1 heartmake the best of it. I was taking BC Powders up to 8 times per day. So, if somebody needs to cope by getting assurance from their invisible sky god, who are we to question the benefit they get from that? My dad passed away at the age of 63 with a heart attack in 1980. Quick treatment can save your life. What is the difference between a widow maker heart attack and a massive heart attack. I am sorry to hear about your loss. Like someone put a rubber band around it or a blood pressure cuff was pumped too tight. so i left work and felt better when I got home. Very informative article and pictures of before and after the procedure. The new baby is now 6 months old and my other children are 8, 6 and 4. I was told I was very fortunate because although I was in very good shape I had just had what they called "The Widow Maker" with 100% blockage in my LAD. Jack. A doctor may recommend surgery if they find blockages in other arteries. I have had a desk job for 30 years. Thats what causes those classic heart attack symptoms like shortness of breath; cold sweats; and severe chest pain, tightness or pressure. Not all heart attacks start with crushing chest pain or arm numbness. It has been a hell of a journey. doctor ordered stress test, ECK and echocardiogram. I walked up to the counter, said I think I am having a bad case of heart burn or a heart Then collapsed on the floor, pulseless and breathless. I have many health probs very similar to your husbands. Live and let live. I will follow all the doctors orders, change my diet, add exercise, take my meds, and wake up every day thanking God for another day. CABG takes a piece of a healthy blood vessel called an artery graft from your leg, arm, or chest. Heart stents as safe as open heart surgery in left main artery disease In a nano second your view on life and living change. Your health professional may want more tests and may start treatment. I see others that report that a week later they are back to work and feeling great. We are all so lucky my friends. And the patient's blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent, he added. This is because the LAD provides about 50% of your heart muscles blood supply. 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC, an Internet Brands company. Was cutting up an evergreen tree Thursday afternoon and got a burning pain in my chest and felt an invisible hand squeezing my throat and breathing felt like my lungs were filled with cotton. Going to mountain bike in Moab Utah for three days next week.. Bottom line was: I had 95 percent blocking in my left anterior descending artery. Got him to hospital in 3 minutes. I am only 53 and now wonder if it will affect me in my lifetime. He told his manager that he wasnt feeling well, so hell go home and rest. The pain always went away. I cannot stress to you just how close I came to ignoring their counsel and just chalking it up to being a little out of shape or stress from my work and just going on my merry way -which almost certainly would have killed me in just a few weeks. My cardiologist apparently got quite annoyed and told this other cardiologist I did not need it as I panic about chest pain when its only AFib ( which I dont as I have quite severe attacks and I manage them at home by myself quite well) MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. The video includes a thorough explanation of the condition as well as survivability and life expectancy two aspects of the widow maker not covered elsewhere in the article. A widowmaker is even more serious because it's a total blockage of the artery that supplies blood to the front of your heart -- the largest part. Again, I do have life insurance, but Im not going to be shy about asking all my friends to (a) drop the stupid weight they may have exercise, (b), eat better cut out the processed foods if possible, no breads, not heavy fried foods, low starch, high fruit and vegetable, minimal red meat, more fish, nuts, coconut oil, no desserts, no sugary drinks, etc.. you all know the drill and (c) get some life insurance just in case and (d) get an annual physical. Im 41 Years old. It hit hard and fast!!! . They got him to the hospital, but his heart never started again and he never regained consciousness. I am 50 and never had any trouble till then. NewYork-Presbyterians advanced cardiac care, Women and Heart Health: 8 Essential Facts, Family history of heart attack or heart disease, Exercise, including 35 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise four to five times a week. Hes on tramadol painkillers for his arthritis. My husband, at age 68, had a heart attack in February 2011 (fell unconscious on kitchen floor). I started cardiac rehab and lost 16 pounds in 3 weeks. A heart attack starts when a clot forms in one of the three arteries -- muscular tubes -- that supply blood to your heart. Your chance of having a heart attack is moderate to high. I told them stubbornly that after i sit for a minute i will be ok its just heat stroke. When I got back to my room, they did an ultrasound and it showed the blockage, which still had a trickle of blood flowing. Stent worked very well. my husband didnt visit the doctor for 12 years. Amen and thank you for sharing your experience. I had no energy at all. I lasted until the 4th. Usually, the person will need to spend 23 days in the hospital, with the first 24 hours in the intensive care unit. I came back to the USA and sought advice from my Doctor. i blew it off. I went to bed later that night and severe pain in my chestarms shoulders-neck and my ears! This lower chamber pumps oxygen-rich blood to your aorta, which sends it to your body. Whole bottom front quarter of heart is dead. Uses include in large-volume, high-flow [], ATL Technology announced that it acquired manufacturing operations of Gyrus Medical from Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe. Dont have enough nutrition in your diet. God has you a plan for you. So I schedualed an appoint with a cardio vascular Dr, went straight to him instead of my family care Dr who has ignored earlier chest pains , which went into the face. If we dont live healthy lifestyles in our 20s, 30s, and 40s, then we start having problems in our 50s, 60s, and 70s. You are all lucky to survive the heart attack, he did 4 years earlier. (In case you need a refresher, the coronary arteries carry blood to all the regions of the heart to keep the muscle pumping faithfully.). A moderate amount of plaque is present. After his manager asked him more detail, he insisted to my dad that he should go to Urgent Care. Which Artery Is Widowmaker - BikeHike Ill never get over this.
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