After suffering a major heart attack over the holidays, getting a stent put in during January, losing almost twenty pounds since then on top of the nearly forty I had lost before (Well, there’s overlap, I’ve gone from my all time super obese high of 210 pounds to about just above 160 now), quitting smoking, stopping bad food and consuming nearly zero cholesterol, and enduring all kinds of panicky neurosis for the last few weeks — much of it made worse by my terrible day job pay and low disability payments based on that pay — my cardiologist gave me a clean bill of health today. I still have some anxiety issues, but for the most part I feel so good it can flirt with feeling high or a little bit manic at times.
He said using only the data gathered this week, detailed EKGs, blood work, and direct examination, he would never be able to tell I had ever suffered a heart issue of any kind, let alone a massive MI. In another three months I’ll get the full echo-sono-stress test work up to compare cardiac function with past tests which he suspects will yield the best prognosis possible. I just wanted to pass that on and thank those of you who provided all kinds of support through this ordeal, up to and including sharing your own personal stories and encouragement with me via email and coughing up heard earned dough when I was in dire need.
Really, really glad to hear this. I hope your health remains good.
Yay for you! I’m so glad. :-)
Very good news, my friend. But 210 was super obese? I weighed more than that as a fetus!
Good to hear. Hope you stay healthy and well and happy.
YEAH!!!!
Great news, Stephen.
I want to meet the healthy new you when we move back to Texas.
I’m going to be depressed being surrounded by all those rednecks again after living in California for a while.
My hubby and I will have to get involved in some of the Atheist and Science groups down there to reassure ourselves that we aren’t the only people in Texas with a brain.
Science, life saving stuff. Nice one.
Anxiety attacks are extremely common after heart attacks. And it takes a year or so for your body to quit “fight or flighting” at you at inappropriate moments. Hang in there. I know you keep thinking about how much worse it could have been, but the truth is your body has been damaged and is going to take a while to get over that.
I am so happy that you have succeeded in using the whole thing as a good excuse (the best!) for getting yourself in better shape. I’m always proud of people to manage to do that.
Now if I could just get my lazy ass out to walk every night like I should, I would be proud of me, too.