I guess i'm the latest member of the club. 17 days ago I had bypass surgery. I'm 56. I had no normal symptoms. The day of my event(s) I had what looked like 2 seizures in a span of 2-3 hours where I passed out for 30 seconds or so - no pain. My wife saw the last one & quickly called 911 ( 1st hint - don't delay this step) From the ER they had taken me up to neurology for tests again because it appeared they were seizures. I had a massive "seizure" there but really I went into cardiac arrest ( technically not a heart attack). They had to perform CPR. My wife had to witness this and a scary moment when the CPR equipment was not where it was supposed to be but her heroine in the story is a small ER doctor who ran their emergency portable backpack kit up two floors - fast! Angiogram confirmed the Left Anterior Descending ( "the widowmaker") was 100% blocked. And this stopped the blood going to my brain in what is called a cardiovascular syncope, passing out/ fainting. Bypass the next day. They could only fix 1 of the 2 they wanted but the other one is small. Their is no damage to the heart muscle, in fact they say my "squeeze" is exceptionally strong. and my heart had apparently adapted and opened up extra small arteries that helped pump the blood - hence no chest pain.
My dad died of heart disease at 70 with his 1st heart attack at 51. So had done a stress test 3 years ago and a calcium test 18 months ago. I passed with flying colors and less than 10% risk according to the calcium test. As I learned now at the age I am, and younger, the calcium test can be misleading because the blockage is more of a "jelly" than a calcification. Wish I had known. Go whatever extra mile your doctor tells you if you have family history- wish I had taken his diet advice to heart ( sorry).
Since March I had lost almost 50 pounds (225 to 177 at 5' 9") by pounding out the miles and changing my diet, mostly. I was putting in 40-60 miles a day 5-6 days a week. I wrote down everything I ate and estimated calories burned so I could manage the weight loss. BUT after a 60 mile ride I figured those calories could include a decent amount pastries or ice cream or cupcakes etc. I have had a ( super) sweet tooth forever. Sugar. That needs to change. If you have a sweet tooth please watch it. Calorie composition matters, especially if genetics don't favor you.
I am up to 4.5 miles per day of walking. My heart is not damaged. I am not experiencing side effects from the drug mix (statin, blood pressure, blood thinner, aspirin and a heart rhythm drug.) They think I can get off the arrhythmia drug in 2 weeks and hopefully the thinner in the next 3-6 months. My cardiologist friend thinks with an "improved" LAD my cycling might actually improve. Let's hope.
Thanks for bearing with me. I had a couple of questions for my predecessors; what physical hurdles and mental hurdles did you have to clear to get back on a bike? What about your spouses mental hurdles? Are you still on a blood thinner, if not what had to happen to get off that? I lost a bit of muscle in the hospital ( down 10 more pounds) - what kind of resistance training has anyone picked up? how long after the chest cracking?
Thanks.