Any survivors on here, cardiac arrest, heart attack, cancer....

[Hip Priest]

I logged on to CC in a foul mood because I was unable to fix my rear mech. Then I chanced upon this thread and read the whole thing, and now I realise that knackered gears are a trivial thing not worth getting upset over. What an inspiration you all are.

 

[Big_Dave]

Dave,

Your Wife is very much like me as the heart events are continuing. I hope you are both coping as well as you can and an important message to both of you is that you are not alone. I've been saved three times by my ICD and it doesn't get any easier knowing that it can and does keep happening to you. What is helping me is developing ways to recover physiologically from the events, it is slow and I haven't got the hang of it yet but each time it happens I try and bounce back a bit quicker.

Thinking of you both, you are not alone.

Thank you, and wish you well Colin, My wife Wendy had to be put on Amiodarone which you may well be on?, along with beta blockers she was already on, Amiodarone is a nasty drug with side effects but it is a miracle drug for heart problems where all other drugs fail, it's a last resort drug but works well. This year has been a rough ride with Wendy's recovery and self esteem. it has been a big game changer, we deal with it and carry on, that's all you can do. The insignificant things that used to rowel me up no longer phase me, I have a different perspective on life now and take nothing for granted, you learn life is precious and there is only a short time to do it in so make the most of it.
My heart goes out to all those with a serious health problem whatever the condition may be, and their families who deal with it.
I'm not religious, but as the saying goes, god bless you all whatever your god may be.

 

[Colin_P]

Dave,

It certainly does put things into perspective.

I'm on Flecainide which is also a fairly toxic drug but not as bad as Amiodarone. It too effects liver and kidney function but as far as I'm aware doesn't effect lung function like Amio does. I'm also on a high dose of Betas. That combination makes for some slow cycling I tell you !

Has your Wife managed to get out there at all? When I say out there, I mean walking, cycling or anything? It is amazing what therapeutic effects even light exercise can have on you when you are coming out of a dark place. It is the best medicine of all, along with a good laugh as difficult as that can be at times !

 

[Big_Dave]

Dave,

It certainly does put things into perspective.

I'm on Flecainide which is also a fairly toxic drug but not as bad as Amiodarone. It too effects liver and kidney function but as far as I'm aware doesn't effect lung function like Amio does. I'm also on a high dose of Betas. That combination makes for some slow cycling I tell you !

Has your Wife managed to get out there at all? When I say out there, I mean walking, cycling or anything? It is amazing what therapeutic effects even light exercise can have on you when you are coming out of a dark place. It is the best medicine of all, along with a good laugh as difficult as that can be at times !

She will walk although she can't walk far, she loved to cycle but can't anymore because of balance problems, she gets mentally tired very easily with the brain injury which limits her ability more than the heart problem. I hate to use the term brain damage as people instantly think wheelchair bound unable to speak etc. which certainly isn't the case if you spoke to her she still is a very intelligent person. We manage day to day pretty easily, At the end of the day we adapt, yes it's tough at times, you have to move on with your life and not get stuck in a rut, One life, live it to the best of your ability, and that's what we do

 

[Colin_P]

There is hope although recovery from anoxic brain injury can be slow it can happen. You probably know far more than I do on the subject. Your story has put mine into a lesser perspective as I was lucky enough not to suffer from any brain injury.

Stay strong Dave.

 

[Big_Dave]

There is hope although recovery from anoxic brain injury can be slow it can happen. You probably know far more than I do on the subject. Your story has put mine into a lesser perspective as I was lucky enough not to suffer from any brain injury.

Stay strong Dave.

She suffered the anoxia in 2010 with the first cardiac, so it's as good as it's going to get. We still do things, just differently now. There are so many stories on this thread that in their own right are tragic illnesses, be it luck, fate, destiny or whatever, they lived to tell the tale, a positive attitude goes a long way.

 

[simon.r]

Nowhere near as serious as most of you posting on this thread, but I posted my own tale of overcoming a minor physical disability before I'd seen this thread: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/do...m-cranks-pain-and-relief.165522/#post-3289485

 

[Colin_P]

Simon,

Yours is as valid as anyone's!

Apart from my heart trying to kill me every now and then, I'm in good shape. If I had a physical reason, like yours, it would be very difficult to get on the bike and get out there. This is especially true for you as your injuries were caused on bike.

I remember when I was 15 in 1986, it was only a few days into what were the last school summer holidays. I came off my 10 speed racer at high speed going over the bars and landing head and shoulder first. I snapped my collarbone clean in half and spent the rest of the holidays in miserable pain. After that had slowly healed it took a lot of balls for me to first of all repair the bike and then get back on it. You had some serious injuries and still managed it, balls of granite I say!

 

[classic33]

Resus came to me.

A fit at Midnight Mass, where I'm told I fell like a log. Led to the local undertaker being coming to the rescue. Carried out, on a board by his employees, to the waiting Hearse. From the church to the local doctor and onto the nearest hospital.
Nearest ambulance was some 50 miles away, when required. The hearse was quicker.

It just goes to show there can be bits that on reflection, there will be bits that you can laugh at.
The doctor wasn't too certain what to expect and the hospital were a bit put out when the hearse pulled up outside the main entrance and a "body" emerging from the rear, before making its way into the hospital.
Not the normal sequence of events for any concerned in helping me.

 

[slowmotion]

It just goes to show there can be bits that on reflection, there will be bits that you can laugh at.
The doctor wasn't too certain what to expect and the hospital were a bit put out when the hearse pulled up outside the main entrance and a "body" emerging from the rear, before making its way into the hospital.
Not the normal sequence of events for any concerned in helping me.

Did the receptionist direct you to the morgue?

 

[classic33]

Did the receptionist direct you to the morgue?

That bit I cannot remember. Most of what I've said about that night was told back to me.
One minute I'm at Midnight Mass, the next I'm on a trolley in a hospital. With no clear recollection of went on in between the two events.

 

[RichK]

Like Colin J, I've had two DVT/pulmonary embolism episodes, with the second one, the clots on my lungs (both sides!) were described as 'large'

 

[Colin_P]

Saw the Consultant this morning, seems to happy with me. The ICD is still however recording runs of VT despite me being on some powerful anti-arrhythmic drugs.

I'm still getting out there on the bike though !

 

[Effyb4]

I'm glad you're still getting out on your bike. I hope your heart rhythm sorts itself out soon. My heart failure nurse seemed really pleased when she realised I had cycled to see her.

 

[ColinJ]

Like Colin J, I've had two DVT/pulmonary embolism episodes, with the second one, the clots on my lungs (both sides!) were described as 'large'

Nasty, isn't it!

Are you on anticoagulation for life? I wouldn't dare risk coming off it again, having reclotted less than 3 months after stopping it in 2013.

Oh, and if so, are you taking warfarin or one of the new drugs? (I have decided to stick to warfarin until there is more data on long-term use of NOACs.)