We are pleased to announce that today, March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Heart Disease
richosea
Posts: 2
In 2008 I was in the best shape of my life at 54 years old. While at the gym doing squats I started having weird pains in the chest. I tried to ignore the pain and continued my work-out. But that was impossible. Subsequently I ended up in the ER with AMI Acute Myocardial Infarction. This was alleviated with 3 stents to 3 different vessels in the heart. One particular vessel almost completely clogged with plaque was the LAD commonly referred to as the "widow maker". I was lucky it was caught.
One month later I had to have another stent to a 4th vessel. One month after that I had a major heart attack destroying most of the anterior wall of the heart. This resulted in emergency open heart surgery by-passing 4 arteries. I was left with an EF, ejection fraction, of 27%. That is my heart is only able to eject 27% of the blood that enters the heart.
Now at 59 and 245 lbs I am lucky to still be alive. But I am tired of the shape I'm in and frankly a little embarrassed at how out of shape I am.
So now is the time to do something.
One month later I had to have another stent to a 4th vessel. One month after that I had a major heart attack destroying most of the anterior wall of the heart. This resulted in emergency open heart surgery by-passing 4 arteries. I was left with an EF, ejection fraction, of 27%. That is my heart is only able to eject 27% of the blood that enters the heart.
Now at 59 and 245 lbs I am lucky to still be alive. But I am tired of the shape I'm in and frankly a little embarrassed at how out of shape I am.
So now is the time to do something.
0
Replies
-
Wow! That is quite a story...I am so sorry you have been through this, but thank god it was caught and you are still alive!
27% is a terrible ejection fracture, I imagine you get tired SO easily.
I actually had a cardiac catheterization in late April and that said my EF was actually 60% instead of 40-48% that the Echo said. So technically, I am not in "heart failure" anymore according to my Cardiologist. They also discovered that all of my arteries are CLEAR and I don't know how that is possible since I have been overweight my entire life. So at age 38 (39 this fall) I was told I couldn't physically have a heart attack for about 20 years. Pretty great news considering my family history.
Nevertheless, I *need* to drop weight, big time. I have been dropping and gaining the same 10lbs for months and I'm sick of it.0
This discussion has been closed.