ckit, how could someone say go away with a cute little picture like that? I have no problem with you being here. Heart problems are the issue. So, from birth you say, share something about how you get about.

Hello everyone,
New member who had a cabg 6 weeks ago. Recovering well but not much info out there on life expectancy, etc. Hope to find some that supports a long life, :)

Tex....please, please, do not even look at life expectancy! Everybody is different. Personally, I believe it has to do with how much of a fat head and fighter you actually are . :)

Welcome, TexBob. Sue is right, it depends on how hard you want to fight. Many of us on this board have changed behaviors to get well from heart disease, , including diet, drugs/alcohol/smoking, whatever it took, so let us know your challenges. How can we be of help?

Remember this - you are lucky it's your heart that has issues. The heart can be fixed, but the liver, kidneys, lungs... that's much tougher to find a cure.

Hang tough, hopefully you will hear from Half-hearted, a correspondent on this board who has come back from a very tough situation.

Howdy Tex. Life expectancy? Well, what do YOU expect out of life? That is really the thing that matters.

Hi TexBob , and welcome to this site . Life Term ? I was given 6 Mo. , 2 Years ago . Life as I knew it was over , when I hit the ground , from a 100 % documented blockage , I never smoked another cigerette , If I can't pick it , I can't eat it . I was extremely lucky to have survived 2 heart attacks , and 3 surgerys .We are all fighting different battles here , The people here , have been a blessing to me , I am still a 'newby' and will never stop living till I die , I refuse to live afraid I am going to die , It is a war , and you need to fight .I am now told I am in great shape and 6 to 10 yrs. are possible , Ps , meds are dibillitating at times , but Lorazapam ( for depression ) , allowed me to dream of eating a steak once ,

halfhearted,
Thanks for support, I am actually doing great comparitivly speaking (did I spell that right?), I was a long time smoker (2 packs a day) and have not smoked since my first heart attack on October 5th. Feeling good and am looking forward to seeing my son graduate highschool. Will keep you advised, thanks again and Thanks to Sue and EVERYBODY else for your encouraging words. GOD BLESS !!!!

nwcoaster and flbrat,
Be advised, this Texas boy has a lot of livin to do, as George Strait said, You've got to have an ace in the hole:) Thanks

Great to see you post, halfhearted. You remind me of Jim Valvano, the basketball coach who urged us all to "Never Give Up".

Hang tough, Tex.

Tex, you keep that ace in the hole. I personally had one or two up my sleeve...

Tony, did you see my emails and posts ref. you CTA and continuous Afit I posted today? Could you please take a look at them and respond. I'm having a CTA on Dec. 8 at 10 AM. Thanks Tony.

burnselk

Sorry. Just saw your emails and posts in the CTA-scan thread. I only check this site every couple of days.

I just posted a reply over on the CTA thread. After rereading your emails, I see you also asked about ablations. No I never had an ablation although I considered it. In my case, the odds of a successful ablation are low because I have an enlarged atria (5.2 cm diam.). Enlarged atria make it much easier for afib to return and so require extensive substrate restructuring in addition to the usual pulmonary vein isolation. I really didn't want to have all that scarring in my heart. In my case, it's not worth the risk or bother anyway. My afib is well tolerated.

Hope everybody has a wonderful and blessed Christmas, and may the gift of Christ from our Father be the most beloved gift of all this season. Talk to you all next year.

You too, Tex...and a happy and healthy new year!!!

Hello everyone, new to the forum and thirsty for information on my new condition.

A big thumbs up! We were just talking about seeing the Eagles, and your post prompted me to look up their tour schedule. Seems like the closest concert is in NC....hmmm....(wanna go with us, Bet?) I must say, you have THE most positive attitude....I will never feel sorry for myself again. ROCK ON!

Please let us know how he feels in the next few days.
That has to be one of the saltiest things around. I get red in the face and sweaty . I hope you did not have baked beans with it.....darn, just the thought of this is making me hungry. I really believe salt is an addiction. Here's an idea.....see if he can get used to " No Salt", if it is OK with his doctor. It really satisfies the craving. In the meantime, I am doing my therapy to strengthen my kicking leg. Just wait. LOL.

Hello everyone, I am new to this website and I am in need of some new friends that are going through similar heart health issues as myself. I have a dual lead pacemaker, and in April was diagnosed with dialated cardiomyopathy, or severe lv dysfunction aka heart failure. I honestly don't know what to call my condition lol. I am a 50 woman and I am on medication and have started a walking program, but my biggest problem to date is dealing with the anxiety and the depression. I am feeling the losses in my life and it overwhelms me some days. I can no longer work, I have changed my diet somewhat, and no drinking :( which I like to do on occasion. I guess I just need the support of someone going through similiar stuff. Would appreciate any response at all. Thanks, Jean

Hi Jean! This has become my support group!!!

My husband is 56 years old and was diagnosed on 7/15 via heart cath., with dilated cardiomyopathy, LBBB and EF is 20. On 8/4 he had a 3 lead re-markedlypacer/difribullator installed. His condition has improved re-markedly! However he still gets short of breath on exertion and gets dizzy when he bends down where his head is lower than his heart. (low diastolic bp).

He still hasn't gone back to work but is planning to return 9/13/10. Time will tell.

The way I and my husband both look at it now, (with the help of the group here), is that this device is to 'save his life' and to 'live life'.

My husband deals with depression with denial. And believe it or not, it works for him. He has and is continuing to slowly adjust to his diet. He doesn't drink so that is not a major problem.

It hasn't been quite a month since he received his ICD, but he is enjoying the fact that he can sleep all night. Doesn't pee all the time. And doesn't feel his heart beating 'all over the place'.

I don't have much experience under my belt about this stuff yet. But the rest of the people here are a wealth of information.

Like I said....they are my support group!

Welcome!

Jean, Hi!
Please do not get discouraged! Just take it easy, watch your sodium ( REALLY watch it) The walking program is great. You will start feeling better in time. Never give up! Have they adjusted your medication at all? welcome here, and keep your chin up.

Hi Jean. Six years in with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. EF fluctuates. At diagnosis it was 12%ish. It runs between 27 and 38% now. I was working but the economy put told to that. I decided to go to school for something fun. To me, that was barbering. I had a great time and will eventually test for my license. Doubt I will ever stand 8-10 hr a day to clip though. The walking program is great. I make sure to look around me outside to see all the neat things that are there for me. Animals, water, clean air. What a pleasure. In the morning I wake up and decide that this day will be a good day. I will not let depression lead me, I can always find something to smile about. My buddy Ralphie the Basset Hound is very helpful with the smiles.

how do you add friends i am new to this and want to meet new friends that can relate to me

i was born with Dextrocardia with a duble functional outlet and a single ventrical

Thank you so much for the quick replys. I am doing my best to stay positive but have had a few set backs this week. For some reason I am suffering from vertigo at night and the early morning. The Drs have given me some meds for that and hopefully it works as sleep has always been the one thing that I do well. My beta blocker has been increased and the Drs are hoping to have it doubled by November so I am hoping that I can tolerate it. I want to stay positive but some days are harder than others. Thanks for you advice.

Ms Jean, at first it all is overwhelming. But as most of us here can confirm, things get easier to cope with, and what really helped me was a very positive attitude. I agree with Ms Sue .Get rid of the salt. Walking is also good for you. Ms flbrat's way of looking at each day, right from the start is something I also practice.Hang in there and fight this thing.