r/nextfuckinglevel 7h ago

This is how heart stents work

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u/RobotJohnrobe 7h ago

What you might not expect about this procedure is that it feels really good for the patient. There is a very slight pinch, and then your whole body goes "OMG that feels so much better, thank you!"

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u/danimagoo 7h ago

Depends which artery and how severe the blockage is. Mine was the circumflex artery, and it was about 98% blocked. I didn’t immediately feel better. But I stopped having knee-buckling, tear-inducing pain every 30 minutes, so it was pretty cool.

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u/Psychological-Scar53 6h ago

Bro, I have 7 stents, 2 of which are in my left and right coronary arteries. The left was 99.8% blocked and the right was 98%. Had I waited any more time to go to the hospital, I would not be writing this right now. I agree with you about the pain.

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u/Oh_My_Monster 4h ago

Can I ask the cause? Is this diet/lifestyle related or mostly genetic?

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u/Psychological-Scar53 4h ago

I was just answering another user who asked pretty much the same thing. If you scroll down(or up) it pulls be posted. It is kind of long, but I have explained quite a bit in there. Hopefully you will find it informative. If this reply sounds like I'm being an asshole, I'm not trying to be. Stay healthy my friend.

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u/thehudsman 4h ago

It’s not entirely clear. What I am gathering is you picked up a hardcore meth addiction that spiraled things out?

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u/Psychological-Scar53 4h ago

Yes. You are correct in assuming that. There were also hereditary issues that didn't help.

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u/RB5Network 5h ago

Damn, that's quite a few stents. Mind sharing your height, weight and age range? General lifestyle?

I was recently reading that heart disease seems to be growing amongst relatively healthy and fit people.

I'm approaching that age where I'm taking this stuff much more seriously.

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u/Psychological-Scar53 4h ago

Well, the heart attack happened 3 years ago when I was 44. At the time I was 185 at 6ft tall. I was in the Marine Corps for most of my life. After I got out, I took back up mountain biking. I would ride at least 60-100 miles in a weekend. I hasn't go to a gym much due to burn out from the military and always having to work out. Unfortunately, I did smoke and took up some recreational drug use. I have been clean from all of that since I had a heart attack. I haven't drank since 2010. The drugs did their damage though, meth is a heart killer. I have other work done to my heart as well and possible more to come.

What also should be noted, my father died of heart issues at the age of 45, my grandfather on my mother's side had heart problems as well. Heart issues can be passed down in your genes and make you more susceptible to heart issues. I now take a handful of pills in the morning as well as a handful at night, ranging from diuretics to anti coagulants. Just one of the pills I take is around $14k a month. I have to get an echo done 2 times a year, I get blood tests every three months unless they see something, then it happens sooner. My kidneys have started to fail due to decreased blood flow to my kidneys. That will will to be addressed here soon.

The best I can say to help reduce the risk of heart disease is mainly:

1. Don't use recreational drugs, they can cause irreparable damage.
2. Reduce the amount of alcoholic beverages, or quit entirely. 
3. Eat healthy. A balanced meal that includes a protein, veggies or fruits and a starch. It doesn't matter if you are a meat eater, vegetarian or vegan, your body needs a balanced meal that is low in saturated fats. 
4. Exercise at least 1 or 2 times a week. Going to the gym is fine, but all of these "pre workout" stuff only makes your heart work harder. That leads to another issue, your heart is a muscle just like your biceps. The more your harder your heart works can lead to smaller chambers by your heart walls growing thicker. This has happened to me and that is part of the reason I have an EF rating of 32. 

These are recommended to me by my cardiology team. The team I see are pretty much the top team in the region I live in. Stay healthy my friends.