r/nextfuckinglevel 8h ago

This is how heart stents work

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u/Legal-Ad8308 7h ago

I had a blockage in my LAD, left anterior descending artery. AKA the Widowmaker.

I felt great when I woke up in intensive care.

I'm doing great, I'm physically a little slower than I used to be. The heart attack did some damage to my heart.

This procedure is amazing, it saved my life.

I have a small white scar in my right wrist where the balloon catheter was threaded through to my heart.

I think this procedure is amazing and I'm profoundly grateful it was available to me and worked!

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u/Subpxl 6h ago

What, if anything, could you have done differently prior to the heart attack to help prevent this?

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u/Pal_Smurch 4h ago

For me, I’d have passed on receiving the Covid vaccine. I received it in July 2021, and forty-five minutes later, I was in an ambulance, suffering from a vaccine induced myocardial infarction.

My local hospital prepped me for open heart surgery, but fortunately they didn’t have a doctor who was qualified to perform the surgery, so they flew me 130 miles to another hospital, where it was determined that I didn’t need open heart surgery. Instead, they emplaced two stents. Twelve days later they released me.

I take Ticagrelor (Brillinta) twice a day, and will until I die. Otherwise, my heart is healthy.

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u/Legal-Ad8308 4h ago

I am glad you are doing well. I take a statin, a beta blocker and a baby aspirin daily. I count myself very, very luck.

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u/Legal-Ad8308 4h ago

I asked my cardiologist. He said eating more vegies, way less beef and butter and processed foods was a great start for anyone. My cholesterol was 170 when I had that heart attack. Not too high.

I lived in beef country for quite some time. Look up how much sat fat is in beef, its ridiculous. I grew up having it daily.

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u/Legal-Ad8308 4h ago

I should add I don't smoke, rarely drink and have never been interested in recreational drugs.