Heart attack Harry

This is one of my newer nicknames thanks to Dan Coates, cardiac Cox is another. I remember the conversation with the new surgeon, Dr Pelletier. He came to get a consent signature for bypass surgery. Good news, chance of dying is only 1% from this procedure. The important thing was that by next paddling season I would be good to go paddling. I signed on the dotted line. My bypass surgery was on October 12th.

The first day after surgery I slept most of the day. After 3 days I got home. After 3 months my activities were unrestricted but my chest still felt different. After another month it was like nothing happened except for my memory.

One of the symptoms of a heart attack is denial. I was paddling in the Reversing Falls with my LAD artery 95% blocked. The left anterior descending artery(LAD) is known as the widow maker to medics, it supplies the left ventricle. The “chest pain” was relieved by paddling harder. I told myself it was not ischemic, something else I thought. In all of my teaching as a paramedic chest pain is supposed to increase with exertion and go away with rest. Mine went away with exertion. I later found that my
arteries dilate with exercise. I did think of going to see a doctor but I kept putting it off.

A stent was not an option because the block was at a branch. The good news was there were only 2 blockages and the surgeon could use my mammary arteries near the heart. I didn’t even know both men and women have mammary arteries. These arteries are bigger than the original coronary arteries and I even grew some new ones. I have a turboheart now. Since I have been paddling this spring I feel great and am looking at many more years of kayaking. Water levels are good now and the Reversing Falls will be ready by mid May.

I had very low risk for a heart attack. No diabetes, cholesterol OK, blood pressure OK, not obese, not a heavy drinker and non smoker. Probably some trans fat and second hand smoke in my past. Even if you reduce risk you cannot eliminate it so don’t be like me. Get chest pain checked out so you won’t miss any paddling.

HarryC