Home from hospital -no blockage BUT

Well just like the story of my life I was given some good news and some bad news about my heart. The angiogram showed that there was no blockage in my heart or around it, not even a trace of blockage. Now the bad news. From all the years of being morbidly obese it has taken it’s toll on my heart, my heart even shows signs of a heart attack at some time. Bottom line is my heart is only pumping at 33% efficiently, and it should be at 55%. They said it is like stretching a rubber band over and over and eventually it won’t go back to it’s normal size. They put me on Coreg, Lisinopril, and Spironolactone to try and get my heart pumping back up to 55%. Now here is the kicker if the medications don’t get my heart pumping to 55% in 90 days I will have to have a heart defibrillator implanted. They started me on the meds in the hospital but each time they give them to me my blood pressure drops dangerously low, so I am on the lowest dosage they have and I have to keep a very close eye on my blood pressure. The one good thing out of this all is that at least it is not bad enough to keep me from getting my hernia and skin removal surgery on Feb 14.  So now it will be a wait and see thing for the next 90 days. Thanks guys for all your support. Alan

Al, I wish you all the best and may you get nothing but good news.  I read an article that described a new procedure where they put this restrictive netting-like material  around the heart to help improve its pumping effeciency.  I don't know if it works in your case, but they are always coming up with new procedures.  Keep your chin up and take good care of yourself. Lou

Alan......glad there is no blockage and sorry about the heart only pumping at 33% efficiently.  It must be tough to take when you have worked so hard to get yourself into shape.  And man have you done a great job of getting into shape.  Any other person would probably be flat on their back or even worse if this had happened to them.  I will continue to pray for you and all our thoughts are with you.

Hey Brother Al don;t count out modern medicine...and best of luck on your big valentines russ

Al, Sorry to hear about the enlarged heart. "Left ventricular hypertrophy?" or right? Or both? Like others have said, Don’t count-out the extreme progress that the Medical community Has made in Cardiac care. Some amazing things are done routinely now every day, That just 10 years ago would have seemed "Sci-Fi."

Getting that ejection fraction up from 33% to 50% will make you feel WAY Better! When I had my open heart work to get mine up from 20 to 60, I felt Instantly Super over night! That "50%" is way better than you might think…. Some info…. "An ejection fraction (EF) is one of the measurements used by physicians to assess how well a patient’s heart is functioning. "Ejection" refers to the amount of blood that is pumped out of the heart’s main pumping chamber during each heartbeat. "Fraction" refers to the fact that, even in a heart, some blood always remains within this chamber after each heartbeat. Therefore an ejection fraction is a percentage of the blood within the chamber that is pumped out with every heartbeat. An EF of 55 to 75 percent is considered normal."

Hope you get some amazing improvements soon. Keep those Spirits Up! Valentines Day (this year) Will really be all ‘Hearts & Joy!’ Keep us posted, Have the Greatest! (Keeping you in my thoughts & Prayers.)

Best Wishes- Dx

Hey Alan, tough news.  I am in the very same boat.  So many things you shared are me.  At about # 282 I had the heart study.  My heart was beating at 35%.  They said I had the start of congestive heart failure (which I still may have).  They tried putting me on Coreg, but I hated it (blood pressure drop and no energy)  If you can stay on it, it does help.  I had the RNY.  After I dropped alot of pounds they did another test.  My heart was beating at 50% of normal.  Then a few months about 45% of normal.  With me they wanted to put in the defibrillator.  I chose to not have it done.  I believe my heart is in a normal range now.  I too had a heart attack and a double bypass.  My cardologist said my heart may be at a fairly normal rate now.  Before it sounded really discouraging.  My only piece of wisdom I would present to you it to use the tool and maybe drop some more weight.  Was this 250 goal yours or your doctors.  If you lost another 40-60 pounds you might find your heart will work easier.  Again I am no doctor, but it may not hurt to go lower.  My heart was the reason why I had RNY.  Feel free to PM me if you would like to pick each others brains.  Brian

Total bummer that the blood's not pumping like it should be, but it's good to know they've figured out what was causing your issues.  Even if it drives you totally bonkers, resist the urge to over do it!  You've achieved amazing things -- so kick back and coasting for awhile.  The gym will be there when you're heart healthy and healed from your plastics. Prayers coming your way asking that the meds do the trick! CF