If he had been one or two minutes later, they couldnt have saved him. Really? The new baby is now 6 months old and my other children are 8, 6 and 4. For patients without heart attacks, if cholesterol is elevated, I support motivated patients efforts to lower it with lifestyle and diet changes, because that can really work. Emergency personal were there within 6 minutes and it was a 15 minute ride to the hospital, but I was in good hands! Further work up may concentrate on non cardiac causes of pain, such as GI. Thats because paramedics can begin diagnostics and Patients typically develop symptoms when an artery becomes narrowed by a blockage of 70 percent or more, says Menees. These first two steps are called. Tried calling dr office since they normally have 1/2 day hrs on Saturday, but not Christmas week. "I got kinda lucky that we found it . I woke my wife who had just had surgery so was a little out it, I told her I need to go to the hospital, she said I should just take a nap and deal with it in the morning. According to Menees, a blockage of 70% or . No dizziness, nausea, vomiting, just the pain which usually lasts about 10 seconds, goes away, then returns about 20 minutes later. Please dont ever ignore the signs that are there! 100% blockage in LAD. I guess my question is, as my family has a long history of heart related deaths, should I persevere with the scan and ignore my Cardiologists comments. While a widow-maker heart attack is particularly dangerous, its title is a misnomer; it's just as likely to be a "widower-maker." "When the term 'widow maker' is used, it perpetuates the notion that coronary disease is mostly a male disease and that is not the case," said Isserow. He got sick at fire station so he had everything available to him to help save him but it didnt work. How can you prevent a heart attack? This lower chamber pumps oxygen-rich blood to your aorta, which sends it to your body. All rights reserved. A widowmaker heart attack is a type of heart attack in which you have a full blockage in your hearts biggest artery. I felt really bad. Symptoms are similar to those of other heart attacks, and it is a medical emergency. I was rushed to the surgery room within 1/2 hour of entering the hospitalall my readings were crazy. We did it in 56 minutes. I need blood since I was post -op but my body rejected the transfusion. What if somebody said, Shut up, its not helping. Well, it probably didnt make a difference in the outcome, but it helped ME cope with a scary situation. Please Call 911 even if in ANY doubt. He told me we got there just in time or he wouldnt have been here tomorrow. Didnt find out till today. I think we all understood what she meant!!!! Learn about the many differences between heart, It's possible to see some blood pressure changes during a heart attack, but can a change in blood pressure be a warning sign for a heart attack? At age 40 I was overweight, a smoker and drinker. Working in yard and suddenly felt bad. Doctors previously referred to this as an angioplasty with a stent. All rights reserved. I also have a mitral valve prolaspe. However, my dad listened to his manager. The consequences are often catastrophic. As a result of his, he has heart damage and an enlarged heart, but is doing well. I did so many stupid things before and after my MI. I complied! Mayo Clinic Staff. I had a widow maker heart attack on 8-16-16. Then on march 15 had a 2nd stint put in. This is called an angioplasty. You have more than a 90% chance that plaque is blocking one of your arteries. pain that radiates into the legs, back, neck, or jaw, thrombolytic medicines to dissolve blood clots in the coronary arteries. A widow maker is when your husband dies before he hits the floor. Well, now Im getting ready to change my eating habits. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. A widowmaker heart attack occurs when a blockage forms at the beginning of the LAD artery, completely restricting blood flow to a large portion of the heart, including the front part, which is the workhorse for the heart. They eventually believed me when in the following February when an angiogram showed the bare metal stent was 95% blocked. He coded 4 times during 2 surgeries (2 stents), spent 4 days in ICU & had a 3rd surgery (another surgery) on day 5. I was just very very lucky to have been so close to the hospital. I was only about 200. Stayed overnight and had stent in my LAD the next day. Maybe a side effect from surgery ? Sometimes, based on the extent of damage, the heart will heal by forming scar tissue, which doesnt pump as well as healthy tissue. I heard this through a nurse when I was just in the hospital a few days ago getting stents put in the LAD. Some people may not even realize that they have had a heart attack. Sunday night into Monday morning, woke up with nausea, took tums, vomited a little, could not get comfortable. You're not a victim. Exactly one month later, I had another heart attack. >> Click to read more << The paramedics told me that I kept responding to them when they yelled at me, and could feel the chest compressions. So for about 6 months I had no sign of any trouble good cholesterol and blood sugar. By the way, my biggest concern in all of this was what it was going to cost me. 2 weeks later a full on heart attack. Its completely devastating and its hard to believe that this could happen to a seemingly healthy 38 year old and my kids have to grow up without their dad. A clot that totally blocks the LAD causes a widowmaker. Alternatively ask the initial Dr for a more reassuring explanation regarding you symptoms as they are scary to you. Open heart procedures, which represent a major portion of our volume, require cardiopulmonary bypass (heart-lung bypass machine) and are usually the most complicated and complex procedures. Some of these tests included examination of his heart. Even after the PCI has opened up the artery, the heart is at risk of electrical complications for the first few days afterward. Due to the scar tissue, he must have had a heart attack a couple years ago & not known. So if you live, God has a plan for you and if you die he didnt? It would be very out of the norm for him to have a significant lesion in an artery at the age of 23 although its possible. The appellation widow maker, which has been applied to this lesion (in part because of the large amount of myocardium that the left anterior descending artery supplies and its proximity to the distal Breathing got really hard and I told God I was not going to make it. Reading all of these stories makes it feel like it just happened yesterday and my brain is being flooded with memories I had pushed to the back or just havent thought about in awhile. I am curious. Im so very happy youre ok. You might feel it in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw, or. 2 vessel bypass surgery 16 yrs ago. Does this mean I am looking at a widowmaker? I had mild chest pains, and a stress test showed no blockage. Im still scared that i may not be so lucky next time. If you have heart issues DO NOT mess around. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. However, 10% dont make it through the first year after a heart attack. His was at the gym at the time working out with his daughter. For these, please consult a doctor (virtually or in person). My wife performed CPR until the EMTs arrived. I woke up a day later, in the ICU on a vent and on a heart pump. ( I awoke to find burns and rashes on my chest.) What are the best tests to see if one has a blockage when they are feeling well. So within 3-4 minutes of onset of heart attack we was at the ER. I said no, and he said well you are having one now. He said for whatever reason that artery never gets blocked. I am 42 years old. These factors are the best we have. I asked to be placed on Zoloft and that, along with getting back to running and meditating, has helped a lot. Outcomes after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with unprotected left main stem occlusion: The BCIS National Audit of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention 6-Year Experience. I feel pretty good, but my piece of mind has been compromised. I tried to get up only to fall down again. Stumbled upon this site after hearing my surgeon say the word widowmaker while in ICU after my heart attack. Though more limited than previous days, I still have quality of life. Heart attacks, including widow makers, usually happen because of a combination of lifestyle and genetic reasons. No wonder he keeps falling asleep in his front-room chair during the day. my husband didnt visit the doctor for 12 years. Overworked, not taking care of himself, it was a shock and just so needless. Monday am stopped by family practice office, no apt available until next day. Went to urgent care. Why Your Surgeon Should Use Arteries (Not Veins) In Your Heart Bypass. He told my mom that evening that he had heart burn and 2 minutes later he coughed deep and dropped. Last year, May 26, 2015 I had a stent placed in my LAD with 99% blockage. I woke up at 2:30am feeling uncomfortable. I told my doctor of my attacks and they did an induced stress test which came back negative. The LAD artery carries fresh blood into the heart so that the heart gets the oxygen it needs to pump properly. We was a couple blocks from the hospital and went to get some lunch. The doctors performed the cath, placed a stent in his right artery, and did the balloon angioplasty on his LAD. When something cuts off the flow, you have a heart attack. After they wait and wait and wait, the blood tests finally came back with high levels of Troponin (evidence of a heart attack). I too survived a widow maker. As the symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person, it is vital to learn as much information about them as possible. We assumed surgery but because his nuclear stress test showed good flow, his doctor put him on cholesterol meds. I have an extreme cardio vascular family history. LAD 100% blocked and a stint was placed after the treadmill stress test indicated a little elevation in BP and a Twave abnormality. The dizziness, vomiting, chest and back pressure, and sweating was happening for about 7 hours before the chest pains actually started, which was my indicator that something was terribly wrong, so we left at that point for the ER. he died 12/1/15! We went his score was a 1 mine was 132. A blockage in the LAD artery can substantially impair the hearts function. I never experienced the depression, but more questioning why I lived when so many others die. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Are older than age 50 for women and people AFAB. Sunday, Oct 4,2015 Had 1 year of intermittent very mild chest tightness with exertion and about a month of sharp electrical zapping sensation from my heart down to my legs. Dr. Kirtane: There are three major arteries of the heart that supply blood to the heart muscle. Understand your archenemy. A provider will use several tests to diagnose a widowmaker heart attack, such as: A provider will use these widowmaker heart attack treatments: You may be in the hospital for two to four days after a widowmaker heart attack. Its possible that ultimately if the lesion had become a problem he would have developed more symptoms and had the appropriate work up done. I think the bottom line is stents are a short-term fix. The next night, I had severe chest pain, sweating, vomiting, weakness, chills. . 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC, an Internet Brands company. I am only 53 and now wonder if it will affect me in my lifetime. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. I got out of the vehicle and ems arrived within minutes . Read More Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. I am now afraid of having these procedures knowing what i know now. This is similar to phentermine and how phentermine works, https://www.google.com/amp/www.climbing.com/.amp/news/luckiest-man-alive-and-the-widow-maker/, HDL Conundrum with Dr John J.P. Kastelein. Also what are the recommendations for people who live where the nearest cardiology interventionalist MD is an hour or more away, other than not to hesitate to call 911 and not attempt to self-diagnose? He timed our walk and we beat his best time. WOW. This can be done during your angioplasty. Advertising Policy Because it serves such a big portion of the heart, the LAD Again, thanks to all of the stories. Eliminating red meat and most dairy products along with a bump from Lipitor has helped keep my cholesterol below 120. I was diagnosed in 2014 of type 2 diabetes.So, my blood sugar was about 170 with medication. An invaluable resource, absolutely. Yes, he was a heavy smoker for years & the last time he smoked was the day he had his heart attack at home. "In fact, coronary disease is the epitome of an . Had cardiac cath in hospital and doctor found some blockage in the LAD (not a lot of build up; didnt need a stent or anything). Go slow into the surgery thing if at all possible. I am 100% recovered and back to working out, snowboarding and Scuba Diving. Saturday morning it happened again. Every time I talk to my cardiologist, all I hear is Just do the best you can, it could be another 6 months before you start feeling better. A widowmaker can permanently damage your heart and leave scar tissue behind. You are a doll.oops dill. Call 911 right away. A coronary artery bypass graft operation carries a risk of stroke, another heart attack or death. I am 65 years old. Learn more about managing and preventing heart disease. I was in the OR in no time. I also had the widowmaker. (one of the dumbest but best things I have ever done in my life) I was lucky to find a parking place right in front of the ER. Then 4 years ago, one of my brothers had a heart attack at the age of 58 and he has had numerous problems since then, but is still alive. They were able to get me back a 2nd time. I learned the hard way.you are what you eat! Those that live through it are truly blessed. I praise and thank God for living in a time of modern medicine and the gifted medical staff at Providence Hospital in Everett, WA. If we would have waited for the ambulance he would have died. An abnormal stress test came to be and thats when combined with being symtomatic a radial cath was done. I thought nothing of it, thought it was just something I ate. The word is stent, not stint- and the subsequent replies. Prior to that, I had minor pressure in my chest occasionally, but thought it was heartburn. I have a history of heart disease in my family. We avoid using tertiary references. I wish long lives to all the fellow members of a club that no one wants to be a part of (albeit Im only a jr. member) and thanks to Dr. Ahmed for an informative site. Does make me feel a little bit better. How rude! The most common emergency treatment for a 100 percent LAD blockage consists of the following steps: Your doctor may insert a long-term stent to prevent the artery from getting clogged again. A tiny balloon at the tip of the catheter will inflate and push through the blockage. No undue stress that I was aware of. A week before my heart attack I helped friends move heavy furniture up 3 flights of stairs. He was put in a coma (to make it easier on his heart) and was eventually ambulanced to a bigger hospital for testing. Many people can go on to life relatively normally particularly if the heart function is preserved. Worked out ate right everything. Heart, Some heart attacks are more severe than others. What do elevated cardiac enzyme levels mean? I was close enough to see the bench at the stop when I became short of breath and had to sit down on a cement car stop. They said I was lucky to be alive. WHICH IS NERVE DAMAGE.. Also a doppler was used. Very healthy lifestyle, although I had not been exercising as I should. One point I would like to make is that in the ER my cardiac enzymes did not elevate so they checked for other issues such as seizures and stroke. It Atherectomy is not better than stenting, it usually is reserved for cases when a balloon angioplasty combined with stenting, or direct stenting can no An indwelling ureteral stent is removed in one of two ways. The patient's blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent. His heart attack happened on the squash court, doing an easy drill. He recommended me to a Cardiologist. DOI: What are the risk factors for heart disease? So I schedualed an appoint with a cardio vascular Dr, went straight to him instead of my family care Dr who has ignored earlier chest pains , which went into the face. American Heart Association. What happens in a urethral stent removal? He was unable to have a stent fitted as the artery was far too small to fit a stint He is now on 5 different medication including a spray for under his tongue Sounds sill y I know but would it have been better if he could have had a stent fitted Is he likely to survive So worried. Would this make my bp low? I just had the widow maker this thanksgiving. (2001). I felt sick, out of breath and jaw pain. I was revived at roadside and taken 15 minutes drive to hospital. Was this a widow maker? I had this Widowmaker heart attack Saturday morning. All rights reserved. Others can't stop ruminating about death, and their friends and family are often baffled by it all. The good news is that if done in time, we can treat these lesions to good effect with the use of minimally invasive techniques such as stent placement (see the diagram below). Dec 29 they did a quadruple bypass, the Jan 7 they put in an ICD (implanted cardiovascular defibrillator). I had my widow maker 9 days after you. Preventative care is essential. How does someone that age not have life insurance?!! You're a survivor. Kim. (2014). This is a update on life so far after the insertion of a stint in my LAD that was 100% blocked on November 12, 2015. Heart burn? Without emergency treatment, you may not survive. That's why it's critical to get medical help immediately if you have symptoms of a heart attack. it took 15 minutes. I have been fighting this heart issue for 16 yrs. The name for this is "off-pump" or "beating heart bypass" grafting. Its also sometimes referred to as a chronic total obstruction (CTO). No one wants to be dealing with something known as a Widow Maker! I had the window maker, mine was a 99.999% blockage of the left main ventricle of my heart. I drank an Alka Seltzer to relieve the discomfort. all of a sudden i was overcome with chest pain and both arms hurt really bad. Heart attacks occur when blood clots form around plaque that builds on the walls of one or more of those arteries, blocking blood from flowing. We went to bed around 12:00 and my husband dozed off. Im 6ft and 190lbs, not overweight, nor did I eat poorly, just dont get why this happened. Dr. says come on in and lets do a treadmill stress test. Within minutes, he was in the cath lab. Are you sure it was the Widow Maker though? I just dodged a bullet. He said, well go in and see. The resulting stent Im 46 yrs old, and for about 2 months had chest pain/heart burn, went to gi dr because i thought it was heart burn, because tums made it stop hurting. I had no energy at all. This condition is known as atherosclerosis, often called the hardening of the arteries.. 4 minutes of CPR and two different rounds of being shocked they got me back, about a minute later I went pulseless again and another 2 minutes of CPR and another round of being shocked. All Rights Reserved. Woke up early with mild chest tightness, pain in left jaw, (bit my tongue) and had shoulder/upper back pain. :/. Very much have same story and Im still having chest pains and they cant find anything on EKG so they make me feel like Im just over worried but I had a heart attack two stints and Im type 2 and now they want to treat me for copd I feel like Im fighting for my life so yes I would like to join a group, I am 47 I have c.a.d of both the left main and lad, diagnosed approx 20%-30 4 years ago. My doctor said is hereditary and I need to Stay on my cholesterol medications so it wont keep happening. Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, Health Check 5 -- Assess Your Risks for 5 Health Problems, Heart attack warning signs. Was able to make my Sons graduation from college, and both Son and Daughters weddings. Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in less than one minute for common issues such as: colds and coughs, stomach symptoms, bladder infections, rashes, and more. If the electrical system of the heart is affected, you might also experience rhythm problems, Dr. Rampersad explains. There were times that were really bad, physically and mentally, and it took a long stay in a Transitional Care Unit and daily physical rehab before I could finally go home with my brother, as I cannot live alone now. These things can come out of no where with out warning. I am just curious, how much of your LAD was blocked? Some drugs for a widowmaker heart attack can cause bleeding. Diet. Pain is intense and is not relieved by 5 mg nitro. They placed two stents. This usually happened in the evening while out feeding, in the heat and humidity. This can happen with or without chest discomfort. It was blood pressure cuffs, excersize, then re checking on a machine. I guess his plan was for her to die at 42? In some cases, the clots can build up quickly and instantly cause a 100 percent blockage even if your LAD was only partially blocked. I remember I had a small episode in the morning as well, but it went away quickly. A widowmaker heart attack is a type of heart attack thats caused by a 100 percent blockage of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. Was fitted with a bare metal stent. my uncle is having severe heart attack on 30/06/2016 , and after doing coronary angiogram report it is found that out of three artery one is 100% block and another two is 99% and 80% , what treatement will be useful to survive my uncle , we very much afraid please give your kind suggestion . But the widowmaker isnt always fatal. Warning signs when an artery is blocked, and how to fix it. On July 15th I went with my husband to his work related conference for the weekend, 3 hours from home. He went quickly, and Im still in shock; however, I find comfort that he is with our Lord now. Is any blockage of the LAD considered a Widow Maker? IE 11 is not supported. I also have pneumonia and cant be with him as he is four hrs away. Ive been dieting and lost 40 pounds 7 years ago and was at a good weight for body and age. I think there is a lot to be said about vascular calcification and deposits. I simply thought I was out of shape. I had no idea what was going on, but later realized I could not make it to the phone even if I wanted to call someone. It turns out that he had heart disease (70% in one of his arteries). Dr did a CAT scan and found 70 percentage and 40 percentage in the LAD. This is a good information site. I am home now and feeling pretty good. Theyre a major pipeline for blood. I was in a coma for 4 days afterwards as they cooled my body. If your doctors find blockages in three or more coronary arteries, you may need heart surgery. It wouldnt go away so i drove to the er. My cardiologist doesnt seem concerned when I tell him about the pain but I am scared. I think he had a widow maker. Staying at a weight thats healthy for you. Once I told the Cardiologist the story, he got serious and said Im not going to give you a stress test because that wont tell me anything more than what you have already told me. He said he wanted to look inside my ateries and see what was up with my heart. I told them it was better and sent them away. for many years.
