54 Random Facts About Heart Disease

Numbers & statistics have always interested me!  As a kid numbers would "stick" in my head, in fact the numbers are still there from my childhood!

•  Willie Mays wore #24 and ended up with 660 home runs!
•  When Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia 76'ers, it was in Hershey, PA!
•  Roger Staubach, quarterback for the Cowboys wore number 12 & won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 while playing for the Naval Academy!
•  When my first son Jared was born in 1978, it was on a Monday!  The Yankees & Red Sox tied for the season & were playing when Jared was born (the doctor was a Red Sox fan), Yankees won 5-4 and that night on Monday night football the Redskins beat the Cowboys 9-5

Numbers!

How about some heart Numbers?

Check out the article - 54 Random Facts About Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Cancer and stroke round out the top three.b #9.  It takes just four to six minutes after cardiac arrest before a person experiences brain death and then complete death. The survival rate outside a hospital is less than 1-2%.i #14.  People who live alone are twice as likely to have a heart attack or sudden cardiac death as those who live with a partner or roommate.b #28.  Laughing relaxes and expands blood vessels, which helps protect the heart.b Check out the other facts!  Numbers are great!!!

Predicting a Heart Attack

I have not discussed this subject in awhile - What are the symptoms of a heart attack?  The Cleveland Clinic, one of my favorite heart websites, has great information at:

Cleveland Clinic - What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

The highlights are:

•  Chest pain
•  Pain in upper chest & shoulders
•  Difficulty breathing
•  Indigestion
•  Nausea & vomiting
•  Rapid heart rate

Sometimes women have different symptoms:

•  Upper back pain
•  Jaw pain
•  Fatigue for several days

I also found a new test that has made the news at:

Science News - New Test May Predict the Possibility of a Heart Attack

This may be a break through!

Coaching and Heart Disease

It was great to be coaching again this year.  One of my first goals was to get back from my open heart surgery to coach again.  Working with young athletes and seeing the progress through the years is a great thing to experience!  In track & field it is very simple to measure improvement - the time, the height, or the distance.  And most of all, it teaches you men and women to handle adversity as well as success.

Your health is very similar.  How to you handle good and bad health?  Well, let's begin with good health. That is easy, when we have good health we usually take it for granted!  Now bad health is a different story!  We find out a lot about ourselves!  How do we handle adversity?  How do we handle our family & friends?  Are we good patients?

Jimmy Johnson, the Dallas Cowboy coach with the tons of hairspray, has battled heart issues.  He did not need open heart, but had blockage of 90% in one artery.  Fortunately, angioplasty & stunting solved the problem.  And exercise & diet after the procedures.  Take a look at the story at:

Two-Time Super Bowl-Winning Coach Jimmy Johnson Speaks Out About Heart Disease

What can Jimmy Johnson help coach you to do?  Take a look!

15 Months After Open Heart Surgery

Time does heal wounds & open heart surgery is no different!  It has now been 15 months after open heart surgery.  I have tried to give a steady report of live after open heart surgery.  What is life like 3 months out, 6 months out, etc.  Here are some observations after 15 months:

1 - Physically I sometimes feel I had open heart surgery!  My strength is back & the incisions off my surgery are almost totally healed.  My left arm (which had an artery removed from the elbow to the wrist) is fine.  The arm & hand have no numbness are work fine.  The right leg (which had an artery removed from the groin to just below my knee cap) has regained strength.  I still have slight numbness in the lower, front of the leg, just above the ankle.  The chest plate feels good.  There is a slight numbness along the incision.  I am able to do my pushups & lift almost like I did before the operation (just a little older & not the young animal I used to be!)

2 - Cardio Workouts - Here is the biggest change.  Not able to jog for a long period yet.  The heart seems strong, but the PVC's seem to be there at a heart rate of 110 & above.  My normal workouts of walking are progressing.  I am taking it slow & not rushing into heart rates of 110 & above.  Will try to push a little more this summer.

3 - Medications.

Metoprolol - 25 mg - daily

Amlodipine - 5 mg daily

Plavix - 75 mg - daily

Before surgery I was on:

Atorvastatin (Lipitor generic) - 10 mg - now 40 mg - daily

Aspirin - 81 mg

Started one month ago:

Omega 3 - Fish Oil - 1000 mg - daily

4 - Mental.  I seem to be having no issues with depression or other issues people suffer after open heart surgery.  Since my retirement I have kept busy.  Coaching, working part time, being a stay at home husband(Sue is still working, trying to keep her happy!), volunteering at church, researching family tree & history of my home town, and other projects!  The is a correlation of healing & aging.  Part of growing older is compounded by the physical issues with age!  Keep busy & keep the blood circulating!