Two Years After Open Heart By-Pass Surgery!!!

What an awesome two years!!!  And why?

How about a new grand-daughter!

Two weddings!!!

Going to Packers Games!!

And two AWESOME years with my gorgeous wife!!!

I'm a lucky guy!!!

Over 25,000 Page Views!

One day away from my two year open heart by-pass surgery!  At this point I have some data to share:

Over 25,000 page views

I have had many people visit my site!  Many of these people are family and friends.  While others find my blog by searching the internet for answers!  Here are some of the most viewed posts!

People from all over the world have visited my blog!  Here are the top countries!

This is amazing!!  Russia is #1?  Is this because they are interested in my discussions or are they trying to hack into my computer!!!  Hope they just want to find out more about my heart issues!!

Fantasy Football - Another Way To Love Football

As I have mentioned earlier in my blog, football has been a big part of my live - I played it in high school, I coached high school football, my sons played high school football, and I have traveled to Green Bay many times to see my favorite team play - THE PACKERS!

One other way we love football is - FANTASY FOOTBALL!  I go back to the beginning, when we drafted our team the old fashioned way - by pen & pencil & paper 0 when the draft itself lasted 4-5 hours!  Now everything is on the computer - in fact this year, in my one league I was at a musical dinner theatre with my wife & the computer drafted for me & AND THAT TEAM MADE THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

This week I am in the semi-finals against my buddy Doug - here are the match ups:

My Team                                                     Dougs Team
QB   --  Romo, Tony - Cowboys                 QB  --  Manning, Peyton - Broncos
WR  --  Johnson, Calvin - Lions                  WR  --  Green, AJ  -  Bengals
WR  --  Cobb, Randall - Packers                 WR  --  Bryant, Dez - Cowboys
RB  --  Greene, Shonn - Jets                        RB  --  Foster, Arian - Texans
TE  --  Hernandez, Aaron - Patriots             TE  --  Miller, Heath - Steelers
OP  --  Cruz, Victor - Giants                        OP  --  Forte, Matt - Bears
K    --  Vinatieri, Adam - Colts                     K   --  Tynes, Lawrence, Giants
Def -   Broncos                                             Def -- Bears

Another way to heal a heart & enjoy your favorite sport - BUT here is a coaching tip when watching games - "Do not look at the scores till after the Monday Night Football games!"  This way it is better for your heart & you can enjoy the games!!!

Amlodipine Besylate

Amlodipine Besylate

Why take it?  Here is a detailed answer:

amlodipine besylate (amlō´dipēn bes´lāt),

n brand name: Norvasc;
drug class: calcium channel blocker;
action: inhibits calcium ion influx across cell membrane during cardiac depolarization; produces relaxation of coronary vascular smooth muscle and dilates coronary arteries; decreases SA/AV node conduction;
uses: hypertension as a single agent or in combination with other antihypertensives, chronic stable angina pectoris, vasospastic angina.

Simply, decrease blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Side effects?

CNS: headache, dizziness, drowsiness, light-headedness, fatigue, weakness, lethargy

CV: peripheral edema, angina, bradycardia, hypotension, palpitations

GI: nausea, abdominal discomfort

Musculoskeletal: muscle cramps, muscle pain or inflammation

Respiratory: shortness of breath, dyspnea, wheezing

Skin: rash, pruritus, urticaria, flushing

Side effects for me?  Maybe fatigue, drowsiness.  At times I feel my normal energy level is not here anymore - but what is normal??  I do not think I have any others.

At my check up in January I will be asking if I need to keep taking this med.

A Packer Win, A Grand Daughter & A Healthy Heart

It is amazing how a few pictures from my son & daughter-in-law can brighten the morning & make me smile!  It also makes the quintuple bypass pump that blood through the body in a way only a beautiful grandchild can do!!  My little girl is sporting her Green Bay Packer PJ's after a big win Sunday!!!!


Another Green Bay Fan Begins!!!  (Or maybe a Steeler Fan - only time will tell!!!!)

Clopidogrel (Brand name: Plavix)

Clopidogrel (Brand name: Plavix)

My first heart medication I will discuss is Clopidogrel - the generic Plavix.

For more information stop at 

Clopidogrel (Brand name: Plavix)

The main reason for taking clopidogrel is to prevent blood clots.  The main side effect while taking this medication is bleeding.  I have noticed when I have a small cut it will take longer to stop bleeding.  I thing most of the other side effects are not an issue - what are they:

I found an article pertaining to the use of aspirin and clopidogrel - here is an interesting quote:

It has been recommended to use aspirin indefinitely and clopidogrel for a minimum of one month to one year following CABG. However, each patient should be evaluated independently. The platelet count will dictate the therapy, as will the survival rate, coronary stent placement, risk of GI bleed, and a history of recent myocardial infarction. Aspirin dosage (81 mg vs. 325 mg) has not been clearly established, so assess each patient separately. — Debra King, PhD, PA (163-4)

Aspirin and clopidogrel after coronary bypass surgery

Clopidogrel may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• excessive tiredness
• headache
• dizziness
• nausea
• stomach pain
• diarrhea
• nosebleed

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• hives
• rash
• itching
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• hoarseness
• black and tarry stools
• red blood in stools
• bloody vomit
• vomit that looks like coffee grounds
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• slow or difficult speech
• weakness or numbness of an arm or a leg
• vision loss
• fever
• shortness of breath
• fast heartbeat
• pale skin
• purple patches or bleeding under the skin
• confusion
• yellowing of the skin or eyes

So, I will continue taking 75 mg per day until my next doctors visit in January!

Two Years After Open Heart Bypass Surgery & Medications

I am coming up on two years after open heart by-pass surgery, quintuple by-pass!

However, the vast majority of CABG procedures, including the quintuple bypass, are scheduled in advance. This allows time for pre-surgery testingthat helps determine how many bypasses are needed, if the patient is healthy enough to tolerate the surgery, and their general state of health.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. Once the surgery begins, blood vessels are taken from another area of the body, often the leg, and grafted onto the existing heart vessel before and after the blockage. A quintuple bypass requires more vessels than any other procedure, so multiple sites, including the arm, Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA), and other vessels may be used.

Obtaining adequate vessels to use for the grafts can be one of the most challenging aspects of the procedure; if the vessels to the heart are diseased, it is likely that the vessels in other regions of the body are also affected. These vessels are then used to detour blood around the blockage on the way to the heart, with the blood literally being routed around (bypassed) the blocked portion of the vessel.

Once the vessels needed for the grafts are harvested, the chest portion of the surgery begins with a sternotomy, the incision that opens the chest and divides the sternum (breastbone) in half to allow the surgeon access to the heart. The procedure is most often performed "on pump" using acardiopulmonary bypass machine to temporarily do the work of the heart and lungs, allowing the surgeon to stop the heart and perform surgery without the constant movement of the heart beating.

Quintuple Bypass!

Here is the list of meds that I am currently using, including my meds for other medical conditions!

My heart drugs after surgery - Amlodipine, Clipidorel, & Metroprolol.

Before Surgery - Atorvastatin & Apirin

Other meds - Allergies & Asthma - Montelukast     Stomach Issues - Aciphex   & Omega 3 Fish Oil

The next few days I will research each!