Angiogram, Angioplasty. Please help very scared. UPDATE!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!

[Epoman]

Hi, a quick background I am 33 years old and have been on dialysis for 11 years. I have 2 broken hips that will not heal for the last 4 years, I have an enlarged heart, I have had my Thyroid, and Parathyroids removed (My left vocal cord was damaged during that procedure), and recently I have gone to the ER for chest pain. My cardiologist wants me to go to get a Angiogram and just bypass the Chemical stress test since it is not as accurate as an Angio.
I have been reading some horror stories on other sites about people and "Stents".
I have a 8 year old son I want to see go off to college. I am so scared of what's going to happen to me. If anyone has any advice for me please reply.

I know most of you are young people who do not have health problems but maybe your mom, dad, grandparents have had the procedure.

UPDATE:

Well I just got back from my angiogram and it was a PIECE OF CAKE and the GREAT news is my Heart looks great NO BLOCKAGES, The doctor said people would kill to have arteries like mine. The was 1 artery with 20% blockage but he said they don't put in stents unless there is a 70% or more blockage. Plus he said 20% is normal. I have a great heart he said. WOOHOO!!!!!! But now the question is what causing my chest pain?

As for the angio there was NO pain, you feel nothing except a little prick when they numb you, took about 30 minutes. The worst part was lying completely still for 4 hours afterwards untill the bleeding stops. But I was so scared for nothing. I'm so happy that my heart is fine. YEA!!!!!! ME!!!!!!

 

[Kipper]

Have you checked out WebMD? Excellent resource - I've found some good information on there.

If your local library has access to Infotrac you may be able to find more sources on there as well.

Good luck.

 

[shimsham]

its been a while, but i think plasty is where they insert tubes into your arteries and inflate them to open the artery up to remedy blockages. my father and a friend had that done, and they came through fairly easily.

again, im not 100% sure on the exact name, but they handled it without too much trouble.

 

[notfred]

I don't even know what it is exactly.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: shimsham
its been a while, but i think plasty is where they insert tubes into your arteries and inflate them to open the artery up to remedy blockages. my father and a friend had that done, and they came through fairly easily.

again, im not 100% sure on the exact name, but they handled it without too much trouble.

You are correct. Angiograms tells them the problem, AngioPlasty helps fix the problem as you described.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: notfred
I don't even know what it is exactly.

See post above yours.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: Kipper
Have you checked out WebMD? Excellent resource - I've found some good information on there.

If your local library has access to Infotrac you may be able to find more sources on there as well.

Good luck.

Yeah, I've checked out tons of sites and because of that I am more scared than EVAR!

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: shimsham
its been a while, but i think plasty is where they insert tubes into your arteries and inflate them to open the artery up to remedy blockages. my father and a friend had that done, and they came through fairly easily.

again, im not 100% sure on the exact name, but they handled it without too much trouble.

I've also heard nothing but amazing success stories regarding stents, though YMMV.

Best wishes!

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Epoman

Originally posted by: shimsham
its been a while, but i think plasty is where they insert tubes into your arteries and inflate them to open the artery up to remedy blockages. my father and a friend had that done, and they came through fairly easily.

again, im not 100% sure on the exact name, but they handled it without too much trouble.

You are correct. Angiograms tells them the problem, AngioPlasty helps fix the problem as you described.

while it was no means described to us a "simple" operation, it didnt seem like it was anything too major. he was parapalegic also, so that added a little more risk/complications to the procedure.

the friend that had it done, that was about a year ago. he was in his mid-40s. it was the same for him. sore for a while, and then better.

no matter how simple something is, theres always a tinge of fear that it wont go smoothly. just try to keep your spirits up, and youll feel better. good luck and keep us updated.

 

[bernse]

Whatever happens, the best of luck. Sounds like you've been through a lot and deserve a break.

 

[Joemonkey]

dialysis huh? I'm the kinda guy who would give a kidney to a complete stranger, blood type is O+

 

[ThePresence]

My dad had an angioplasty a few years ago, had a stent put in. He was in the hospital for a few days and he's been just fine since then. He just takes alot of medication.

 

[vailr]

The thyroid gland is very important in keeping heart arteries in good health. You don't say why the thyroid was "removed"; but make sure to keep proper blood levels of thyroxin, via oral replacement therapy.
As for an angiogram/angioplasty: it's shouldn't be that eventful or traumatic, (at least compared with open-heart surgery, for example) and may well improve your overall health. Just be sure that whatever cardiologist you choose, has plenty of prior experience doing the procedure.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: feralkid

Originally posted by: shimsham
its been a while, but i think plasty is where they insert tubes into your arteries and inflate them to open the artery up to remedy blockages. my father and a friend had that done, and they came through fairly easily.

again, im not 100% sure on the exact name, but they handled it without too much trouble.

I've also heard nothing but amazing success stories regarding stents, though YMMV.

Best wishes!

:thumbsup:

Thanks.

 

[kinev]

Relatively benign procedure that can and often has tremendous results. I guess from reading you know what it is. It's normal to be scared, but an angioplasty is not nearly as bad as a bypass. What's really neat is when you get a post-op from an angioplasty that says a vessel was 95% occluded, but was reduced to 10. Cool stuff.

 

[Pliablemoose]

The only suggestion I have is to have it done at a busy facility, angiograms are one of those art/science items, you want someone with lots & lots of practice.

Best of luck, and have you heard anything about how successful the fresh cadaver kidney transplants are? IIRC, there was a recent study strongly recommending them.

 

[Wag]

Angiogram sticks the camera up there, while it's there they can either decide to inflate the balloon (plasty) and/or add a stent. If you need it you need it. It's certainly much more non-invasive then a bypass.

I recently had two stress tests (normal and radioactive) and then an echo, and everything turned out OK. For some reason in the last few months I developed very high blood pressure for no apparent reason. I'm 36.

So I will have to cut down on salts, and probably be on BP meds for the rest of my life.

You are young and will probably live a long time. Some of us are just more prone to stress/medical problems than others.

 

[Doggiedog]

I'm no expert by any means but my boss who is 35 has a stent. He had some heart complications from a botched surgery and needed to get a stent. Unfortunately, his is a first generation uncoated stent which means it may need to get replaced sometime down the line. I believe the new modern stents are coated and much safer than the one he has. He used to be pretty active but he's slowed down quite a bit since he had the stent implanted.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Wag
Angiogram sticks the camera up there, while it's there they can either decide to inflate the balloon (plasty) and/or add a stent. If you need it you need it. It's certainly much more non-invasive then a bypass.

I recently had two stress tests (normal and radioactive) and then an echo, and everything turned out OK. For some reason in the last few months I developed very high blood pressure for no apparent reason. I'm 36.

So I will have to cut down on salts, and probably be on BP meds for the rest of my life.

You are young and will probably live a long time. Some of us are just more prone to stress/medical problems than others.

You need to buy this book, I was diagnosed with HTN in my early 20's, the doctor prescribed this book, it really helped, and I have stayed off BP meds. I figure I have another 10 years before I have to take them & I'm 45 now...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de...380006766/103-4233554-5578214?v=glance

 

[Wag]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
You need to buy this book, I was diagnosed with HTN in my early 20's, the doctor prescribed this book, it really helped, and I have stayed off BP meds. I figure I have another 10 years before I have to take them & I'm 45 now...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de...380006766/103-4233554-5578214?v=glance

I already meditate every day, practice mindfulness every day, etc. As the OP mentioned, many of us have other medical problems that get in the way of vigorous aerobic exercise, which will help lower BP. On top of that I take meds for these other problems.

I saw the cardiologist today and he said I took so many meds it was hard to know if any of them played into my problems.

 

[newParadigm]

sux man, ill keep u in my preayers

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
dialysis huh? I'm the kinda guy who would give a kidney to a complete stranger, blood type is O+

Well I am O+ too. But that is a bold statement to make. I do not doubt you on your integrity it's just a bold statement to make.

BTW I live in California

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: vailr
The thyroid gland is very important in keeping heart arteries in good health. You don't say why the thyroid was "removed"; but make sure to keep proper blood levels of thyroxin, via oral replacement therapy.
As for an angiogram/angioplasty: it's shouldn't be that eventful or traumatic, (at least compared with open-heart surgery, for example) and may well improve your overall health. Just be sure that whatever cardiologist you choose, has plenty of prior experience doing the procedure.

They did surgery to remove my Parathyroids to stop my bone loss (the calcium was being pulled from my bones) When they did the surgery they found lumps on my thyroid which turned out to be Cancer. So they removed thyroid as well.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
The only suggestion I have is to have it done at a busy facility, angiograms are one of those art/science items, you want someone with lots & lots of practice.

Best of luck, and have you heard anything about how successful the fresh cadaver kidney transplants are? IIRC, there was a recent study strongly recommending them.

Yeah the place I will have it done at is pretty busy, And they do alot of them.

I've read quite abit about Transplants. And I think it might be too late for me. I already lost my bones, Hearts already enlarged. etc etc. and a transplant is not a cure just a treatment.

 

[rahvin]

I had a cerebral angiogram 3 years ago. Not a big deal although your thigh is gonna be major sore after they are done. Given your kidney failure I'm sure they will keep you hospitalized for a week or so to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't rupture your sutures. Good luck. :beer: