Don Lyle sparky@woh.rr.com Married 28 years age 46 3 children & 6 grandchildren

Before CHF

I spent the majority of my life in the United States Air Force. Before retiring I complained many times about chest pain. Even though I had always had a problem with high blood pressure, they did treadmill tests, EKGs, echocardiograms and even a MUGA scan, all to no avail; Nothing but a clean bill of health. Still, just in case, they gave me Prilosec. I retired and with my high BP still not controlled, I took a job as a hotel manager. I lasted a little over 3 years. My BP topped out one morning at 182/122 so I took double my BP medicines while I lay in bed (and as I found out later) having a heart attack.
     The next week I went to the ER to let them know how high my BP was. After an angiogram I was told I had 2 heart attacks, two 100% blockages, a 90% blockage and a 70% blockage. A quadruple bypass was performed 4 days later.

My CHF

After the bypass surgery I attended cardiac rehab. The rehab was making me feel stronger and better until about 8 weeks in, when I started back downhill. I felt weak, fatigued, and very short of breath. I told my cardiologist that something was wrong and he didn't quite believe me. He ran test after test. My EKG was abnormal so I had a 24 hour holter monitor, which recorded over 2300 PVCs. My echo showed a 25% ejection fraction. Then they performed a cardiolyte stress test, which showed all normal except a 43% EF. The doc told me I was fine, and nothing was wrong with me. I told him I was not fine!
     He decided on a cath. Then he came to me with the bad news. The cath showed two 100% blockages and a 99.9% blockage in my bypassed arteries. The other was only 30%. He refused to do any intervention since he said it might very well kill me. I took all my test results to my original surgeon for a second opinion. He concurred and sent me for a consult to the Ohio State University Medical Center, saying that at least if I needed a transplant they could perform it there. So now I live with coronary artery disease, CHF, and diabetes type 2. My doctor is treating me with medicine and I have stabilized. I am lucky to have the VA since they have rated me at 100% disability. I am still fighting with Social Security.

My Meds

Don - August 30, 2000

All information on this site is opinion only. All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been re-written in plain English and may contain errors. No one here is a doctor. No information on this page should be used by any person to affect their medical, legal, educational, social, or psychological treatment in any way. This web site and all its pages copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Jon C.