It may to turn out to be rathet difficult to burn coal.

OUTSTANDING bb

Kind of in the same boat brother. I feel what you are going through.

I have had a pacer since I was 22. 2 years ago they put an ICD/Pacer in at UPMC Pittsburgh because my ejection fraction had dropped from 40% back when i was 22 to around 35%. Thankfully they did, on 08/31/12, after an easy deadlift workout of 315 for 5 sets of 10, I died on the couch for 14 seconds and was shocked back to life from my device.

Since then I have left UPMC and I am now a patient of Dr. Cantillon at the Cleveland Clinic: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff_dir ... orID=14034

The first thing he did was look at my numbers and say that I am only pacing at 83% due to the several hundred thousands of PVCs I have. So, we started Coreg 25 mgs twice a day and 10 mgs once a day of Lisinopril. The hope is this will reduce the PVCs and get me pacing at 98-99% which will boost my ejection fraction back up and keep me from dying again. Always a good thing. He had a female patient go from an EF of 17% and thinking it was time to put her on the transplant list to a EF of 70% and she feels great just from that regimend alone.

So far I feel better. I have a lot more energy then before, but I get winded quick from the beta-blocker. I go back mid-December. If he isnt happy with the results, he is going in and doing an ablation to stop the damage from my PVCs. We aren't talking transplant yet as my EF is still decent.

However, I have a friend who had a heart transplant and he is doing awesome: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/suc ... jim-murphy

Good luck brother.

Rwalker
...after an easy deadlift workout of 315 for 5 sets of 10...

Man! What did the doc say about that?
Glad to hear you're improving. The Clinic works miracles.
Best of luck to you.
-Len

Considering in 2007 I was routinely deadlifting over 700 and hit a 725 squat and 675 deadlift at 217 at the 07' IPA Worlds, he knew 315 was a light day.

However, he no longer wants me in the weight pit. He knows I cant just go light, I will eventually add weight to the bar since it is in my blood. Now it is yoga and walking. I have sons to live vicariously through now.

Rwalker wrote:Considering in 2007 I was routinely deadlifting over 700 and hit a 725 squat and 675 deadlift at 217 at the 07' IPA Worlds, he knew 315 was a light day.

However, he no longer wants me in the weight pit. He knows I cant just go light, I will eventually add weight to the bar since it is in my blood. Now it is yoga and walking. I have sons to live vicariously through now.

That is an awesome insperising story.

Rwalker wrote:Kind of in the same boat brother. I feel what you are going through.

I have had a pacer since I was 22. 2 years ago they put an ICD/Pacer in at UPMC Pittsburgh because my ejection fraction had dropped from 40% back when i was 22 to around 35%. Thankfully they did, on 08/31/12, after an easy deadlift workout of 315 for 5 sets of 10, I died on the couch for 14 seconds and was shocked back to life from my device.

My first ICD was put in 2005, After I had it for a couple of years "Sparky" reminded me it was there. I was carrying a couple of traffic cones at an emergency scene when it hit me three times.The ICD is doing 100% pacing. The second one was put in late 2009 and about a year later "Sparky 2" decided to bite me about ten times. on the pain scale of 1 - 10 it was a 21. Since then I haven't felt right.

Hearing about some of the health issues some of the people on the forum have I really feel grateful for me and my families health. We have definitely have had our share some serious and scarey but we have been able to work through most of them quite well. My best thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is suffering. What gets me is to hear about people who have no idea of how well they have it just by being healthy. I hope all goes well for everyone who is suffering.

BB, I personally know two guys who have had heart transplants. Both are doing great. One guy is 58 and had his about 3 years ago. He's back to work full time. The other guy is late 60's, had his about 1 year ago. He has retired but stays very active. It's is truly amazing the change in these two men since the transplants. Hang tough. I'm sure you also do great when your time comes.

The world of medicine has made great bounds in the treatment of heart conditions. Hang tough and maybe you can bring one of those cute nurses home to tend the coal fire. God Bless
Milford

Gotta love the Boston Hospitals...
We are about the same 1.5 hrs on a good day...
Been to BI, Tufts, Childrens, and The Brigham for various reasons...
Best time to Boston from The Cape...
Door to door 50 minutes...
The wife said...
Do Not Be Late For The Birth Of The Twins...
I was Not going to be late...

The last Wed of Jan, I was feeling crappy so, in the early afternoon I called my Boston doctor for advise as what I should do. The answer was "get here as soon as you can". I got to BIDMC about 5:30.

I ended up staying eight days five of which was hooked up to an I.V. diuretic and I had another heart cath. The doctors messed aroundwith my medications. one pill was one every 8 hours, now is two every 8 hours. Another was two pills twice a day is now four twice a day. and another was discontinued. I came home the following Thursday. On Tuesday I found out that I was officially put on the heart and kidney transplant list. Category 2, but at least I'm listed. Today, I got the official letter. I don't know if I'm happy I'm on the transplant list or sad because I have to be on the list.

Right now I feel like an old kitchen sponge wrung out too many times. NO salt and 1.5 quarts of fluids a day.

I get home and we get a big snow storm the next day and I'm not allowed to shovel. One of my neighbors paid to have my driveway plowed and I hired a kid to shovel out my walks and car.

beemerboy wrote:The last Wed of Jan, I was feeling crappy so, in the early afternoon I called my Boston doctor for advise as what I should do. The answer was "get here as soon as you can". I got to BIDMC about 5:30.

I ended up staying eight days five of which was hooked up to an I.V. diuretic and I had another heart cath. The doctors messed aroundwith my medications. one pill was one every 8 hours, now is two every 8 hours. Another was two pills twice a day is now four twice a day. and another was discontinued. I came home the following Thursday. On Tuesday I found out that I was officially put on the heart and kidney transplant list. Category 2, but at least I'm listed. Today, I got the official letter. I don't know if I'm happy I'm on the transplant list or sad because I have to be on the list.

Right now I feel like an old kitchen sponge wrung out too many times. NO salt and 1.5 quarts of fluids a day.

I get home and we get a big snow storm the next day and I'm not allowed to shovel. One of my neighbors paid to have my driveway plowed and I hired a kid to shovel out my walks and car.

I know a man who had a heart transplant at the age of 60 and though it was a few months of healing time he is now 65 and shovels, has a girlfriend and said he is able to do things he has not done in decades! Prayers are with you BB and i should really get on the donor list (its something i never really thought about before, but its important for all of us to do this)! Just think.... the sooner you get this done the sooner you get your life back and can move forward to relax and enjoy many more decades...

Hang in there BB, keep a positive attitude. A friend of mine had a heart transplant about 12 years ago at i'm guessing about age 40. He lives a full life, helps a lot in the community. His one boy is now a doctor at Johns Hopkins, he thinks his interest in that career was kicked off by living through his Dad's transplant when he was about 13.

BB

Hang tough , spring is commin and you should be happy about the list , its another ticket for the best ride of all. Were pullin for in this house!

Prayers,

Jeff, Shara, Grace and Trevor

Ps guys,
Maybe I could hijack the post for a minute and ask everyone to sign up for the organ/ tissue program. There are lots of folks like our friend out there.

beemerboy wrote:The last Wed of Jan, I was feeling crappy so, in the early afternoon I called my Boston doctor for advise as what I should do. The answer was "get here as soon as you can". I got to BIDMC about 5:30.

I ended up staying eight days five of which was hooked up to an I.V. diuretic and I had another heart cath. The doctors messed aroundwith my medications. one pill was one every 8 hours, now is two every 8 hours. Another was two pills twice a day is now four twice a day. and another was discontinued. I came home the following Thursday. On Tuesday I found out that I was officially put on the heart and kidney transplant list. Category 2, but at least I'm listed. Today, I got the official letter. I don't know if I'm happy I'm on the transplant list or sad because I have to be on the list.

Right now I feel like an old kitchen sponge wrung out too many times. NO salt and 1.5 quarts of fluids a day.

I get home and we get a big snow storm the next day and I'm not allowed to shovel. One of my neighbors paid to have my driveway plowed and I hired a kid to shovel out my walks and car.

Hang in there brother. We are pulling for you!