Need urgent advice -Heart

[MommC]

Good Luck Ladybird.......
I had my stent put in in Canada and actually enjoyed the experience. It was great watching the procedure on the telly and I could follow quite clearly the process.
Just relax, take deep slow breaths and think positive thoughts!
If you were staying here I too would recommend Cedimat....impressive place and PapaTony (who was an EMT for years) was more than impressed with the facilities- top notch!!

Here is the info from Peter as given to me in 2003:

"DR contact for a good guy is: Dr. Angel B. Contreras in Santo Domingo. Telephone: Offices (Spanish speak) Mananas: 688 0011
Tardes: 567 1529

His e-mail address is: abcontreras@codetel.net.do
He is of Dominican origin, holds a US passport, speaks perfect English, trained in both the USA and Spain.
Angel does not carry out the procedures but teams up with another English speaking Dr. Pedro Urena and they operate out of a medical suite in the CEDIMAT building in Plaza de la Salud in SD.
Procedures are expensive here if you have stents fitted - about US$2,000 to $3,000 each stent but all the other stuff is far cheaper than elsewhere! Modern equipment and modern stents, good care and as good as you'll find anywhere!"

Just in case anyone else needs it.

We'll be thinking of you and praying all goes well! Come home soon !

 

[Ladybird]

Thanks so much MC, your info has given me great relief, I thought Id be given a g.a. but if you were awake obviously I dont need one. This is the biggest danger for me as Ive had a P.E. and 2 years ago a hematoma (Is that spelling correct?) on the brain (Once a clotter always a clotter eh? )but your info has greatly helped. Im off tomorrow with great pain in my heart - the emotional pain is far worse than the medical one, I have to leave behind my love and my son and Im so scared I wont be back. Im so very very sad MC.

The help Ive had on here has been so appreciated. If Robert hadnt given me the final push to go back to the UK and buy his marmite!! I would have buried my head in the sand.

Andy had his stent done with DR Urena and said hes excellent. He explained that they can only do 2 stents at a time so I'll need 2 ops.

Anyone any idea how long it will be before I can fly after the ops? taking into account the clotting risk - thats the important thing for me - how quick I can come back.

Thank you all so much for your advice and kindness.

Barbara

 

[Chip00]

Thanks so much MC, your info has given me great relief, I thought Id be given a g.a. but if you were awake obviously I dont need one. This is the biggest danger for me as Ive had a P.E. and 2 years ago a hematoma (Is that spelling correct?) on the brain (Once a clotter always a clotter eh? )but your info has greatly helped. Im off tomorrow with great pain in my heart - the emotional pain is far worse than the medical one, I have to leave behind my love and my son and Im so scared I wont be back. Im so very very sad MC.

The help Ive had on here has been so appreciated. If Robert hadnt given me the final push to go back to the UK and buy his marmite!! I would have buried my head in the sand.

Andy had his stent done with DR Urena and said hes excellent. He explained that they can only do 2 stents at a time so I'll need 2 ops.

Anyone any idea how long it will be before I can fly after the ops? taking into account the clotting risk - thats the important thing for me - how quick I can come back.

Thank you all so much for your advice and kindness.

Barbara

Que vaya con Dios - ne te apure - y regrese sana pronto!

 

[Tuan]

Two stents and two angioplasties done by Pedro Ure?a in Cedimat, Plaza de Salud. I second the hearty recommendations already given here. Very competent, very modern facility, AND 3 to TWELVE times cheaper than in the U.S. if you have no insurance.

 

[Ladybird]

Muchas gracias Chip. Ive just had great news. Ive just received an email from the surgeon in UK and everything is ready for my admission. That is another blessing because in the UK the waiting lists are very long for cardiac care as we dont pay for our healthcare in the UK as such, hence long waiting lists.

I feel the presence of my Guardian Angel.

 

[MommC]

Ladybird....if they don't put you on an anti-coagulant, take a 325 mg aspirin (Bayer- acetacylic acid -not acetaminophen) daily and start taking niacin (good old Vitamin B3). The niacin will help 'clear' the cholesterol from your blood (and veins) thus reducing the plaque build-up. Yes you'll have a niacin 'flush' similar to a hot flash (as if we women didn't have enough of those to deal with!!). Start with 250 mg. three times a day and gradually increase to 2 1/2 -3 gm per day or until your cholesterol level is at 2-2.5 (Canadian measure or 150 mg/l American measure).

You should be able to fly within days after the procedure especially if you are taking an anit-coagulant like Plavix but ask the Doc and he'll give you precise information.
Good luck.....come back soon!

 

[Andy B]

Niacin is marketed under the name of NiaSpan. This is commonly perscribed for stent patients and I'm currently taking 1,000mg per day. Even though I take 500mg twice a day, HOT FLASHES,...man let me tell you! I now know what you ladies go through when you hit the "change."
All they give you is a mild sedative to relax you. I was awake both times chatting with Pedro and watching him manipulate the catheter on the TV monitor. I had to have a second catheterization done 3 weeks after the stent was implanted to double check everything including an artery on the back side of my heart because I continued to have angina. It eventually went mostly away 4 to 5 months later. I still have it once in a while.

 

[Ladybird]

MC and Andy

The niacin sounds good, I dont get on well with statins or plavix. My cholesterol is 9.6. Im a heparin junkie (joke) I mean that I always feel great when they put me on heparin, but as you know you cant be on this rat poison or the other, warfarin for long.

Do they do this procedure by putting it in through your thigh as they did the angiogram?

 

[Andy B]

The procedure is the same. The catheter is inserted into the main artery that passes on one side of your groin, down the thigh and your leg. It is threaded some 3 feet back up the artery, enters the heart at the aorta bundle and is threaded to the site of the blockage. The doc is watching the tip of the catheter on the tv and he rotates it to navigate into the affected artery. Throughout this you only feel a little pressure in your groin where the catheter is inserted. They give you a local anesthetic at the site of the small incision made into the artery.
If you can't take statins you might want to do a search for some natural remedies for high cholesterol. I saw an ad for a natural medicine on TV the other night, Colstra or something like that and it seems to lower the bad cholestrol 15-18%.

 

[MommC]

Niacin will lower your cholesterol......

If you can buy on-line look for a niacin called Enduracin. It is a timed release niacin that limits the 'flush' (which really isn't as bad as a hot flash-at least it isn't as bad as mine are) however you must also take some 'regular' niacin to get the full benefit of this vitamin.
I would recommend the book " The New 8 week Cholesterol Cure" by Robert Kowalchuk (I think that's the authors name but the title is correct) for ANYONE who needs to raise their good cholesterol and lower their bad cholesterol and triglycerides.
My cardiologist put me on the Dr.Dean Ornish program and it was a bitch to follow (but VERY good training) and while it did bring my cholesterol levels to where he wanted them I found the 8 Week 'cure' much easier to follow and the results are the same.
I too had problems with the statins but on the '8 week cure' my levels dropped so low that I was able to discontinue the statins, back off the amount of niacin I take and "cheat" on the diet more (no wonder I've gained back some weight!!).
I have my cholesterol checked every three months and adjust my niacin intake to maintain the level that I need to be at.
I "ACED" all my last tests (echo,bloodwork,stress tests) and don't even carry the nitro anymore (I never had angina anyway...).
So get your plumbing unclogged then keep it that way.....with niacin!!

 

[Ladybird]

Thank you Andy and MC this info is really helpful. I'll let you know how it goes

 

[Lambada]

Red rice yeast, a natural product, the Chinese have been using it for some 2000 years. I've only been using it for 8 but it lowered triglycerides amazingly and also lowered bad cholesterol.

 

[Ladybird]

Lambada

Can you buy it here?

 

[Lambada]

Yes you can.

 

[MommC]

Red rice yeast contains the natural compound that is also found in the statin drug Mevacore. Yes it does lower LDL and triglycerides......however it can also cause liver enzymes to rise just like the patented drug so if using it you should have your liver enzymes checked at least every six months....(a word from an amatuer herbalist! )