Hope everyone is well.

bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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Been awhile, see some major changes since last visit. Really feel out of touch.

Been a long slow summer and not much has changed other than been back in the hospital twice since I last visited. The July trip was rough but I did get my 1st helicopter ride.. Then on Labor Day my wife splurged and got me 2 tickets to the Brewers/Cubs game for my son and I. Great seats right behind home plate 19 rows up from the field. Unfortunately I didn't make that game. Instead I was 20 blocks away getting my heart Roto-Rooted again. The work on my legs has been put off until after the 1st of the year too.

So I'm not looking forward to another long cold snowy winter. Really hoping they can do something with my legs over the winter and that next spring will be more promising.

Miss everyone's conversations and will try not to be such a stranger.

Kevin aka bonz_d
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Glad to see your still kicking. Dad just went thru a clot roto-rootered in his ankle so I know what you are going thru.
 

gm280

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Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
WOW bonz_d, glad to hear from you again. Sound like you should be getting frequent fliers miles now, with helicopter rides. I understand the revolving hospital doors. I wish you well and don't do anything that the doctors told you not to do. Take care of yourself so next spring you are ready to go strong again. But in the mean time, you can talk to all us on here during the winter season. :thumb:
 

garbageguy

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May 8, 2012
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1,531
Yes, things have been well , thank you. Good to have you back, hope all goes well for you. Will keep you on the good-thoughts list. Yep, I've had some plumbing re-routing, and some skull excavations, zapping, etc. Boating, and the good folks here, help put all that in the background for a while. Thank you all.
 

aspeck

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Will be praying for you, Kevin. Don't be scarce with all your free time this winter you should be visiting us daily! One day at a time is all you can do.
 

alldodge

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Good to hear from ya. That's a bummer, great tickets and seats and unable to go. Why wouldn't they open ya up? Have heard the roto and stints are easy, but by pass will fix it and your good from then on.

Had a friend of mine go through a 5-bypass, came through it ok for the most part. He never knew there was a problem until a few days of not being able to move very well. Straight to the hospital and crack the chest, pull veins from the leg.

Hang in there, were all pulling for ya
 

GA_Boater

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May 24, 2011
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49,038
Aw, Kevin - Hate hearing this. I mean missing a Cubbies game is horrible when they have a chance to go all the way!

Take care and check in when you can. We keep the light on.
 

bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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Thanks everyone. Having a hard time getting interested in the boats. Both the Alumacraft and the Sea Nymph are sitting in the same position and condition they were in back in April. Also the 1st time in my adult life that I hadn't bought a fishing license.

Two of the last three times they've gone in and didn't find or fix anything. They're believing it was a blood clot that passed thru. Saddest part is that they've shown me 4 other occlusions that are not to a point that they can do anything yet. So I know at some point there will be a return trip :blue::eek::faint2: Now the hardest part is watching what this is doing to my wife. After a month the bruises in my arms are finally gone.

Watching preseason Blackhawks hockey tonight and waiting for the MLB play-offs.
 

southkogs

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Kevin that's tough, man. Hang in there - we'll be praying for big changes for the better.
 

Pusher

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They can't prescribe tylenol to thin the blood clots or something? I'm a young guy so this isn't advice per say, but have you thought about getting a differnt doctor? Sounds like they're playing defense.

Sounds lie a very tough go. I kniw your wife appreciates your persistence though. Keep it up.
 

roscoe

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Messages
21,657
They can't prescribe tylenol to thin the blood clots or something? I'm a young guy so this isn't advice per say, but have you thought about getting a differnt doctor? .

He's a south sider, afraid to venture to the NW suburbs for that care. LOL

Seriously, hope all goes well in the coming months and they get to the bottom of the stuff thats ailing you.

Dad (82) just got his 10 year check up after his 5 by-passes, and all is well. So it can happen for you too.
 

bonz_d

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Sure wish it was that easy. Take 4 different blood meds plus an aspirin every day along with nitro for when the chest pains start. There is a blood enzyme called troponin that the body releases when ever there is a heart event. Aside from the EKG this enzyme is the 1st thing they check for. All three of these events that enzyme was elevated to the point of a suspected heart attack. Yet the found no damage.

Roscoe, I thought St Luke's was one of the best cardiac hospitals in the state. You suggesting a different one? Dr.'s how about 6 different cardiac and 2 different vascular surgeons in the past 5 years? I sure don't know what more they can do that isn't already being done.

Trust me, I have no intention of going down without a fight.
 

Tnstratofam

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2,679
The Admiral had to have a stint put in her "widowmaker" artery in Dec 2013 at 43. She was very lucky as the artery was 97% blocked. She had no signs of having a heart attack other than what she thought was bad heartburn. She had her second heart attack in april of 2015. The only indication other than some slight chest pain was her triponin levels were elevated. Thankfully there apeared to be no new damage, and her heart seemed to be fine.

The doctor called it a micro heart attack. He described it as an event that some people have after having a stint. He and her regular doctor said it may be something that happens to her from time to time. Needless to say it has been tough to deal with as anytime she has chest pains or heartburn she and I are on edge.

I being the spouse of a heart patient understand and sympathize with your wife. It is frustrating not to be able to help the person you love feel better and make the pain go away. Or to be able to take away the stress and anxiety your loved one feels with the heart issues.

We will be keeping you all in our prayers for healing of both body and spirit.

Dave and Becky
 

Pusher

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Sure wish it was that easy. Take 4 different blood meds plus an aspirin every day along with nitro for when the chest pains start. There is a blood enzyme called troponin that the body releases when ever there is a heart event. Aside from the EKG this enzyme is the 1st thing they check for. All three of these events that enzyme was elevated to the point of a suspected heart attack. Yet the found no damage.

Roscoe, I thought St Luke's was one of the best cardiac hospitals in the state. You suggesting a different one? Dr.'s how about 6 different cardiac and 2 different vascular surgeons in the past 5 years? I sure don't know what more they can do that isn't already being done.

Trust me, I have no intention of going down without a fight.

I know the helpleas feeling from the other side too. Even trying to help sometimes makes it worse.

Wow, that should be enough doctors. Some people just take the first guy's word for it but clearly you're in good hands. My wife's adoptive grandpa has had four or five bypasses or stints over the years. He's in his late 70's and is on the heavy side to boot. He's one of the last cowboys, still trucking his herd up into the cascades for summer pastures. (Some bear cubs were even eating tails off his calves this year)

I hope your procedure goes as smoothly as possible and you get back to fishing just as soon as it is safe to.
 

bonz_d

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5,274
The Admiral had to have a stint put in her "widowmaker" artery in Dec 2013 at 43. She was very lucky as the artery was 97% blocked. She had no signs of having a heart attack other than what she thought was bad heartburn. She had her second heart attack in april of 2015. The only indication other than some slight chest pain was her triponin levels were elevated. Thankfully there apeared to be no new damage, and her heart seemed to be fine.

The doctor called it a micro heart attack. He described it as an event that some people have after having a stint. He and her regular doctor said it may be something that happens to her from time to time. Needless to say it has been tough to deal with as anytime she has chest pains or heartburn she and I are on edge.

I being the spouse of a heart patient understand and sympathize with your wife. It is frustrating not to be able to help the person you love feel better and make the pain go away. Or to be able to take away the stress and anxiety your loved one feels with the heart issues.

We will be keeping you all in our prayers for healing of both body and spirit.

Dave and Becky

Thanks Dave, I know that feeling all too well. There are 2 types of heart attack. The Silent ones that will kill w/o warning and the type that are proceeded and present Angina. I am fortunate to suffer the second. It comes on as indigestion/heartburn and progresses to the pain in the left hand slowly spreading up the arm. From there it's nitro tablets and chewed baby aspirin until EMT's arrive. Of all the cardiac dr.'s I've talked to they have all told me the same thing. One cannot distinguish the difference in the pain between heartburn and angina. Feels the same.

I have experienced more of these attacks than I can remember over the past 18 years. More than ten of them. I now have 11 stents and have had 3 events were no new ones were added and as stated there are 4 more occlusions that we know off.

The attack I had back in July was the scariest of all. Which is the one which resulted n the helicopter ride. It started with me out working in the garage moving things around and becoming tired and short of breath. Came in and sat down to rest and regain myself. About an hour later the pain started. It was bad! When the EMT's arrived I was on the floor but still coherent and talking. Three different people tried but were unsuccessful in obtaining a readable BP in either arm. When I arrived at the ER it was early enough that my cardiologist was still in his office. He quickly showed up in the ER took a quick look at the EKG and 30 minutes later I was on a helicopter headed for Milwaukee.

So for all our young friends out there like Dave and I have experienced even at a young age never believe it can't or won't happen to you. I was only 44 the 1st time.

Again thank you all for the prayers and well wishes.

Kevin aka bonz_d
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Sure wish it was that easy. Take 4 different blood meds plus an aspirin every day along with nitro for when the chest pains start. There is a blood enzyme called troponin that the body releases when ever there is a heart event. Aside from the EKG this enzyme is the 1st thing they check for. All three of these events that enzyme was elevated to the point of a suspected heart attack. Yet the found no damage.

Roscoe, I thought St Luke's was one of the best cardiac hospitals in the state. You suggesting a different one? Dr.'s how about 6 different cardiac and 2 different vascular surgeons in the past 5 years? I sure don't know what more they can do that isn't already being done.

Trust me, I have no intention of going down without a fight.

Just ribbing you a bit. I grew up as a north sider. Seems there has always been some sort of rivalry between my friends -- those that lived north of the zoo, and those that lived south of the zoo, or closer to the IL line.


Nothing wrong with St Luke's. Certainly one of the best. Without a doubt one of the top transplant centers.

The fish will be waiting for you in spring.
 

bonz_d

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Messages
5,274
Just ribbing you a bit. I grew up as a north sider. Seems there has always been some sort of rivalry between my friends -- those that lived north of the zoo, and those that lived south of the zoo, or closer to the IL line.


Nothing wrong with St Luke's. Certainly one of the best. Without a doubt one of the top transplant centers.

The fish will be waiting for you in spring.

Mother was born in Butler Wi.. On a few occasions had work done over at Aurora Summit, what a palace! That cardiac surgeon just early retired to Texas. Miss him!
 

BWR1953

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Jan 23, 2009
Messages
5,802
Welcome back Bonz. Glad to hear you're up and around, even if limited. Sorry to hear about all the medical stuff. I know how hard it can be. There are several of us on this forum with serious health conditions.

For the first 3 months of this year, I was completely surprised to wake up every morning not blind or dead. Seriously. My wife said she was watching me die right before her eyes. Tore her up pretty badly.

My condition was bad enough but the meds were killing me. Literally. And those are my rheumatology doc's words! I'd gone from being a robust man of 62 years last year to a man with the body of an 82 y.o. in seriously bad condition by winter time. I required a wheelchair and couldn't even move it myself. Had to be pushed. Now I'm 63 and slowly recovering.

On one of my doc visits in January to my primary care doc, the nurse took one look at me and immediately gave me an EKG. Then when the doc came in he strongly urged me to go to the ER for treatment. All from medication side effects. But I declined and toughed it out. After having been in the hospital in late December, I learned that it simply wasn't helpful to me. The meds gave me diabetes, high blood pressure and other bad stuff, including losing several teeth and much of my hair! :eek:

By mid-June of this year I'd gotten off the two worst meds but they left me with bad side effects like losing about 70% of my strength, osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis) and Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) which is like excruciatingly bad arthritis. Feels like somebody is crunching every joint in my body with vise grips! I got off the blood pressure med in the 2nd week of September and I'm finally starting to get a little stronger and feeling more like my old self again.

As it is now, I'm more functional than I was at the beginning of the year but I am still way below my normal. Weak. And I hurt all the time. The treatment for PMR is to go back on the steroid meds and I'm just not going to do that right now. If it gets worse, then maybe. But I'm willing to stay off the drugs for a very long time if I must. Could be a year or even two before I'm back to my normal and that's if I do go back on the meds!

As I tell my friends when they ask how I'm doing... "I'm upright and above ground. And that's a good start to any day."

So hang in there, buddy and don't overdo. It takes time to heal. We know. :)
 

Pusher

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It's crazy how much I take for granted.

I'm glad you both have wives to keep you company and help with the little things (which are sometimes the big things).
 
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