The Smoking Heart !!

[SD2026]

4 hours ago, Stewbum said:

Thanks for the replies.

I am through with being poked and prodded for the day. I am in my "shared" room the only one available. This guy won't shut up,,, sorry.

There are tests scheduled for tomorrow which are just an echocardiogram and a few scans. 

The angiogram is scheduled for Monday morning.

 

Reci.

With all that is going on its a little hard for the craving's of nicotine to find a place to work too hard on me. Plus the added benefit that the hospital no longer has a cigarette machine.   My guard is up and my resolve strong.

 

KTQ

Stew.

 

I hope the tests scheduled for  today goes well and the angiogram on Monday morning!  

Yes I remember cigarette machines!! 

[Stewbum]

5 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

Hey Stewpot 

Hope all goes well 

Thinking  of you

Thank you Doreen.

[Paul723]

Good luck Stew.

[Stewbum]

1 minute ago, Paul723 said:

Good luck Stew.

Thank you Paul.

Happened to get the right Doc for the procedure which is making this a little less stressful.

[Minnie Mouse]

Best Wishes for a positive outcome.  AND no more smoking ... EVER!  My reach is far and wide and I have a bat if needed .  You got this.

[Stewbum]

Just now, Minnie Mouse said:

Best Wishes for a positive outcome.  AND no more smoking ... EVER!  My reach is far and wide and I have a bat if needed .  You got this.

[Stewbum]

Thanks Minnie.

 

The bat would probably just break on my hard head , but Jill had some luck with the harpoon I gave her. >>>>>>------------------------>>.

 

KTQ Stew.

[Pilgrim]

Looks like you didn't quit a moment too soon, Stewbum! Here's a big F U to the Nicodemon!

 

Wishing you the best!

[johnny5]

Good luck Stew, wishing you the best.

[Stewbum]

1 hour ago, johnny5 said:

Good luck Stew, wishing you the best.

Thanks Johnny I need all the luck and wishes available.

[Stewbum]

Still waiting to be moved to the cath lab for the angiogram.

The echocardiogram presented some issues that is slowing things up?

 

This does mean I get to play Chicks With Sticks for a bit.

Edited June 8 by Stewbum

[catlover]

Hope everything go’s well for you Stew,  so glad you aren’t smoking, I guess this really is saying Fck that Sht, Stay determined to quit.

All the best to you, I’m thinking of you.

[Stewbum]

Got that right cat.

[Stewbum]

Ok, left my room at 2:00 back in a critical care room at 9:00 with 2 new stents. .  After the initial entry and with a mild sedative, I watched the entire procedure in real time on the huge screen at my left side.

So it was very close, the left Circumflex artery was blocked in 2 places. I don't know if it was total or what percentage yet, the doc will visit in the morning.  I do know when he would squirt the dye in, part of this artery would show sometimes for a split second and then just disappear. 

Spent 3 hours in the recovery room dealing with the artery closure brace that is pressurized to stop the blood flow and give the entry wound time to clot. This is slowly deflated over time.

Maybe out of critical care tomorrow or Wednesday depending on a few dangers inherent to this procedure.

Dodged a big bullet

 

Thank everyone for your wonderful prayers and concerns.

 

I am extremely happy to be able to say....

KTQ!

 Stew.

 

 

[SD2026]

WOW You really did dodge a big bullet!! I'm so pleased the procedure went well although it must have been strange watching it on a screen! 

I hope you get plenty of rest and are out of critical care as soon as possible.   You come across as strong willed so I'm pretty sure you'll be much stronger when you fully recover. 

 

Take care and lots of healing vibes going your way!

 

 

[Stewbum]

SD love those healing vibes, thank you.

 

KTQ

Stew.

[Stewbum]

Doc just left me with some pretty bad news. Prepare for bypass surgery in my future. 

That artery was 90%+ blocked in multiple areas that he covered with the 2 stents.

 

Stay off nicotine, diet and more cardio type exercise will slow the progress.

This is what my plans already were as long as I could exercise, and without the stents any exertion was impossible without nitro.

 

So in other words, get responsible for your actions and Grow Up before you can't.

 

KTQ 

Stew.

 

 

[Doreensfree]

I’m sorry you were given this news today 

Keeping this Quit is now very important No No more slips 

Wishing you a quick recovery 

[Minnie Mouse]

Sorry for the bad news.  I'm a "glass half full" person.  Hard incentives or wake up events can become great positives.  You know exactly where you & your health stand and what you need to do for yourself going forward.  And it's all doable ... especially the no smoking part now.  Don't be so hard on yourself.  We all knew the risks of smoking (or we were living in a hole someplace) but the pull of nicotine addiction (or any addiction for that matter) is strong.  You got this.

 

(I''ll put my bat back in the closet.  You really didn't need to go to this personal extreme to prove you meant it when you said you would not smoke.  I really would have believed you.   )

 

Rest - Recover - Rest 

[johnny5]

Sorry to hear this news, Stew, but you know it is very important to keep the quit at this point.  You can do this once and for all.

[Reciprocity]

Sucks to get that kind of news but it does add even more motivation to live as clean as possible; staying off the smokes will go a long way to keeping you off the table again for as long as possible. Onward & upward Stew

[DenaliBlues]

Yikes! Scary stuff @Stewbum. Glad that intervention was timely and that you’re here with us to tell the tale. Take good care! KTQ! 

Edited June 10 by DenaliBlues

[SD2026]

I'm sorry it wasn't the news we had hoped for and it will certainly give you more motivation to stay quit, hard as it can be you've got the support of everyone here to help you along the way! Stay strong! 

[Stewbum]

Came home from the hospital last night and was attacked by some cravings. It's so screwed up! To this point my quit has been fairly easy going. I understand I am just through Heck week, but right after all of these life changing events and to even think of smoking HUH? 

The cravings kept coming back. WTF.

I am safe and through it for now but just Dam. I clearly saw myself smoking and know what the pain would be like in my chest, and that JUST THE ONE could JUST KILL ME.

That is romancing this addiction, even when death is at your door!!!

 

I believe the ride home in my wife's car, even though it doesn't smell and we didn't smoke in our house or vehicles, just being confined there must have been a scent that set it off?

My wife still smokes but not at home or anywhere around. She covers the smell well. She doesn't leave to smoke but the knowledge is surely dangerous. The same as the last quit she will at some point become complacent that I am quit and relax her rules.  

She has started reading Allen Carr's Easy Way. I can only hope she keeps moving in the direction she is going and gets serious. 

 

The good.

These deeper breaths are an addiction in themselves, and my sense of smell is definitely coming back for the good and the (crap that stinks) bad.

Or should I say that crap sure stinks.

 

KTQ. 

 

 

[SD2026]

3 hours ago, Stewbum said:

Came home from the hospital last night and was attacked by some cravings. It's so screwed up! To this point my quit has been fairly easy going. I understand I am just through Heck week, but right after all of these life changing events and to even think of smoking HUH? 

The cravings kept coming back. WTF.

I am safe and through it for now but just Dam. I clearly saw myself smoking and know what the pain would be like in my chest, and that JUST THE ONE could JUST KILL ME.

That is romancing this addiction, even when death is at your door!!!

 

I believe the ride home in my wife's car, even though it doesn't smell and we didn't smoke in our house or vehicles, just being confined there must have been a scent that set it off?

My wife still smokes but not at home or anywhere around. She covers the smell well. She doesn't leave to smoke but the knowledge is surely dangerous. The same as the last quit she will at some point become complacent that I am quit and relax her rules.  

She has started reading Allen Carr's Easy Way. I can only hope she keeps moving in the direction she is going and gets serious. 

 

The good.

These deeper breaths are an addiction in themselves, and my sense of smell is definitely coming back for the good and the (crap that stinks) bad.

Or should I say that crap sure stinks.

 

KTQ. 

 

 

The cravings really DO hit hard don't they! I'm glad you didn't cave in! It's good your wife is also going down the path of possibly quitting in the near future, it will be good for both of you.  You've so many more benefits to gain from quitting and giving in to your cravings will just make you feel horrible, not just physically but mentally too.  You can do this!!