Looking Out for Our Loved Ones

We members of the PMC know we have a heart condition in one form or another. Doctor’s appointments, PM/ ICD checks and sometimes medical tests have become the norm for us. But we may have loved ones or know of others who have not been to a Doctor for many years.

An acquaintance of ours (friend of a friend) recently went to the Doctors for a long overdue checkup. The Doctor did not like something he saw on the EKG and referred him to a Cardiologist. 2 weeks went by and he did not make an appointment with the Cardiologist.

One night last week, he woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well. He woke his wife and said he thought he may be having a heart attack so she took him to the ER. He had an abdominal aortic aneurysm which ruptured. He was 61 years old when he died. When He was the only one in their circle of friends who didn’t have some sort of medical condition, or so he thought because he hadn’t been to a Doctor for years.

Maybe we can encourage our family and friends to get to the Doctors if it has been a while for them.

“Routine” check-ups can save lives.

Grateful Heart

9 Comments

GH....................

by Tattoo Man - 2013-04-17 06:04:37


I think that you have identified a very important issue here.

It is not new,

But,..needs constant review / knowledge / 1st aid / ...all the rest

If someone dropped to the ground..do I really know what to do do...?

I have signed up to a course in a couple of weeks
Coz the answer to the above is ..NO

Sorry..""""".I do not, as we speak, know how to save your life""""

I shall learn.. and in time ..just maybe , might be usefull.

TM



..

PS...............

by Tattoo Man - 2013-04-17 06:04:51


...............my Dad..George..survived an Aortic Disaster and lived to worship life.

Nick..father of wonderful young twins had less luck...in uniform, working with the allies in Florida for our common good...
Perished with an abdomen full of his own blood on Grantham Station.

If you are looking for the Enemy...........

It just might be closer than you................

so true

by Hope - 2013-04-17 09:04:53

Grateful Heart and Tattoo Man, all said is so true. My Mom often said when trying to help those were difficult to advise, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink". Never so true as when trying to get some to take care of their health. As you have pointed out, we should never quit trying though. Hopeful Heart

It's not just the heart...

by donr - 2013-04-17 10:04:08

...try getting some men into see the plumber about prostate cancer screening. They won't even go in for the simple blood test for fear they may flunk it & require a biopsy.

I'll admit that the first time I faced the biopsy after flunking my third PSA screening test my wife made the appt for me, did not tell me & surprised me the morning it was to be done. Not that I would not have gone on my own, but she did not know how I would react to it. That appt turned out to be an appt to make an appt for the biopsy. The waiting was NOT fun, but I did not face it alone - I had Wife to lean on.

It was ten years before I finally flunked a biopsy. My plumber got to the point that he was tired of seeing my face (?) for the things. The year that he passed unless "...I begged him to do it..." was the year that I finally developed enough malignancy for them to finally find the stuff the next year. That saga all started in 1992 & I'm still here, cancer free since Good Friday, 2004.

Sometimes you just have to really lean on family & friends for their own good!

Don

Loved Ones

by Grateful Heart - 2013-04-18 02:04:01

TM: Learning CPR and First Aid is a great tool. I plan on looking into taking a class soon as well.

HH: It’s true, we can’t force people, but even if one person decides to get a physical who otherwise would not…..it would be worth it. Like you said, we should keep trying.

Sparrow: It’s clear not everyone can be helped. Your family history appears to be proof positive. When our time is up….it’s up, even when we seem to do all the right things.

Don: We are very glad you are still here and thankful to your Wife. It seems for some…men in particular, a push is often needed.

My husband needed that push. He needed necessary testing that he was avoiding at one point. Finally, I told him we had a young family and if he didn’t make the appointments, I would. There was a body imaging test they wanted him to have and he said he would have it done if I did it too. It was a self-pay test. Most health insurance companies do not cover it. It was non-invasive and PM/ ICD safe so I kept my part of the bargain (in essence, he was looking out for me too).

That was a few years ago. He is much better with appointments now, although he still needs nudging when it comes to the monitoring tests. They call him for reminders and sometimes after ignoring about three calls the nudging becomes a push.

Grateful Heart

Way to Go!!!!!.....

by donr - 2013-04-18 07:04:54

.....Grateful.

Here are men who will dash into a burning building; a collapsing skyscraper, a bank full of armed men - but they won't face a simple stab in the inner elbow, etc.

Don

Sparrow - I remember that!

by donr - 2013-04-18 08:04:16

Sparrow: I even rec'd a note from Blake when he removed a post or comment I made trying to raise awareness of Prostate cancer - AFTER some one in Australia had brought it up.

There's only one nice thing about prostate cancer - discovered early enough, it can be successfully treated. I'm working on my 10th yr now post-treatment.

Your tale of it in two families is spot on - they may NOT know what gene causes it to become prevalent, but it is well recognized that it is genetic in its pathways through families. The probability that our two sons will get it are significantly greater than the probability that I would. #1 Son already has BPH (Benign Prostate Hypertrophy) - & that's where I started. If he eventually develops the malignancy, the probability that his brother will do so is NEARLY ONE - that means certainty.

#2 Son will not even let me talk about it - guess that means I have to talk to his wife. My Wife helped me a lot through my ordeal. I was the one who arranged for the PSA screening tests - she took the bull by the horns when I flunked it. Sometimes you gotta do unpleasant things for the ones you love!

It appears that we cannot talk harsh reality about Prostate Cancer in the open. If anyone has a question about it, send me a Pvt Msg. I'll be glad to talk about it.

Don

Just a thought..................

by Tattoo Man - 2013-04-19 05:04:56


....................I heard this on the radio the other day....

Doctor...." Guys..would you like to drop your trousers just once for your Doctor...or wait for the undertaker to take them off for ever ?"

I put off doing my bowel cancer 'Poo Test' for two years, so I am in no position to lecture.

Some very touching stories here. We really do owe it to our nearest and dearest to do the right thing because as we have read here, the survivor may hold on to some very difficult emotions...for a very long time.

Tattoo Man

Thank you All

by Grateful Heart - 2013-04-21 11:04:00

For sharing your personal stories. That is how we learn!

TM: Glad you got that test behind you...(pun intended).

Grateful Heart

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I have an ICD which is both a pacer/defib. I have no problems with mine and it has saved my life.