Cardiologist Update...

[Pekkerwood]

I know this is boring to some and this will be my last update unless something changes drastically but here goes:

Six month visit about eighteen months after heart failure. Ejection fraction 45-50 virtually unchanged in 9 months. This is low/normal or high/abnormal. ABBY Normal I like to call it on Halloween. Added lifting during the last nine months with no negative effects.

Cardiologist came in after my echocardiogram and EKG and I had my shirt off and he said "Wow, what have you been doing?". I believe he got used to seeing me during the year of no exercise. Basically I am cleared now to exercise at will until I get tired. No more monitoring heart rate etc.

My general practitioner advised me of this three weeks ago and now my cardiologist grudgeingly confirmed this. He did double me dosage of the beta blocker Coreg to see if he could squeeze a little more improvement if my blood pressure can tolerate it without dropping to low.

Side Note:

I realize the following is not statistically significant and has a miniscule confidence interval, and can be explained any one of a thousand ways, however:

On my physical, I have added fish oil daily for a year, and naicin for a few months. HDL went from 70 to 66. Couple of possible reasons: Other aspects of my diet, as I had house guests for a couple months prior to test and did not eat normal diet a lot of the times. Another potential issue is that I eat a lot of fish anyway and already had decent HDL numbers.

I have been on TRT for about 9 months or so.

Thank you guys for all your support and thoughts. It means a lot. If you want to know what this board can do for people and the quality of the individuals that are here I encourage you to go to the counseling forum and read some threads. I never did. It certainly reinforced my already positive assessment of the time I spend here and the people I spend it with.

Pekkerwood or for OTH...PWood

 

[thebrick]

Well at least it wasn't any BAD news happening there PW. I am glad of that! And the fact you cleared to train should help your mental health and stress levels? At least it does in my book. Are they going to monitor you for any possible improvement from here?

 

[morepain]

ceratinly not boring to many of us my friend. I am glad you have not suffered any further negative effects and will keep you in my prayers. Guys like you and maldorf and others that have stepped up and provided a service to the board by discussing your health issues are the unsung heroes in my book.

 

[Pekkerwood]

Brick:

I do go back in six months for another echo. I have been training for six months or so but keeping heart rate under 120 and lighter weights, no more than 100's on dumbells ever on any exercise, only do what I can do 12 times or more.

I feel free now to move more to a rep/sequence that Phil suggested when I began my diet. I am not going to go nuts but will increase poundages to compensate for the occasional lower rep range.

MOrePain:

Thanks, thats good to hear. I guess I just know how most of us only want to hear things that support our own beliefs or wishes. My abuse was and can never be pointed to as "the cause" of my problems, but I am certain it did not help. I just want people to put thought into what they do every day, whether it involves what to inject or how to spend/save your money, etc. I was a knucklehead in this particular area.

PWood

 

[thebrick]

PWood, how much fish oil a day do you take?

 

[JETHRO TULL]

NOT BORING.

THIS STUFF SHOULD BE POSTED DAILY AS IT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD IN SOMEWAY....IF NOT US...THEN SOMEONE WE LOVE.

Heart disease and high bp are killers of many in our country. Good to be aware of it.

 

[maldorf]

Good to hear from you. Well, im glad to hear that your EF is halfway normal. I am jealous of you! I do have one little hope. THey are running a study here where I live using stem cells to heal the heart after a heart attack. I may be eligible and be able to enter it and about a month and a half. I havent heard back yet from them. This does hold some promise. Right now I am living with the defribrillator and an EF of 24% as measured a few months back. The heart study is part of a nationwide study being done now. Keeping my fingers crossed on it.

 

[leegee38]

My general practitioner advised me of this three weeks ago and now my cardiologist grudgeingly confirmed this. He did double me dosage of the beta blocker Coreg to see if he could squeeze a little more improvement if my blood pressure can tolerate it without dropping to low.

Have you noticed the beta blocker having any impact on your bodyfat level?

 

[Big Bapper]

Agreed

THIS STUFF SHOULD BE POSTED DAILY AS IT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD IN SOMEWAY....IF NOT US...THEN SOMEONE WE LOVE.

Heart disease and high bp are killers of many in our country. Good to be aware of it.

Thanks for the update.

 

[Pekkerwood]

Leegee38:

I have actually lost weight while on the beta blockers. I have dropped from 265 to around 235-238 heading to 220-215 or so. I definately makes it harder as a lot of your "adrenal" type hormones are muted so much. It has to be slowing metablolism. I mean when I see a snake when walking my dogs my mind says "OH SH_T but I am calm as a cucumber".

Since doubling my dosage last week my heart rate has dropped about 10% on the treadmill for the same settings. Don't know what this means.

Maldorf:

I've read about the stem cell research and it is intriguing. If it works it seems to be a better solotion long term than the current "grafting" of muscle from other areas. Keep hope, they are getting better and closer every day. I think about you often and hope you get your good result soon.


Pekkerwood

 

[maldorf]

Leegee38:

I have actually lost weight while on the beta blockers. I have dropped from 265 to around 235-238 heading to 220-215 or so. I definately makes it harder as a lot of your "adrenal" type hormones are muted so much. It has to be slowing metablolism. I mean when I see a snake when walking my dogs my mind says "OH SH_T but I am calm as a cucumber".

Since doubling my dosage last week my heart rate has dropped about 10% on the treadmill for the same settings. Don't know what this means.

Maldorf:

I've read about the stem cell research and it is intriguing. If it works it seems to be a better solotion long term than the current "grafting" of muscle from other areas. Keep hope, they are getting better and closer every day. I think about you often and hope you get your good result soon.


Pekkerwood

thanks. I should find out within the next week or two if they will take me or not.

 

[parttimer]

They have been doing stem cell injections in Asia for a while, its about 40k and they have had great results. My last EF was 28% but that was about a year ago. I am trying to get my disability squared away before trying to get it improved. Sounds stupid yeah, but I will take the 20k a year I will get on top of my new job. Once the disability if final then I will go all out in improving my stats. Glad to hear you have improved so drastically.

 

[maldorf]

They have been doing stem cell injections in Asia for a while, its about 40k and they have had great results. My last EF was 28% but that was about a year ago. I am trying to get my disability squared away before trying to get it improved. Sounds stupid yeah, but I will take the 20k a year I will get on top of my new job. Once the disability if final then I will go all out in improving my stats. Glad to hear you have improved so drastically.

Hope you get your treatment lined up, sounds promising. The study I am trying to get into would be free of course since its in the name of science. only thing that blows is the fact that it is a true scientific study, and that means that it is double blind. Neither you or the doc know if youre getting the stem cells or just a placebo. A 50% chance is still better than nothing! I am not aware of anyone here in the US offering treatment with stem cells, since its not an approved treatment yet. Maybe I should fly my ass to Asia and get treated.

 

[Ness]

PW,

Thanks for your updates. I think that you are a very important member here and I always pay close attention when you post. You have always given your time to members here including myself and that does not go unseen.

Hope you contuinue to progress and thanks for sharing.

 

[Pekkerwood]

Thanks Ness, that's very kind. I think the best part about the board is everyone has a contribution even if it is occassionaly to serve as an example of what not to do, which has happened often in my case!
Be at Peace.

 

[maldorf]

PW,

Thanks for your updates. I think that you are a very important member here and I always pay close attention when you post. You have always given your time to members here including myself and that does not go unseen.

Hope you contuinue to progress and thanks for sharing.

Yeah, hes a great guy. We talked on the phone shortly after my problems started and he made me feel better about my situation. If I recall correctly, he spoke to me on his cell phone from the beach when he was on a vacation. Took time out to try and help me.

 

[pesty4077]

Hey Bro, you keep us updated. I am hoping the best for your health, God Bless!

 

[Pekkerwood]

Thanks for the kind words Pesty. Maldorf: I did enjoy talking with you as well. Thats one of the powers of this board, we have enough members, that usually someone else has "been there" and not just on the expected body building issues. BTW I was on the beach with my dogs, I appreciate your patience. My Crackberry was pretty wasted after our conversation with sweat and suntan oil residue that slipped behind the screen, made for a much better vacation!

In all seriousness, Maldorf, Partimer, Bald Nazi, IABADMAN, and many others who had serious health issues probably had one thing in common. We didn't see our problems coming and were probably "invincible" because of our strength, build, outward appearance etc.

(Pekkerwood climbs on Soapbox)

1. Get your blood pressure checked regularly
2. Get a blood panel done regularly.
3. If you snore loudly, quit breathing while sleeping, and are "tired" even though you have slept, get tested for sleep apnea. I think the combo of sleep apnea and blood pressure abnormalities are a deadly combination because they are under treated.

(Pekkerwood climbs down)

Thanks again, all of you, you are an important part of my day.

 

[gravityfighter]

Thanks for the kind words Pesty. Maldorf: I did enjoy talking with you as well. Thats one of the powers of this board, we have enough members, that usually someone else has "been there" and not just on the expected body building issues. BTW I was on the beach with my dogs, I appreciate your patience. My Crackberry was pretty wasted after our conversation with sweat and suntan oil residue that slipped behind the screen, made for a much better vacation!

In all seriousness, Maldorf, Partimer, Bald Nazi, IABADMAN, and many others who had serious health issues probably had one thing in common. We didn't see our problems coming and were probably "invincible" because of our strength, build, outward appearance etc.

(Pekkerwood climbs on Soapbox)

1. Get your blood pressure checked regularly
2. Get a blood panel done regularly.
3. If you snore loudly, quit breathing while sleeping, and are "tired" even though you have slept, get tested for sleep apnea. I think the combo of sleep apnea and blood pressure abnormalities are a deadly combination because they are under treated.

(Pekkerwood climbs down)

Thanks again, all of you, you are an important part of my day.

Ditto 1.2.&3. You said a mouth full............best wishes and God's speed!
GF