Modern Vespa

Christmas morning my wife and I were having coffee by the Christmas tree contemplating going over to visit the grand kids, when a sharp pain appeared across my chest.

On a scale of 1-10 it was only about a 3 but this pain was unlike any I had experienced. I took an aspirin and it quickly went away. I had an appointment to follow up with my GP doctor in a couple of days so I thought I'd mention it to him, then.

The morning of my doctor visit I awoke at 3am with chest pains, once again on a scale of only about a 3. Aspirin quickly took the pain away. I went back to bed and awoke again with chest pains, this time about a 6. It took aspirin about 30 minutes this time for the pain to go away.

Mid morning I showered for my Doctor appointment and the exertion caused chest pains again, this time on a scale of about an 8 or 9!

I called my Doctor and he said to head straight to the nearest ER.

They admitted me and decided to do a heart catheter the next day. I was prepped and went through the procedure, unfortunately when I came to, the cardiologist said the procedure was not successful. I had 90% blockage in the main artery to my heart, 60% blockage in an artery on the back side of my heart, and I needed bypass surgery.

So I had to stay under observation in the hospital though the weekend before New Years and had surgery scheduled on Thursday after New Years, Jan 3.

The bypass surgery was successful and I was released Tuesday Jan. 8. 13 days in the hospital!!!

Now I an at home recovering and under orders not to drive for 6-8 weeks.

Oh well, My GTS is still at AF1 getting the bodywork done, from when I hit a curb and broke a couple of ribs and was in the same same hospital!!!

Don't ever get admitted to the hospital over the holidays!

Glad to hear you're OK and hopefully follow the docs orders and get the rest!. Also really glad you didn't;t actually have a hear attack and require emergency surgery, at least they and you caught it before that.

I can only imagine one the holidays things slow way down at the hospital. May dad went in for a triple bypass about 10 years ago (man time flies!) and was in for almost a month and this was not during the holidays. The worst he said was the food... bland and boring and not enough of it.

Take care of yourself and soon you'll hopefully be back on 2 wheels

Been there, done that. You will feelgreat after recovery. Good scooten!

I beat you.

Sorry.

Bill x

Oh, man, wow....

So glad you got in when you did and they were able to set you up, even if it took a (@#%#%) second shot!

How you feeling?

Oh well, its winter and it sounds like your scooter was laid up anyway. Hopefully you will be right as rain when riding time circles by again.

Scooting is not driving!

GLAD YOU'RE STILL WITH US!!!

That first ride is going to feel SO GLORIOUS!

Glad you got it before it got you!

Wishes for a speedy recovery.

Damnit, Spuds, you scared me here!

Glad you're on the mend. Sounds like you'll be up-and-at-'em in good time, but take care of yourself, man.

Slightly OT, my mother called me the day after her bypass surgery. I could tell she felt better, even through the discomfort and fatigue.

She told me she didn't know how bad she had felt.

So what did you end up buying your wife for Christmas and was it really worth all that worry?

Christ thats scarey

glad you are ok

Hi there, glad you're on the mend. I had a heart attack in September, had a stent fitted and another artery stretched. Back at work now, feeling fine and over 2 stones lighter!

Well, instead of gifts, after my scheduled Doctor appointment, we were going to head out to Big Bend for several days.

Glad all this didn't happen out on a remote trail and 200 miles away from the nearest hospital!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. With temps in the 70's yesterday and the LXV staring at me, it was hard not to go for just a short ride around town.

I hope you make a full and speedy recovery Spuds. Perfect timing to have a heart bypass, whilst your scoot is away for repair!

Spuds, I know that pain very well! In fact, I died twice but fortunately didn't stay dead! (obviously). I didn't need heart surgery as mine was caused by a bad infection and eventually antibiotics did the trick. My arteries were clean as a whistle due to me drinking 'Seafoam', well not the stuff you put in your bike.

But I'm so glad you are ok and if you look after yourself and ride your scoot lots and lots, you'll be fine for ever and a day....well maybe not quite for ever!

Tough break, Spuds I am glad you're on the mend!

Crikey and glad it was caught in time and your home and recovering!!

I was in a massive car crash a few years ago on Xmas Eve.

Spent Xmas day in emergency surgery, family told to say their goodbyes I wasn't going to survive. In intensive care into New Year and then pulled through.

6 months before I could walk properly and a year before I drove again.

The 8 weeks will pass and this will make every Xmas that bit sweeter. Our eldest son was then born on Xmas Day a few years later so he was always then seen as a special blessing to make up for it and keep us focused that time of year.

All the best on a trouble free future!!

So glad this turned out well.

Lessons learned: You can do an 'Italian tune-up' on your scoot and trust a little flogging and fuel additive to clear out the blockages. But when it comes to your body, there are no shortcuts. Fist sign of trouble, get in front of someone with MD after their name.

You went to the ER fast and THAT saved your life. Sending good vibes your way for a speedy recovery

Way to go Spuds!
You made it through the Big One as Fred Sanford called them.
"Mine" was on Christmas eve, 2005 and I read a bunch of books until the docs all came back from their Caribbean trips. I was stable and hospital bored as it was. Got to know a couple of nurses real well. When they got back, I got my stents then they sort of tried to kill me all over again by wallowing out the hole where the stent catheter was inserted in my groin. I bled out on the floor taking my first whizz then got to go another round with a specialist who did arterial patch jobs where the catheter had come out.
The good part was that I saw the sun today and first time here in well over a week!!! I have zero heart muscle damage and hope your heart is also strong and vital. Good luck on the next time you feel a chest pain. Mine came when it was -5 degrees out and I was sitting on a tractor while a guy hooked a chain to his car so I could pull him out of my road ditch. later got that woozy evil feeling I'd never felt before.
Now I have the same cardiologist on yearly visit, like this, "Hello how are you, have you had any chest pains or shortness of breath?" "No, I feel great!" "That will be another $100 or whatever medicare pays him".
We are the lucky ones...

howdy and wishing ya all the best
i was in israel last spring and had those pains that asparin makes go away only since i had no insurance i put it off for three weeks. i was in an apartment a couple hundred feet above and the same below the streets and when i called for an ambulance, they sent a couple little girls with a lawn chair to get me to the ambulance. i'm 300 pounds of ugly fat and ended up having to walk the 200 virtical feet to the ambulance. within 15 minutes i was told, "ya got a problem, sign here and relax, we got this. but even befor that the finance people were there saying pay now for the ambulance and emergency room and after the angioplasties and stent install , was still in recovery when the same guy came and said hey we need 40,000 shekels as down payment on the rest of the charges. all in all though the care was great though the whispering in arabic and hebrew made me a bit nervous and the cost was a pidling 20,000 bucks payable up front. when i got home , my doctor said the ambulance and emergency room here would have been minimum of 7,000 bucks not to speak of three days in the hospital and the cath lab and other care. so, i'm tickled that it happened there and tickled that other than different meds, i've felt good. i got home on tuesday about midnite and was riding my honda early the next morning down to get the license tab renewed from the three months in israel and a couple weeks at my sisters' in england where she took good care of me.

anyway, all the best there to all who have had this heartfelt need to get to a hospital and have returned to riding.
ken

That is scary and I am glad your ok now!

Take care of yourself!

Good to hear you're getting back on track.

Fingers crossed for your continued healing and getting back in the game soon.