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I dont know which way to turn!!!

Posted , 3 users are following.

Harold11344
Harold11344

Huh just been typing for about half an hour and the cat just walked over the keyboard and deleted it all so here I go again..

forgive me if I ramble on a bit but I’m in a bit of a dark place at the moment and at the suggestion of a sympathetic ear decided to seek some advice, help or anything else anyone may be willing to give to me as I'm new here ok so here we go again,,

I'm a 58 year old male past history is three heart attacks two tia's and copd a bypass eighteen months ago which has left me with severe disabilitating sternum pain which they said that due to my condition there is no way that they would open me up to see what the problem is so I struggle doing the day to day thinks that I used to take for granted without trying to be crude from wiping myself to reaching to get a cup from the cupboard can at times be so hard but I can deal / live with that, also I had a bad time post opp collapsed lungs and so many infections that I lost count.

At a visit to the specialist about my some issues with angina again I saw on his computer when he skipped out for a few mins an open report from a ct scan that was taken nearly two months prior to this visit it was to check the bypass grafts it also said in my lungs there are some 7mm nodules also in the report it said " The partially imaged infrarenal abdominal aorta appears aneurysmal which warrants further investigation" and also I had a gallstone.. on returning home I did a little bit of searching and found out what an AAA was and called my doctor who was a little surprised as I guess he hadn’t read the report between the ah um ah um's he said that I would need a scan on the aneurysm and to be referred to the vascular clinic who were concerned about doing anything to me with my Comorbiditys until I had seen other heart and respiratory specialists and they had  MDT meetings with them the aneurysm by the way was inside diameter of 6.8cms..so now months later they said that there is no way that I would survive the open surgery it wasn’t an option and EVAR was the only way to go I asked a lot of questions and wanted the truth and was told life expectancy was five years I have since spoken to two other doctors who say much the same is it because of my other problems ? it’s only a few weeks before I have the EVAR and I'm very worried before the bypass I was a little concerned but not overly worried just don’t know what to think anymore...

thank you for taking the time to read this hope you understand its taken a lot for me to get the courage to post this as normally I keep things to myself

kind Regards

Harold

2 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • kay10213
    kay10213 Harold11344

    Posted

    Hi Harold. You have every reason to be concerned. It seems that you have gone through a lot. I hope that you have family or friends close by who can comfort you during this tough time. (deep breath). I'm not a religious person but I do consider myself spiritual, espcially since the ruptured AAA I suffered back in November. My advice to you is to just take it one day at a time. Grieve for the loss of the things you can't do anymore. It's ok. And be thankful for the things you can do. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm pretty new on this site as well and haven't been through as much as what you are going through but know that you aren't alone...even though it may seem that way. Well wishes to you and I hope that someone will be able to give you the answers you are looking for. Best wishes to you. 
  • PetuniaGirl
    PetuniaGirl Harold11344

    Posted

    Hi Harold,

    I hear what you're saying and I sympathize with all that you've experienced thus far and are about to go through...

    Perhaps there's some info for you, through this website on the REPAIR OF INFRARENAL ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS ?

    Find out all what you can do for yourself, before the surgery to facilitate, hopefully a better outcome??  

    I'm 60yrs of age, and had a successful open surgery 40 yrs ago for a congenital aortic arch defects.  Unknowingly, they removed and left out, two ribs to get at my aortic arch next to my heart.  I remember feeling post surgical discomfort for awhile also in the sternum/rib area...  In 2014, I had a grapefruit sized aneurysm in the same area that was again successfully dealt with, but via TEVAR.  They gave me a 50% chance of survival if I had the "open" surgery, which would have  completely removed the aneurysm.  The reports can be scary, though  it gives you the information.  Some people want to know, others don't .

    Part of why they didn't want to do the open surgery was that my lung was stuck to the aorta arch, amongst other anomalies that occurred from the first surgery... These anomalies only became mildly symptomatic about three years before discovering that I had developed an aneurysm.  I had 15 years of NOT  seeing a GP.  I finally went to a new GP( I had moved) because I  had an annoying cough and frequent episodes of laryngiitis and at times, difficulty swallowing food & drink.  The aneurysm was pressing on the nerve for my vocal chord and pressing on my trachea.  I was glad I kept the reports from forty years ago, because all those records were destroyed...these days you can get it on a DVD!  

    Take care and post again !

  • PetuniaGirl
    PetuniaGirl Harold11344

    Posted

    I just wanted to correct something I said ...

    "unknowingly or "unbeknownst to ME"...two of my ribs were removed...

    Tissue grows in it's place...etc...

  • Harold11344
    Harold11344

    Posted

    Many thanks for your comments much apreaciated I'm due to have EVAR in  two weeks time I'll post how I get on

    regards

  • Harold11344
    Harold11344

    Posted

    Well im back four weeks now from surgery went fine until I got an infection somewhere but a heavy dose of antibiotics seems to have cleared that  up I am experiencing some rather nasty nerve pain in one of my legs from the groin to the knee with knumbness but hey thats a small trade off for a few more years..oh forgot mto say had the EVAR and then had the green light to go home the next day I think thats pretty amazing just need to now keep fingers crossed and live one day at a time.. thank you for your comments and I wish good luck-life to anyone else who is joing the club have a nice summer..

    Harry xx

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