Re: 11: My husband' s heart attack

Based on my husband's experience, I would strongly advise anyone experiencing heart attack symptoms to go to the hospital to obtain medical advice. There are many things that can go wrong with your heart, lungs and kidneys -- and many are life threatening.

My husband had never had heart or cholesterol problems but did have occasional mild asthma and had a few episodes of bronchitis in his lifetime. For a few days, he was short of breathing and felt like he asthma and the flu. Basically, he took it easy for a few days and all of a sudden said he needed to be taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a mild heart attack with several leaks around the mitral valve and then pneumonia. He was in the hospital for several days and was also having complications with his lungs and kidneys. The local hospital had no coronary care unit so we were waiting for a room in a nearby hospital. On the third morning I noticed he was using his entire mid to upper body to breath and I could tell he was experiencing difficulty. I grabbed the nurse and had her take a look and rushed her to urgently call the doctors to get him transported to a good Coronary Care Unit NOW!

They decided to medvac him to Washington Hospital Center, DC. In the helicopter his heart stopped and he arrested, he was brought back and was stabilized. After arriving at WHC, a cardiologist performed a catherization procedure, they found his mitral valve had totally burst and the entire left side of his heart had stopped working. I arrived just after the doctor had looked at the live video of his heart. He quickly showed me the video and told me he needed immediate surgery that he had experienced a major heart attack (not minor) along with many complications.

I had about one minute with my husband prior to them rolling him off to the operating room. After administering anesthesia just prior to surgery, his heart stopped and he arrested for the second time, they brought him back again. After surgery, the surgeon said if he had arrived 10 minutes later he would have been DEAD.

I would think in my husband's case vitamins could have helped prevent a heart attack if he had taken for some time prior to the event and they could now help during his recovery. We are in the habit of taking an aspirin and a good vitamin and mineral supplement every day. We have changed our diet to a more healthy Diet and include red meat only once or twice a week and have added more vegetables, fruit and fluids. Also, we no longer take Ibuprophen as the Kidney Specialist said they are very bad for your kidneys; especially if you take over the recommended dosage.

Hope this helps.

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