The Widow Maker Heart Attack » Heart Attack Medical Information Blog http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com By a heart attack survivor for heart attack survivors Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:31:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Heart Attacks can be our friend…..but probably not http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=644 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=644#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:31:30 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=644 Up until the moment I realized exactly what was going on in my life roughly 24 hours after my heart did I have any clue that I was out of shape, unhealthy, eating not so good, stressed out, and prone to a heart attack. I chronicle in my book all my observations from the moment I flat lined the first time till the first anniversary, it took like I said in the book roughly 24 hours to realize what type of trouble I was in.  In the book “The Widow Maker Heart Attack at age 48″ I convey nearly every feeling both physical but also mentally related to suffering the Widow Maker. As I sit here watching the United States Senate debate the extension of the SBA funding I think to myself just what the 10% survival rate and 90% fatality rate really mean and how lucky I was to be part of the 10%.

To have flat lined six times I realize that in fact my percentage to survive was probably more like 1% than 10%. Makes me wonder whether I should go power-walk for another mile or two. :-) Having just completed my 40 sit ups and 40 push ups and 2 mile power-walk I feel pretty tired but none the less probably a great deal better now than I would have been if I had not suffered the heart attack. While I thought at the time I was in pretty decent shape I must admit that I was not in as good a shape as I should have been at the time. I would like to think I would have started to work out even if I did not suffer the Widow Maker, I realize now that the urgency would not have been there.  Life of death motivation has a real profound motivation factor. Wow.

So I guess that is why I say that in fact Heart Attacks can be our friend, but at this very moment when my arm, stomach, and leg muscles are fatigued I question the thought. Later however whey the ache goes away…I once again will feel heart attacks can be a blessing in disguise.

For all the people who are busy reading wsj.com, aol.com, cnn.com, google.com, msnbc.com and think they are not a prime candidate to suffering a heart attack when you “think” you are healthy and active….   I ask you one thing. If you think you have an elevated level of stress… you are a damn fool to think it could never happen to you.  I know… I did … prior to March 31, 2008.

Patrick Fox

]]> http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?feed=rss2&p=644 1 Lee Majors and the Bionic Man is not my goal http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=556 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=556#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:04:25 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=556 Today is the day after getting hit with blood test results last night that I put myself on a workout / eating routine that will change ALL my numbers in the next 6 months. I was told that I need to lose 25 lbs and I am not one to dodge a good challenge or consider amputation, so I will attack the challenge with gusto…

Just sitting here typing I think I can feel my muscles tighten up… :-)

Stay tuned…..

]]> http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?feed=rss2&p=556 0 The Outlaw Trail Ride.. http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=464 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=464#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:51:05 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=464 This morning I searched out one of my “Living List” objectives. I was very pleased to discover that The Outlaw Trail Ride had updated their website. I have to tell you that my heart started beating just a little bit faster as I found myself getting excited about next summer already. Granted not every heart attack survivor has a life goal of completing the 110 mile Outlaw Trail Ride, but I for one have it ranked in my top 5.

The Outlaw Trail Ride http://www.rideoutlawtrail.com/ promises to be a fantastic experience. The more I contemplate my “Living List” the more excited I get about life. I would suggest that all heart attack survivors find their “Living List”. Please share  your “Living List” with us as perhaps we could join you if that opportunity exists.

If any of you folks would like to join me on my trip next summer please let me know. I would love to have a heart attack survivor Outlaw Trail Ride.

]]> http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?feed=rss2&p=464 1 Twitter is something I continue to experiment with http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=449 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=449#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:12:29 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=449 The more I contemplate the idea of creating a national program to eliminate Congenital Cardiovascular Defects and sudden death among high school age youth the more excited I get. I have been making mention of dream/goal on Twitter, but I am not sure if it being listened too. As much as I like new technologies, I struggle to understand or in this case see a quantitative impact via Twitter.

I have put in a phone call to the local heart hospital Swedish American Hospital to discuss with them their thoughts regarding my goals concerning Congenital Cardiovascular Defects. I am waiting somewhat patiently for the return call.

The more I contemplate my dreams or goals related to heart attack prevention, the healthier I feel mentally. As much as I try to avoid negative or down thoughts they tend to creep into my thoughts unless I am mentally busy. One of the best things about this mission/goal is that it keeps me mentally busy planning and strategizing.

]]> http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?feed=rss2&p=449 0 I finally must admit to a couple heart attack risk factors http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=442 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=442#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:05:36 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=442 Today I met with my psycologist and I discussed my pending teaching disability and the difficulties I experienced last week while teaching. I discussed with her the difficulties of dealing with stress and my priority of staying alive. I discussed my opinion that I really did not have any risk prior to my heart attack on March 31, 2008. We discussed that while I had been taking cholesterol medicine for 25 years my cholesterol numbers were never “completely” under control thus a risk factor did in fact exist.

The second factor while I don’t have to agree with, the fact still remains that technically I am considered overweight for my height. I would argue that the doctors that created that Body, Fat, Index were poor eaters and skin and bones and not of the linebacker physic like I am, the fact is I did suffer a heart attack and the chart was “correct”. Darn Chart….

]]> http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?feed=rss2&p=442 1 Official Heart Attack Survivor Blog http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=397 http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=397#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:12:28 +0000 Patrick J. Fox http://www.widowmakerheartattack.com/?p=397 Today I spent most of the morning at the University of Wisconsin ENT clinic. Discovered that I need yet another Swallow Study to help figure out what is going wrong with my swallowing difficulties. Recently, I learned that I had a underactive thyroid, and low normal testosterone. Discovered that both can create or add to heart disease. Perhaps that is why I had an unexplained heart attack.

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