[Karen W. (OP)]

I was admititted twice now in the last 6 weeks or so to the hospital.

The first admittence I was monitored mmediately my oxygen level was checked and was put on oxygen...as the chest pain persisted they immediatly did an EKG and a CHEST EXRAY,  to check for aortic Disecctions on the aneurysms I have. one on the ascending side and one on descending.... They did blood work and  came back. and gave me a couple injection of some kind of blod clot buster medicine.... apparently some new stuff....That They said is better or newer then the older meds they used for a heart attack.... My heart enzymes wer not  good and my ekg was now reading better then when admitted....he said I was having an heart attack... and this med would stop it or help some how... I was not quit with it to remember all the details.. anyway They sent me home..
I had to return for another Iodized  
cat scan. and more bloodwork to keep checking the enzymes....  I WAS RELEASED AND TOLD TO BE IN THE doctors office fist thing..on Monday...
  
The second admittance.. oxygen was checked while they wired me up to a monitor to read vitals..... oxygen then given..Then The iv was administered.....my ekg tech hooked me up afterwards.. the monitor behind me was very eratic. Then a med cart was brought in and They admininistered a spray of nitro under my tongue...an aspirin was given and I was asked to chew it up thoroughly ..not to swallow it whole... nasty thing.... durint the next 5 minutes a chest exray was pefomed in the bed and a second dose of nitro under the tongue as the pain had not diminished! 5 minutes later the pain had not ceased and the monitor was still wacky with pain somewhat better...  A third was then administered and the pain begain to subside. I was then given a 8 hour nitro glycerine patch on my right upper right side chest area...

 I was then told to rest as I did.. She came in and administerd a big shot full of morephine to rid me of residual pain... which to my notion at that point was more a heavy pressure from sternum tthrough to my back in the middle as if someone had their foot in my back pushing real hard...Within 1 minute or so I was way groggy and totally comfortable....she said just close your eyes and rest I WILL TURN THE LIGHTS DOWN..

she did..I woke a couple hours later...and they were taking more blood as they had bee checking it....

soon after He came in and said that everything was looking better and they were going to release me.. he assured me my aneurysms were ok.. but I had a heart attack..I wa to go home and rest take it slow and see my regular Doctor fist thing and follow up in lab as prescribed..

So Is it normal To just hold people over night with a heart attack... he said it was... so what I really want to know is if this is normal treatment for heart attacks....nitro etc.....

[graham.d]

Karen, I am not a doctor but I would guess that they reckon that there was no damage to the heart from the data from the ecg and other tests, so they would continue normal angina treatment (nitro to dilate bloodvessels) when you get a pain. I asked before, why has nobody suggested a bypass for the angina and stents for the aneurisms?

Go to see your GP though and take care.

[Karen W. (OP)]

Karen, I am not a doctor but I would guess that they reckon that there was no damage to the heart from the data from the ecg and other tests, so they would continue normal angina treatment (nitro to dilate bloodvessels) when you get a pain. I asked before, why has nobody suggested a bypass for the angina and stents for the aneurisms?

Go to see your GP though and take care.

There are no blocked arteries found durig the angio thing when they checked with the camera up the femoral artery into the heart...

Stanford is going to do the whole aorta when the ascending side reaches 5 centimeters... He said the whole aorta needs to be replaced with some Kind of flexon fabric material stuff or something like that...and the valves need to be done also...

They are all leaking but the aorta is worse! Its spitting out blood clots...blood thinners ae supposed to be stopping blood clots from the aorta..from causing trouble..
I see the doctor weekl ometimes biweekly..
cardiac doctor here locally and at Stanford!

[graham.d]

If there are no blocked arteries or constricted arteries, why do you have angina? I didn't know there was any other cause, unless the arteries get blocked perodically from clots caused by the aneurisms. I suppose that problematic heart valves would also cause poor circulation and could lower oxygen levels to the heart muscle, which could add to the problem. It is good that the heart's arteries are OK though.

It would be nice to have sound medical opinion rather than my uninformed babble though. I would have thought there were medical doctors reading this, but maybe they don't want to jump in if you are already talking to experts who know all the details of your condition.

[Karen W. (OP)]

I do have some mild sclerosis in the valves but he said that was from the blood pooling up in the valve when the left ventrical is over loaded it spits the blood back it can't handle back into the valve causing the regurgitation and thus pooling at the valves ....I really don't understand...myself...It is all over my head.....
He also said That the main artery runing through the aorta is either spasming or being squeezed by the heart when it spams...caused by a second problems ...with renynaulds reynolds syndrome. I can'' remember how he spelled it...I honestly can''t keep the stuff in my head...

[graham.d]

I think it's Raynaud's Syndrome (there is a Reynold's syndrome too, but this would unrelated to your symptoms). This problem shuts down the small blood vessels, in a similar way to what happens in cold weather to conserve core temperature, but doesn't know when to stop. I am not sure how this affects the heart except that it will increase blood pressure significantly. Apparently it affects 5% to 10% of the population to a varying extent.

I am way out of my depth here. Although fascinating, you need more professional advice, and if you can't understand it first time, keep asking until it gets explained in terms normal people can grasp. I am sure the specialists you are seeing understand and are giving you the optimum treatment, but it should be explained better.

[Karen W. (OP)]

Yes Raynaud's... thats the one....He said it is common and most people never know they have it....I guess I am one of them that has symptoms and  other problems..with it..He said it was causing the whole heart to spasm... something like that.....he said it was vital to stay warm cut my stress level way down....
I NEED BETTER EXPLANATIONS FOR SURE..i have too much and not enough brain size to remember all the details..
thanks for all the suggestions though..