PILOT SPIN
Pilot Zone => Pilot Zone => Topic started by: Username on November 15, 2020, 07:53:18 AM
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I'm grounded.
Saturday a week ago I was moving some Christmas decoration bins out of the basement crawlspace. After I got done I started feeling really bad. Hard pressure in the chest. Bad nausea. After about four hours of seeing if it would go away, my wife finally drove me to the emergency room. A nitro tablet under the tongue relieved some of the pressure, then off to the CAT scan. Aorta OK. Pressure returned. More nitro, and finally a nitro drip. Decision to admit me.
No beds in the local hospital. Too much COVID. No beds within 1.5 hour drive. Finally found a bed at what turned out to be the best cardio unit around. Having the local hospitalist being my wife's fifth cousin may have helped. No ground transport available, so I got a helicopter ride. Other than feeling horrible, it was fun. Plugged in to the pilot and talked about flying locally and his experiences with military flying. He was very interested in my flying the 170. We talked about kids these days not knowing how to do a VOR or NDB instrument approach.
Got into the cardio unit. Hospital had a strict no visitor policy so my wife had to stay home and worry. Dedicated cardio floor. A couple floors for COVID in another building. Got an immediate heart angiogram. Minor artery 50% blocked. Two others 30% blocked. He looked at how generally clean the coronary arteries were, confirmed my age (63) and said, "You're not from Wisconsin, are you?" Miserable night of constant blood draws and horrible headache from the nitro drip. Echocardiogram the next day. Heart is fine. No damage. Got a COVID test. Negative.
Theory is that some coronary placque dried out and cracked, catching a wandering blood clot. Heart protested but no damage. Clot dissolved as they do. No direct evidence that's what happened, but that I responded to nitro points to heart. Ruled out gall bladder.
By Monday I was feeling great. Released with prescriptions for baby aspirin to prevent clots, beta blocker to make things work easier, statin to reduce cholesterol. (It measured 103, just over the 100 limit. They want it down around 70.)
Got home and on forced rest via my wife. Called AOPA medical. He said that once I get a treadmill test and the cardiologist says I'm good to go I can self-certify and go fly. I'll get a consultation with my local AME to see what I'll need to renew my Class 3. Should be all the hospital records, cardiologist report, and treadmill test results. Since no stent was placed I shouldn't need a nuclear heart test. Maybe three months for the special issuance Class 3 so start early, but shouldn't be any big deal. I'll know more after the consultation.
A pretty sucky weekend, but good to know where I stand. I blame Biden and the democrats and all the stress they've caused. I'll let y'all know how my journey progresses.
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That sucks, but it turned out a lot better than the worst case could have. Take care of yourself first. Then worry about flying.
Interesting about the fact that there were no beds because of too much COVID.
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Hang in there.
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Glad it turned out fairly well. Your here to write about it a fret about getting your medical back.
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Thanks everyone. Truly appreciated.
I think that the hospitals found it easier to isolate a floor for COVID vs individual rooms. There may be beds available in the covid wards but don't want to mix patients.
I guess a feature of all this is I get to carry a small vial of nitro glycerine around.
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Wow. Good luck with that. Funny/not funny about the Wisconsin question, as I’ve lived here for 14 years but I’m not a native.
I had to get an MRI last Friday in the largest regional medical center around here. I was expecting lots of people, but there was no one in this area. I was all alone, in and out 30 minutes earlier than I anticipated. They had people giving the temperature-on-the-forehead test within 10 feet of the door, then questioned about Covid exposure, and then sent to the waiting room.
Have you thought about basic med? I’m considering that for myself.
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Glad you're OK. Hang in there!
I was just in the hospital for 3 days. Major metro suburb. It was EMPTY.
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Wow. Good luck with that. Funny/not funny about the Wisconsin question, as I’ve lived here for 14 years but I’m not a native.
I had to get an MRI last Friday in the largest regional medical center around here. I was expecting lots of people, but there was no one in this area. I was all alone, in and out 30 minutes earlier than I anticipated. They had people giving the temperature-on-the-forehead test within 10 feet of the door, then questioned about Covid exposure, and then sent to the waiting room.
Have you thought about basic med? I’m considering that for myself.
Hope your MRI came out OK.
I've thought about basic med. When it came out I said that if I can't pass a Class 3 I shouldn't be flying. But this event kind of took me out of basic med until I get another Class 3. If you fail a Class 3 you can't fall back to a basic med. But I believe that the wording is also that if you THINK you might fail a Class 3 you can't go basic med. (I asked AOPA about this, but can't remember the exact answer.) It's a disqualifying event. I'll do another Class 3 since the AME is best equipped to get the paperwork through the FAA. Then I'll check with my primary care physician for the next one. Maybe he can do a basic med in place of my annual physical. Certainly better than driving an hour to an AME.
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Wow, glad it was minor. I have family history and high cholesterol. Been on statins for 20 years, see the cardiologist once a year. He told me a few years ago that the they've found that the protective effect of statins is more important than lower cholesterol. Hope you get to fly soon.
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Wow, glad it was minor. I have family history and high cholesterol. Been on statins for 20 years, see the cardiologist once a year. He told me a few years ago that the they've found that the protective effect of statins is more important than lower cholesterol. Hope you get to fly soon.
I've been on about a dozen different statins of various doses. Each time, a few weeks after I start, I begin walking like an old man; hunched over, joints hurting, sore neck, leg craps at night or even at times in the day. I take large doses of Co-Q-10, but it doesn't help. I stop taking them and feel like living again in a few weeks. Then I go to my annual physical and my doc insists I try a different statin. And my Cholesterol levels are not that bad but he (and all the other doctors in the HMO) are big believers in "statins for all". I might switch insurance plans this year just for that reason.
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I was on statins for years due to a family history. A few years ago my doctor said lets take you off and see where you are. Just over the limit. He said, close enough so off I went. I just have a feeling that the fewer prescriptions I'm on the better.
Cardiologist told me that the statin is also good for keeping what placque you have nice and soft so that it doesn't crack and catch a clot like he thinks happened to me. Same as PaulS heard about prevention vs. cholesterol. Didn't have any side effects before, none so far after a week. Probably good prevention.
Biggest hit has been the beta blocker. Just feel strange and get winded easily. I'm already on the lowest dose. We'll see what the cardiologist says. Maybe I just have to get used to it. PCP did say that I probably have to be off it for a couple days before the treadmill test so I can get my heart rate up.
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Wow, that’s quite the dramatic reaction to Biden and the Dems! No question that constant stress is hard on us. I’ve been taking breaks from news and trying to stay calm but inside we all are churning over this massive psyop and fraud campaign the left is conducting. Positive developments today, posting on the election thread.
Glad you got good care!
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Red Yeast Rice.
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I carry the little vial around, have for two or three years now. We have a place that has an EBCT scanner. Three years ago my wife and I got full body scans. They give you a calcium score, mine was a bit on the high side. I took the results to me PCP and he referred me to a cardiologist. Got scheduled for a nuclear stress test and echo. Results were okay, bit I carry the vial for a just in case.
On a trip to Brunswick, GA. a few months ago, I woke up the day we were headed home and felt some pain, it was similar to when I get heart burn, it was on top,of some pain in my arm. I got a bit worried and we diverted to the local ER. EKG was good so I sat a bit, got so e X-Rays and blood work and was on my way. I guess better safe than sorry.
I've been on a statin for years, cardiologist changed it this year. I've not had the side affects that people tell me about. I’ve supplemented with the Red Yeast Rice, latest goal was 137, haven't been that low in years.
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I was on statins for years due to a family history. A few years ago my doctor said lets take you off and see where you are. Just over the limit. He said, close enough so off I went. I just have a feeling that the fewer prescriptions I'm on the better.
Cardiologist told me that the statin is also good for keeping what placque you have nice and soft so that it doesn't crack and catch a clot like he thinks happened to me. Same as PaulS heard about prevention vs. cholesterol. Didn't have any side effects before, none so far after a week. Probably good prevention.
Biggest hit has been the beta blocker. Just feel strange and get winded easily. I'm already on the lowest dose. We'll see what the cardiologist says. Maybe I just have to get used to it. PCP did say that I probably have to be off it for a couple days before the treadmill test so I can get my heart rate up.
Yup, I'm on statins for life regardless of cholesterol.
My mom, who passed a few years ago at 89, had pretty severe dementia that was progressively getting worse, she had been on statins for years. After doing internet research (bad idea) and talking it over with her and my family, we decided to pull her off of it. Nothing changed and we forgot about it. About a year and a half later (dementia getting worse and worse) she had a stroke that killed her after about a week. She had lost all will to live and was very unhappy with dementia before the stroke.
Anyway, right after the stroke, a relatively young, Eastern European female doctor came in and introduced herself. She told me that pulling her off the statin had caused her stroke, then walked out. I was kind of in shock over the whole thing, it took me a few minutes, but I went looking for her.
Luckily I ran into her boss, who turned out to have great advice about the whole situation, he asked me what was up. I told him I was looking for the other doctor, I wanted to talk to her. He rolled his eyes, pulled me into a room, and asked me what she said. I told him, then I said, "We've been dealing with this for at least five years, she's seen at least ten doctors about it, and not one of them could tell us whether this is vascular dementia, reaction to medicine, Alzheimer's, they only knew she had dementia. Other topics with doctors, same thing, no definitive answers. Yet this lady has the knowledge and the balls to tell me that pulling her off that pill caused this stroke? Not buying it." He apologized for her, then probably gave me the best advice of the whole ordeal, which was not to lose hope, but make sure that she doesn't get tortured with rehab and procedures. Anyway she passed comfortably in her own bed about a week later. The lady doctor was probably right, but she definitely needed to work on her bedside manner, I never saw her again.
So anyway, I'm a believer in those pills for people like me, with a cholesterol issue and family history.
To Joe's point, both my mother and brother have had issues with statins. I brought that up when my doc told me it was time, they had issues with Crestor and Lipitor. So I got Pravachol and have had no issues, been on it for about 20 years.
As far as the getting winded easily, I wouldn't necessarily blame the beta blocker. That's another good drug, especially for people who have had heart attacks. I'm on one of those too.
You just had a heart attack, even though there was no damage it's going to take time to heal up, that's probably why you are getting winded. The beta blocker might fatigue you a little, but, at least in my case, has never caused me to get winded. It does lower your max heart rate, but you would only notice that when running or exercising to the max.
I do long distance bike rides and train most of the year. The beta blocker slows me a little, but not much. I've been doing 100 mile rides for 10 years now, hoping to get 3 or 4 in next summer.
I would give it time, be patient and heal, you'll come back stronger than ever.
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Ungrounded!
I had a followup appointment with a different cardiologist. He said that there's no way I could have chest pains for a day and not have any damage. Heart cath showed no significant blockage. Echocardiogram showed no damage. No elevated troponin level. (That's pretty neat. Troponin is only in the heart muscle. If the muscle is damaged, troponin is released. That's how they know.) So he said, no damage means no heart attack. He changed the diagnosis to "chest pain, unknown origin". I'm good to go flying right away. He said that he has a lot of pilots as patients and his son is a captain at Skywest, so he knows how to work with the FAA AMEs and get things though.
The bad news is that I'm still hurting. They are focusing on the gall bladder which has similar symptoms. The CAT scan showed nothing structural wrong, no gallstones, all OK. So I had another followup test, a nuclear test where it shows the gall bladder functioning. Pretty cool where they inject some radioactive stuff and watch how it flows. I haven't noticed any super powers yet. Maybe it takes a while to develop.
Waiting for the results, but if it's the gall bladder it's an easy fix. If not that, then who knows? But the ungrounding is very good news! i owe it all to the good wishes of the people here on Pilot Spin.
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Ungrounded!
I had a followup appointment with a different cardiologist. He said that there's no way I could have chest pains for a day and not have any damage. Heart cath showed no significant blockage. Echocardiogram showed no damage. No elevated troponin level. (That's pretty neat. Troponin is only in the heart muscle. If the muscle is damaged, troponin is released. That's how they know.) So he said, no damage means no heart attack. He changed the diagnosis to "chest pain, unknown origin". I'm good to go flying right away. He said that he has a lot of pilots as patients and his son is a captain at Skywest, so he knows how to work with the FAA AMEs and get things though.
The bad news is that I'm still hurting. They are focusing on the gall bladder which has similar symptoms. The CAT scan showed nothing structural wrong, no gallstones, all OK. So I had another followup test, a nuclear test where it shows the gall bladder functioning. Pretty cool where they inject some radioactive stuff and watch how it flows. I haven't noticed any super powers yet. Maybe it takes a while to develop.
Waiting for the results, but if it's the gall bladder it's an easy fix. If not that, then who knows? But the ungrounding is very good news! i owe it all to the good wishes of the people here on Pilot Spin.
Congratulations! By the way, what do you fly?
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Yup, I'm on statins for life regardless of cholesterol.
My mom, who passed a few years ago at 89, had pretty severe dementia that was progressively getting worse, she had been on statins for years. After doing internet research (bad idea) and talking it over with her and my family, we decided to pull her off of it. Nothing changed and we forgot about it. About a year and a half later (dementia getting worse and worse) she had a stroke that killed her after about a week. She had lost all will to live and was very unhappy with dementia before the stroke.
Anyway, right after the stroke, a relatively young, Eastern European female doctor came in and introduced herself. She told me that pulling her off the statin had caused her stroke, then walked out. I was kind of in shock over the whole thing, it took me a few minutes, but I went looking for her.
Luckily I ran into her boss, who turned out to have great advice about the whole situation, he asked me what was up. I told him I was looking for the other doctor, I wanted to talk to her. He rolled his eyes, pulled me into a room, and asked me what she said. I told him, then I said, "We've been dealing with this for at least five years, she's seen at least ten doctors about it, and not one of them could tell us whether this is vascular dementia, reaction to medicine, Alzheimer's, they only knew she had dementia. Other topics with doctors, same thing, no definitive answers. Yet this lady has the knowledge and the balls to tell me that pulling her off that pill caused this stroke? Not buying it." He apologized for her, then probably gave me the best advice of the whole ordeal, which was not to lose hope, but make sure that she doesn't get tortured with rehab and procedures. Anyway she passed comfortably in her own bed about a week later. The lady doctor was probably right, but she definitely needed to work on her bedside manner, I never saw her again.
So anyway, I'm a believer in those pills for people like me, with a cholesterol issue and family history.
To Joe's point, both my mother and brother have had issues with statins. I brought that up when my doc told me it was time, they had issues with Crestor and Lipitor. So I got Pravachol and have had no issues, been on it for about 20 years.
As far as the getting winded easily, I wouldn't necessarily blame the beta blocker. That's another good drug, especially for people who have had heart attacks. I'm on one of those too.
You just had a heart attack, even though there was no damage it's going to take time to heal up, that's probably why you are getting winded. The beta blocker might fatigue you a little, but, at least in my case, has never caused me to get winded. It does lower your max heart rate, but you would only notice that when running or exercising to the max.
I do long distance bike rides and train most of the year. The beta blocker slows me a little, but not much. I've been doing 100 mile rides for 10 years now, hoping to get 3 or 4 in next summer.
I would give it time, be patient and heal, you'll come back stronger than ever.
I read a recent study that suggested statins themselves might be causing dementia. My mother is on them and her dementia is getting worse and worse. She too says she just wants to die, she keeps saying she wants to go to sleep one night and “wake up dead” the next morning. Shame on that doctor for saying what she did. It’s only a theory that taking her off the statin caused her death. At that point why make the family feel bad?
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Congratulations! By the way, what do you fly?
I'm guessing, a plane 8)
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I'm guessing, a plane 8)
homage to Baa Baa Black Sheep...
(and, Username, I hope things work out...)
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Congratulations! By the way, what do you fly?
A 1950 Cessna 170A. Polished aluminum with blue accents. As I get older, I found I wanted something that's easy to buy, easy to maintain, and a ton of fun. I really don't want to go anywhere but up. I just added an engine heater so I'm good to go when it gets winter here.
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A 1950 Cessna 170A. Polished aluminum with blue accents. As I get older, I found I wanted something that's easy to buy, easy to maintain, and a ton of fun. I really don't want to go anywhere but up. I just added an engine heater so I'm good to go when it gets winter here.
Sounds like a neat plane, but "easy to maintain"? I guess if you like polishing aluminum, then it could be considered easy.
But it's probably all that polishing that is giving you chest pains. I'm only half joking here. I have experienced minor chest pains after doing simple things like polishing my truck. Lots of chest muscles involved doing that.
Anyway, glad you are "ungrounded".
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Sounds like a neat plane, but "easy to maintain"? I guess if you like polishing aluminum, then it could be considered easy.
But it's probably all that polishing that is giving you chest pains. I'm only half joking here. I have experienced minor chest pains after doing simple things like polishing my truck. Lots of chest muscles involved doing that.
Anyway, glad you are "ungrounded".
Agree with this and that chest pain could be anything. If not the gallbladder, could be spasm of the Sphincter of Odi. Could be esophageal spasm. Could be costochondritis. Could even be prodrome to a shingles outbreak. Could be as they say a clot that dissolved on its own and caused no damage. Could be an alien parasite. ;D
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Agree with this and that chest pain could be anything. If not the gallbladder, could be spasm of the Sphincter of Odi. Could be esophageal spasm. Could be costochondritis. Could even be prodrome to a shingles outbreak. Could be as they say a clot that dissolved on its own and caused no damage. Could be an alien parasite. ;D
Or just a persistent case of gas. ;D
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A 1950 Cessna 170A. Polished aluminum with blue accents. As I get older, I found I wanted something that's easy to buy, easy to maintain, and a ton of fun. I really don't want to go anywhere but up. I just added an engine heater so I'm good to go when it gets winter here.
Nice! I’m still looking for my plane.
“You only fly a 170. I fly a 172.” Haha.
I’ve hear the 170 is outstanding and very capable. I love the polished look on any aircraft, but it really seems to fit on Cessna taildraggers. A friend of mine has a Stearman, a polished T-6, and a polished Cessna 140. She loves to polish I guess.
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A friend of mine has a Stearman, a polished T-6, and a polished Cessna 140. She loves to polish I guess.
Is she rich and does she look like Kristi Noem???
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Nice! I’m still looking for my plane.
“You only fly a 170. I fly a 172.” Haha.
I’ve hear the 170 is outstanding and very capable. I love the polished look on any aircraft, but it really seems to fit on Cessna taildraggers. A friend of mine has a Stearman, a polished T-6, and a polished Cessna 140. She loves to polish I guess.
Posted by: Anthony
« on: Today at 04:18:36 AM »Insert Quote
Quote from: nddons on November 19, 2020, 11:27:40 AM
A friend of mine has a Stearman, a polished T-6, and a polished Cessna 140. She loves to polish I guess.
Is she rich and does she look like Kristi Noem???
Wax on, wax off! Just sayin...
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Is she rich and does she look like Kristi Noem???
No, and sadly, no.