Living With A Stent Graft
Welcome!
Hi!
My goal is to provide you with the resources to you need to get your life back on track. There are lots of helpful people out there, so don’t despair. Start talking to fellow travelers on the road to happiness, in spite of everything. One of the best places to start is Facebook, believe it or not.
kev
I expect you’re here because you’re living with a stent of some kind, be it in your aorta, brain, heart, or some other vascular location. Or you have a family member or friend in such a challenging situation. My work is largely based on an abdominal aortic aneurysm experience, which started during an Ironman race in 2010. It’s been quite a trip. Since then, I’ve encountered hundreds of people with vascular stents seeking input, guidance, or just someone to talk to about their condition, and how to deal with much needed exercise. Safely!
We all need inspiration, when life’s challenges come along.
If you have a heart stent, and you’re concerned about exercising, follow this link to Bob Scott’s story. Bob’s been living with a stent for years. It’s the second post on this blog, of over 1,000 posts. I just enjoy writing this stuff.
If you are considering returning to your sport, with a health problem, such as an aortic dissection or Marfan’s Disease, consider reading the post on Benefit-Risk Assessment, at this link. Remember, no exercise is not good for you, whatever people might say. Just do it wisely, by learning how to move.
You can browse around this blog in the search box (which is near the bottom on my iPhone, weirdly enough). Just paste in a key word, such as aging, angioplasty, Ironman, stretching, and so-forth.
If you are interested in my studies of ‘so-called plantar fasciitis’ aka acute morning heel pain, it’s all on this blog somewhere, and it’s condensed into an e-book, Plantar Fasciitis: An Evolving Research And Treatment Strategy
If you want to know how this blog came about, the story is presented in the following short video:
Here’s FitOldDog’s Story
You Can Get Your Life Back On Track
But Do It Wisely!
This Is How I Did It!
What’s Your Plan?
This is what Jim The Runner had to say about my first book, on Amazon:“You come back from the doctor and he tells you have a AAA aneurysm. What is that?!!! The author is a man of perfect health who did marathons and ironman triathlons. He finds out he has a ticking time-bomb in his belly ready to rupture. He covers the initial shock, how to handle the surgery event, post surgery and how to get your life back. You will find out how fortunate you are to find this aneurysm before it ruptures and you bleed to death inside your body. Knowledge is power and thanks to modern science, you will be saved by a dacron stent. The author will walk you through most of the questions that flood your brain after the doctor breaks the news to you. If your aneurysm is not in the danger zone (>5 cm), you will get tips on what you can do to help yourself keep the aneurysm in the safe zone. If are in the danger zone, you can look at some of the surgery options. He will talk about EVAR surgery where your surgeon doesn’t have to cut you open, but uses this minimally invasive alternative with a high success rate. He will go over your attitude and how you can get back to doing most all the activities you did before. He will point out some extreme activities you should avoid. Lastly he will show how he was able to recovery his life back to the point where he could do the Ironman Triathlon again (swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles). He provides links to other helpful sites. After you read this it will give you confidence that you too can get your life back. It worked for me. I am back running again and I love it.”
Thanks Jim, that sure made my day.
Hi Jim,
Met you yesterday at Weaver St. and appreciated the brief contact. Sorry we couldn’t speak more, but as you probably overheard, my friend had something pressing he wanted to talk about. My friend and I are both poets attending the Fri, Noon Poets in CH. Hill., although I live in Southern Pines, I also write a variety of a little fiction, creative non-fiction, I’ve got a full blown memoir I wrote 10 yrs ago that took me 10 years to write. I’ve never seriously tried to get it published because it’s such a daunting and discouraging experience and I didn’t start writing until I retired so I was way behind the curve and I do it as sort of a hobby although I’ve won a variety of contests.
I’m glad I turned you on to Norton Hadler since he has very little if anything good to say about cardiologists, stents, etc. I noticed your aynuerism story; Hadler had a patient with one of those and they didn’t do anything just kept measuring it’s size and he eventually died from something else.
I have PAD, arteries blocked in my legs that keep me from walking and hiking the way I used to. I can walk a mile on a flat surface (with pain) using hiking sticks but I don’t even try that anymore, what’s the point in killing myself to walk a lousy mile. So I cycle, swim, and do yoga instead. I also recently bought an electric bike because getting up hills in the lowest gear was just too exhausting and I still get some exercise on the bike ( I can pedal even when I’m getting a boost). The last time I was monitored at the vascular clinic I asked the PA why they couldn’t put stents in but he wanted to talk about the risks involved and I guess as long as I could walk at all they won’t do anything (not that stents are of much use according to Hadler) so at this point I don’t even go for periodic ultrasounds at the vascular clinic…what’s the point…a la Hadler.
I hope you will read him thoroughly and let me know what you think.
Hi Bob,
I appreciate your response. I also have PAD, against which exercise seems to be the only remediation of value. My right popliteal artery is making running tough, but once I get going it seems to help. You will see my current aortic situation in this post, https://athletewithstent.com/stent-benefit-risk-assessment/ I work to encourage people to do whatever the hell they can, for as long as they can. I do give talks on preparing for aging, which I enjoy, and I use it to promote my books.
My most effective marketing tool is story telling, in books, videos or to local groups. Will be giving another one in January at Oasis Tea Room, in Carrboro, in January.
I’m studying marketing to reach as many help-able people I can. I really want to reach those with little money, who can’t afford health insurance.
My purpose to to help people feel as happy as they can about the aging process, which is most definitely more challenging than an Ironman (my beloved sport of many years).
Let’s meet and talk, sometime. If you have a speaking venue, with potentially interested people, I could come to Southern Pines, and deduct the cost of the trip, and a dinner together, from my business taxes.
Give me a call sometime, and enjoy the fight. You sound like a fighter.
Kind Regards,
kev (though Jim is a nice name too!)
PS Let’s talk about publishing, as the world has changed. I’m about to put out my 7th or is it 8th self-published book, on dealing with pain, since leaving a science career in 2010. My sales are slowly growing, which is important, as I can’t help people without cash to pay for publishing and advertising costs. You could get your books out there for free on KDP, as a test, for instance, and create a revenue stream. I do this to test the market, from time to time.
Hi there guys. My name is David Giles and I’m an English “geriatric” approaching the age of 80 ( this October if I survive !! )
I am awaiting hospitalization for an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair. The aneurysm seems to be around 5•5 centimetres at this time, so not too critical as yet. Don’t think it’s about to burst at any time soon !! I’m afraid I tend to live a rather sedentary lifestyle !! Any comments or advice would be appreciated with my kind regards.
Hi David,
I don’t think you’re geriatric, though in my mid-70s I understand the sentiment. If you’re have a stent, the surgery is no big deal. If it is open surgery, that is more challenging, and you need to build up your strength and happiness quotient. I’m a great believer in having a life, as best we can.
It is important to understand the procedure, allow the surgery site to heal, and know how to protect your stent (if you have one) later on.
I would start training by doing longer and longer walks, and having a healthy diet.
You could also visit the Facebook page, linked below. You’ll need permission, but I’ll watch out for you.
There are lots of people there facing the same and worse, most with good spirits and good ideas.
Kind regards,
kev
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2283898552/