A Scan Tool Saved My Life!

[Mike_H]

I am sitting at my kitchen table, trying to type coherently between doses of prescribed pain meds. I had open heart surgery, unexpectedly, on Tuesday and things are still woozy.

I have an annual physical every year at the end of July. At this year's physical my MD insisted that I have a CT Angiogram (aka heart scan). I did so reluctantly, because I have no sign of heart disease, and the $500 cost isn't covered by my insurance provider. My MD wanted me to have the scan so create a baseline against which my heart could be compared very 5 years or so.

The device that does this is one hell of a scan tool!

Last Saturday morning, my doc called at home, said that the scan had found a huge bulging coronary artery and that I needed to have it surgically removed, pronto. A second test verified the findings of the first, and I underwent surgery.

Here's the moral of the story: I am a normal guy in very good health. Blood pressure, cholesterol and all other indicators of health are normal or better. I didn't want to spend $500 for a scan (even though I regularly spend that much and more to maintain my K1200LT) because I'm cheap, and I'm a typical guy.

My friends, please spend a few bucks on yourselves. All the new farkles are meaningless if you are dead.

Looking at this message, I now realize that I am rambling. Sorry; its the meds.

Ride Safe,

Mike H.

[deputy5211]

Ramble on, Mike! We're grateful that you were smart enough to invest in the doctor's "farkle" and that you are here as a result. Like other events of late involving several of our members (myself included), yours is yet another reminder of how valuable life is and how we need to do our best to protect it.

(If I'm rambling, it may be due to my prescribed pain meds :) )

[Steve_R]

Glad to hear your going to be okay Mike. Don't ever stop rambling about things. There are two groups that I particiapte in that don't even think about ATGATT or much less about protecting their heads. After my little get off last week, I need to go ramble on one forum and send a mass email out to the other.

Thanks for the prodding!! :thumb:

[MikeERideWNC]

Now I must ask how did he detect it?

I work for www.terarecon.com
We build the worlds best 3D and 4D medical imaging system.

Did he use our product or a competitor?

Saving your life justified their purchase!
I hope you let them know the value of 3D tools.

For the rest of you, if your hospital isn't using at least a 64 slice scanner and a decent 3D rendering tool, you need to demand it!

[Mike_H]

Here's a link to the imaging center's web site. I don't know which device the imaging center uses, but I believe it creates a 3D image for the radiologist to read. http://www.lakesideimaging.com/services/CardiacCTangiography/index.asp

The basic calcium scan can point out blocked (or potentially blocked) arteries, but wouldn't have detected the 7cm x 4cm bulge in my circumflex that the 3D CT angiogram did.

It's fun to be on the table, in the machine and listening the the staff chatter happily about their weekends, then hear them go silent, then hear one of them say "oh my goodness! look at that!" Made me wish a different part of my anatomy was being scaned.......

[DanMartin]

i am glad to see you posting like this. It reminds those of us that are immortal that seeing a doc does make sense. I will see mine in a week or so for my overdue diabetes checkup and see what he recommends.

dan martin

[RiderRay]

Mike:
So glad that you took the time and money and especially that you're here to tell the story.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. What the heck, you must have at least 2 or 3 weeks left to the riding season up there in WI! :histerica :rotf:

Ray

[zippy_gg]

It's fun to be on the table, in the machine and listening the the staff chatter happily about their weekends, then hear them go silent, then hear one of them say "oh my goodness! look at that!" Made me wish a different part of my anatomy was being scaned.......Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor!:p

[cfell]

I'm an immortal...

I just won't be here to prove it..... =)

Youze guys are the best.. thanks for the reminder and "Med-induced" clarity.

[ibbones]

While I am only 45 trips around the sun, I have been seeing a cardio Dr. for seven years to do a stress test as a base-line(heart disease runs in the family). The first time I did that, it showed a murmur in my heart that has been there since birth but not enough to worry about. Well now the good Dr. knows about it and can monitor it as the years pass.
Thanks for reminding the others to do the same as it may save their lives also.

[SilverBuffalo]

Just a bunch of old guys sitting around rambling about their medical problems.
:) I guess it's come to that,

most of us here would probably have taken much better care of ourselves
if we had known we were going to live this long.

We're the lucky ones, we're still here to talk about it.... and...
Between motorcycle crashes and old age we've got "lots" to talk about,

nothing makes you appreciate life and good health more
than a "suttle" (or sudden) reminder that we are not immortal. (yet)

[Tat_n_Telle]

For the rest of you, if your hospital isn't using at least a 64 slice scanner and a decent 3D rendering tool, you need to demand it!

Uhh, any chance of them renaming the scanner? Something about the "64 slice" thing makes me cringe.... :-)

[zaphod]

It's a good thing you went to a pro for your annual 12K checkup and a good thing they caught the problem in time. Get well soon.:thumb: