The editor of Real Answers hopes he can – at least he’s going to try.
Six years ago, he had two heart attacks.
It took triple bypass surgery to get his ticker back in working order.
Small price to pay for another shot at life. Would you know the signs?
Would you get help – before it’s too late?

When did you first realize you had heart trouble?
“When a cardiologist, whom I’d never met before, walked into the examining room with a clip board and said, ‘Well, about the only thing we don’t know is when you had your second heart attack.’ I nearly had a third right then and there.
“He had the results of a test where they injected radioactive thallium into my bloodstream, then took an x-ray of my heart."
“The picture he saw wasn’t pretty. It showed two areas of damaged tissue. Two parts of my heart were no longer working – and never will again. I didn’t know it then, but I was lucky to be alive.”

There was an ad campaign that said
“Thousands of heart attack victims
die with minty-fresh breath.”
What’s the connection? “
I could’ve been one of those. When I started having chest pains, I assumed it was heartburn. I was on the road a lot, under a lot of stress, eating “road food” at the wrong times of day, so indigestion seemed logical. “
My solution? Chew half a dozen antacid mints, then have a smoke. Bad choice. My body was trying to tell me something – but I wasn’t listening.”

Why didn’t you recognize the signs?
“Fear makes me stupid. When I finally went to the doctor, I even convinced him that I had stomach trouble. He gave me a prescription antacid and sent me on my way.
“For a few days, I felt better. Then the pains came back. I told him the prescription wasn’t working. He replied, ‘The medication is working just fine. You just don’t have an ulcer.’ That’s when he sent me to a cardiologist and
they discovered I’d already had two heart attacks.
“My denial was pretty much busted. Leaving the cardiologist’s office that day, I had my last cigarette. Haven’t touched one since. At the time, I was smoking three packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day.”

“Two days later, I was admitted to the hospital for more tests, which showed major constrictions in two of my coronary arteries. They performed angioplasty, a procedure in which they insert a small balloon into the blood vessel, inflating it to squash the obstruction against the side of the artery wall. None of it was painful –– neither the test nor the procedure.
“I was back at work a couple of days later. Things seemed okay for about six months.”

And then?
“The pains came back. “But now I had a magic pill — nitroglycerin tablets
— that would take away the pain almost instantly. Nitroglycerin expands
the arteries, allowing more blood flow,

temporarily solving the problem. After two and a half years of more pain and more denial, I finally told my doctor the truth.
“Less than a week later, I was in the hospital for triple bypass surgery. It was major surgery, yes, but I really did not have much pain. I was released five days later, and was back to work in a couple of weeks. It took a few months for the soreness to go away completely, but I haven’t had a single problem since.”

What does a heart attack feel like?
“Looking back, it was the scariest, most painful thing I’ve ever been through. It felt like there was a tire jack inside my chest, pushing and pumping my breastbone outward. It was this wrenching, crushing sensation.
“I ended up on my hands and knees on the floor. After about 45 minutes – just when I thought I would have to call 911 – the pain began to slowly fade. “The reason for the pain, or angina, is that the heart is starved for oxygen. That’s because of a blockage in a coronary artery. There are no pain sensors in the heart, so it stimulates those in the chest.
“Next, fear causes your already overworked heart to pump still faster, which makes the pain worse. That increases your panic, which makes your heart pump even harder. It’s a classic example of a vicious cycle – a system gone berserk.”

What advice would you give to someone who suspects they have a heart problem?
“Don’t find out the hard way. I had two heart attacks and triple bypass. I’ll take the discomfort and hassle of major surgery over the terror, excruciating pain and risk of death from a heart attack any day.
“Get yourself checked out. Don’t tempt fate. The first heart attack kills about one out of three victims, and 75 percent of those die within one hour of the start of symptoms.
“I think part of the reason I lived to tell about it is so I might help save some other lives.”

What are the risk factors?
“Smoking is a big one. Nicotine constricts your arteries, cutting down blood flow.
“High cholesterol is another risk factor. It leads to fatty deposits on artery walls. Over time, this buildup narrows the arteries. High blood pressure, another risk factor, speeds up the process and increases strain on the heart.
“Others are diabetes, obesity and heredity. You can’t change the genes, but the good news is, most of the other factors can be controlled.”

How?
“Throw away the cigarettes (and cigars and chewing tobacco and snuff) and don’t look back. Get some exercise – regularly. Doctors will tell you 30 minutes, five days a week. If that sounds like too much, at least start doing something.
“Eat a healthier, lower-fat, lower-cholesterol diet, but don’t sentence yourself to tofu hot dogs and celery sticks. Modification of your diet is the key.”

And if you experience the signs?
“If you start to have chest pains, even mild ones, SEE A DOCTOR. If you test positive for coronary artery disease, take your medications as directed. And if you ever think you’re having a heart attack, call 911. Better a false alarm than a funeral.”