Good Morning !!

chefdennis · Nov 25, 2012

Ok, I posted this in the Load 1 carrier forum and then got a few messages that I should post it up here because not everyone visits down there, so here you go!

1st, HI!! i haven't been on EO in a while and while those over on the FB "Misfit" page are aware as are a few others that have messaged me, I have been OOS and having some Medical test..So..I guess i should update on whats goin on...
I ran the 1st 2 weeks of Nov and it was he slow...I ran home and while here had a bad case of chest pains that had me in the Dr's office... Now I have had a hiatal Hernia for yrs and i have known it and I thought that was the issue..Well after a "upper and lower" scope, and a "nuclear stress test", it turns out the hernia is not the issue, but I do have a blockage of blood flow to the lower back side of my heart...

So, as of right now (and with Michigan losing today, it ain't good) I will be in the hospital monday the 26th for a heart cath to determine just what the issue is...If it is a simpe blockage in the artery that feeds that part of the heart, they will open it up and i should be back in serves by Weds...It it is found to be a blockage in the heart itself, they will install a stint" and I will spend the night in the hospital and be back home by tues afternnon and hopefully back in service by thrus or fri..The worst case is they find more bloackage and then it is stop the cath and schedule a by-pass (only a 5-10% chance) and I'll be OOS for a while and calling Brian to get a driver in the Cargo Max...

I am pretty confident that I'll be back by Fri at the latest and then running hard till Christmas...

So there you have it..I want to thank all of those that have "messaged" me and called and inquiried as to my MIA here, it is greatly appreciated...

You all be safe out there and hopefully busy!!!

Now, since I posted this, I have heard from more then a few people telling to slowdown and not rush to get back in service asap after the cath and possible placement of a stint...

Its funny, I never really thought of having heart issues or needing to slowdown..After I was told I needed this because of a blockage, I spoke with a few members here and others not in or industry that have had this done..I was told its not a big deal, just rest a few days and then go slow..I was also told that i should wait a while to go back in service...Then I got a few messages yesterday from "heart attack" survivors....You would be amazed at the differences in how people have recovered...

So, I want to thank you all for the info i have recieved, it is much appreciated. I guess I'll just play it by ear and go as I feel better to as to going back to work...Again Thanks for all the responces and info!!!

Ragman · Nov 25, 2012

There we have it.

The important issue for all of us is our health. Everything else we argue about is just bs in my book.

Get well, and may god bless you.

TeamCaffee · Nov 25, 2012

Take care of yourself and do not rush it! Look forward to seeing you again at the Expedite Expo. Good luck and a speedy recovery to you.

highway star · Nov 25, 2012

Best of luck, Dennis. Hope all goes well!

cheri1122 · Nov 25, 2012

Treat it [your heart] as if your life depends on it, because it does. Protect it, and take care of yourself first, then worry about everyone & everything else.
You'd be missed if you stayed away, you know.

pandora2112 · Nov 25, 2012

Good luck! May you have a speedy recovery!

)O( ~ Namaste ~ )O(

skyraider · Nov 25, 2012

Ragman said:
There we have it.

The important issue for all of us is our health. Everything else we argue about is just bs in my book.

Get well, and may god bless you.

Ragman: That was the best statement ever written in here in a long long time.IMHO.

Hope you received a million positive PMs on that one.

Slo-Ride · Nov 25, 2012

Hope all goes well Dennis..Sounds like some told ya in PM its pretty common and easy fix most of the time..I went thru a stint more then 12 years ago and had no proplems since..If it boils down to surgery,Dont push yourself to come back to work..Your doctor is best to decide when its time..Get your rest and recovery will go good.

paullud · Nov 25, 2012

Best of luck and we will pray for a speedy recovery.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums

jaminjim · Nov 25, 2012

Proper diet, exercise, and smoking. Two out of three is what you need. One not so much.

Good luck, don't rush yourself.

dolphin · Nov 25, 2012

Hope you get serviced and out the door better than ever. Some times we forget we
are as fragile as our vehicles. God bless.

seekerman · Nov 25, 2012

Hey Dennis. Don't want to concern you unduly buddy, but I feel compelled to tell you what happened to me. At some point in the process you may be given Plavix, which as you may know, is a blood thinner and is prescribed to keep the blood flowing through the stints. A few hours after I had two stints put in about four years ago I had a bowel movement and the stools were black. I had never seen anything like this and when I told the doctor he checked my hematocrit a couple of times and released me. I called my primary care doctor at the VA the next morning ( the stints were put in by a civilian doctor with an excellent reputation and all kinds of honors in the field, an older man), told him about the black stools and he called me over to the VA to check the stool. There was blood in the stool and he immediately sent me to the emergency room via ambulance for a stomach scan at another local hospital. Turned out I had severe erosive gastritis (ongoing and unbeknownst to me) and a severe stomach bleed, which was caused by the Plavix. I was taken off Plavix and was NOT given a substitute. Within a day I began to experience severe weakness and fatigue and several days later had to call 911 with chest pains. Turns out that when I was taken off Plavix, the blood thickened and blocked one of the stints. They had to go back in to open up the stint and the cardiologist who performed the emergency angiogram (not the first guy) put me on Ticlid, which is a thinner but not like Plavix. I was fine after that. It became clear to me that the so called wonder doctor who performed the initial work was just a bum and if I hadn't called another doctor I would have been in trouble as it was a serious bleed. As far as I'm concerned, the doctor who performed the stomach scan and took me off of Plavix without a substitute was a first cousin to the first guy, well respected, but a bum. That these guys could make these kinds of mistakes just reinforced my long held belief that most doctors are just "practicing" and a lot of them need to be doing something else. Maybe it was just my turn in the barrel...I don't know. I certainly don't want to alarm you, but I just felt that my experience will inform you about the potential fails. I feel stupid now because I see myself as an alarmist through your eyes and possibly others on EO, but I guess so be it. Better that we know what can happen so that we can take care of ourselves, than not. What jaminjim said..good luck and don't rush.

AMonger · Nov 25, 2012

Everybody: the word is stent/stents, not stint/stints.

blizzard2014 · Nov 25, 2012

Yeah - also try and only take blood thinners that have been on the market for some time. Never ever take newer drugs as there are a lot of bad side effects that are still being worked out on them. I will keep you in my prayers Chef. You are so skinny and healthy looking I never thought anything like this would happen to you. I hope you get well soon.

Rocketman · Nov 25, 2012

AMonger said:
Everybody: the word is stent/stents, not stint/stints.

Imagine that....I'm sure glad you pointed it out. I was so concerned that someone might think he was going on a cruise in the Bahamas

myvan010 · Nov 25, 2012

I hope everything works out Dennis,,Thoughts and prayers go to you and yours...

And on the lighter side my BUCKEYES did beat up on some wolverines..GO BUCKS and OH IO..

ihamner · Nov 25, 2012

Dennis, take care of yourself during this surgery and recovery period! We miss you and want you well and happy!! I'll be praying for you as you undergo all this! india