Life after 2 heart attacks at 34.......................

[scorpio3200]

Hello all,
I thought I'd post part of my blog. My freinds have said I should post this so that it can give others motivation and curage. Please if you respond keep it positive. This is my life and it is dark enough. So here I go posting my life to my favorite web sight.

Never retreat never surrender a broken man's blog:
I was a happy 34 year old recently married and weighing 230lbs and building the courage to get into those tiny Speedo's and get up on a stage and compete. It's been my dream since I was 12. Anyways so one day I'm coming in from the garage and started to cough, a lot. then all of a sudden it feels like I lost all of my balance, I can barely breathe, and it feels like some one is squeezing my heart. I sit down and I'm suddenly drenched in sweat, I raise my hands and I can't feel them though I'm looking at them!. My face then starts to tingle then both sides went numb.
I think to myself that I must be coming down with a cold. I decide once I can stand I'm going to take a shower. Once in the shower I start to feel better, I can breathe again, all the feelings are coming back.That was the first heart attack.
The second happened when I was working, I was crouched down and all of a sudden it feel like I good hit in the head and some one's squeezing my heart again! I stumbled to my car and called my wife. She suggested that I go to the hospital. Being the stubborn fool I am I drove the 15 miles to her work at witch time I handed her the keys , that's what scared her I think since I had NEVER handed her the keys before. We drove to the hospital and they stopped the second heart attack . I stayed over night then got sent home. I had all kinds of tests done but 2 were scary. The first is a stress test, it shows a picture of your heart's blood flow and such. Most people at my age heart's look like a circle, mine looked like a upside down U. Meaning 1/3 of my heart isn't receiving proper blood flow. The second was when they shoved a catheter up one of my arteries to look at my heart with x-rays and special ink. It showed multiple blockages in my capillaries .
So every once in a while I'll drop some of my health stuff in here to give a full picture of my life. My blog is going to focus on the fight I currently wage everyday and hopefully motivation for some to take better care of themselves.
My current health goal is to get those Speedo's and get up on a stage in April or June next year. My current stats are as follows: 6'1, 215, body fat about 9%. 28 years of brutal training with the focus of being a bodybuilder. I have strived to keep a good balance top to bottom. Since I have some major medical problems in my legs I wont be competitive from the knee's down, but that's ok it's about me finally getting on a stage I'd like to win but this is ONE last dream! Everything else has been stolen by my health.The Dr.'s are looking at me like I'm crazy but that ok to. After I had reconstructive surgery on my shoulder I was told I would never be able to train safely again. Suck it Dr.'s I dumbbell military pressed 90'lbs for 7 reps today!
Never Retreat Never Surrender!!!

[Pitbull9]

Fucking great story man and i am glad you are still alive to tell it. Keep pushing just be careful and get regular check ups like every 3 months.

[Mini Forklift Ⓥ]

Good stuff man, thanks for sharing your story !! I'm similar to you as I suffered a small heart attack when I was 33, made the shift back to powerlifting from marathons/ultramarathons as they were too stressful for my heart.

I hope you can turn your dreams into reality, sounds like you know what you're doing. Wishing you all the best ~ and take care with that shoulder !!

[MuscleAddict83]

This will be my first subscribed thread on MD. Can't wait to hear what you've been doing for your heart since.

[lil mama]

Good for you on speaking up and telling us your story. My husband had a pretty bad heart attack on January 9, 2009, this was his 2nd one. First one was in Oct, anyways he had 3 stents put in him ... one artery was 90% blocked, another 60% and the other 50%. They said next stop will be open heart/bypass surgery and There was plenty heart damage (less than 20% now functions the rest of the heart muscle is dead...no longer functions) he is still on several meds and gets blood work tested as well as regular visits to his heart doc..just to keep an eye on the ole ticker.

Best of luck and I wish you a healthy outcome !!! <3

[scorpio3200]

Thanks guys,
I'm really hoping a supliment company see's this and takes a chance on me. One of the major problems of being so sick is that I've lost all of my saving, 401k all of it. Imagine having your hole life ripped from you, everything you've worked for gone in less than a year. If it was only my heart I could still work but , due to massive neurolagical problems my shins,ankle and feet are slowly dieing from lack of blood flow. When you sit down and your feet turn purple and black with in a few minutes its bad, DR. can't find the source either. Witch leads me to my next blog. My leg day VS, your leg day.
So I thought I'd write about some of the difficulties I deal with but don't stop me from hitting the gym. So as we go through this please take a step back and imagine what it would be like to walk in my shoes.
First thing on leg day I get up well I take the braces off my feet and ankles, I have to or my feet curl up into fists. So I slowly change , but try to rush because my dogs have woken and I don't want them to wake the wife. So dressed I stumble down a full flight of stairs, and release the hounds.
I then go get meds and force them down, always hoping they stay down because if they come up I cant replace them . Meaning I am force to throw up in my hands to catch the meds. Not fun!
Ok we'll fast forward to 5 pm when the wife gets home with the car and I'm off.
It has been 12 hours since I had my pain meds, they only last 6 hours at hours 10 or so I go through daily withdrawls. I have chosen this with my meds because I physically can not handle another dose. I have forced myself lower. Dr. can't believe I'm doing this and still be mobile at all. I will explain the difficulties with my legs at the end.
Starting my leg routine I'm nauseous and had the dry heaves already so its up hill from now on!
My leg routine has all the basics as any body else but I can't squat 600lbs like I used to 10 years ago, and not why you think.
Leg extensions, leg curls,squats, and leg press. My routine is composed of high reps and brutal weight. Ok I do all these each time but here's the fun part when it comes to the leg press its one of 2 routines.First starting with 3 plates a side I add 2 plates each set to each side up to 16 plates total but the sets are all 20 to 30 reps and in this routine this is the last exercise. Second routine is 4 sets 12 plates 20 reps but legs are kept on top of sled between sets and only 45 seconds between sets. try it its great and the point is to force as much blood into the muscle as possible.
Ok so here's the status of my legs:
Left leg, the arties going down have remained strong about 90% of a normal person the returning system of veins and capillaries are at 15%. Any damage that's done to my shins,ankles, and feet, doesn't heal as fast, about 1 tenth the speed. Whats really bad is working 20 years on reinforced concrete. Both arches have broken and slowly and partially healed flat. Then theres the Plantar Fasciitis, both feet are destroyed. Both sets of ligaments bleed inside my feet if I walk more than a few blocks or stand for more than 15 minutes or so. And since everything is out of alignment my ankles feel like I have 2 constant burned spikes one vertical one horizontal. People wonder why I don't smile.
Right leg: news is better here arties are good going down but...... and theres always a but, the return system has only shut about 60% down so its weird I can almost feel it dying some times..
Because this is what is happening , from the knees down my legs are starving for blood and not getting it and haven't been most of my life. As long back as I can remember my feet have turned purple, white and now black if I sit with my feet down to long. My wife is the one that first pointed it out to me about 4 years ago. I just never paid that close of attention and figured everybody was like this.
Hhhhmm I wont talk about my back in this post that's a hole nother issue that isn't pretty. Oh and did I say I was disabled?? Yah but I'm not dead, and the code I live by reinforces my soul to push on! No retreat No surrender. As you can see I have every reason to give up. Never get out of bed but to go to another Dr. appointment. But for some reason...... oh yah I don't give up, I will not let this or life beat me again. I understand that by going and training the way I do that I could seriously cripple myself if I'm not careful. But that is no reason to give up. I have plenty of those, but I only have a few left to live by. Having your life completely destroyed by illness that is all genetic sucks . I have always felt that I should not have kids. I know now why I had that feeling. I could never pass this death sentence that is my health on to my child. Everyone deserves a fare shake. Some don't get it but that is no reason to be selfish and irresponsible.
There is some good news with my legs though, since I have implemented this new routine over the last 3 months my legs have begun growing and getting stronger again. Dr. says the random burning in my quads is from new growth and healing. Lets hope!!!
So there you go with a little rambling what a leg day is kinda like for me. I know that to achieve the goals I have set for myself that I must Never retreat and Never surrender.

If you'd like to see all of my blog it's hear: http://lifeafter2heartattacksat38.blogspot.com/

[scorpio3200]

Wow,
I am truely sorry for what you have had to endure. I know the fear and hopelessness that my wife still fears everytime I call. Thank you for being there for him, many would have left and you are a special angel to your husband. If he ever needs someone to chat to about his fears and doubt I alway have time. This would explain why your so loved on the forums!!!

[lil mama]

Wow,
I am truely sorry for what you have had to endure. I know the fear and hopelessness that my wife still fears everytime I call. Thank you for being there for him, many would have left and you are a special angel to your husband. If he ever needs someone to chat to about his fears and doubt I alway have time. This would explain why your so loved on the forums!!!

30 years of marriage ..I aint going anywhere, he is my amor and my bf we been through a lot together . I certainly do empathize with you on the medical bills, cost of meds and the tiredness/pain your body is going through . Keep your will strong and wishing you the best <3

[scorpio3200]

Hello all thought I'd give you an update....

Been a productive summer although rough. Last few week I have been having allot of problems with my meds that I have to take. Imagine trying to train being sick to your gut and having chills , Sucks plain and simple. But by the end of training things are usually better. I suck it up.
I have been making gains though out my body. I have been focusing on my arms having one week with brutal high timed sets then the following week heavy training. Its been working my arms are coming up and filling out finally. Lets see chest has always been my favorite, I have changed the way I train it trying to get a more squared off look to the bottom as well as over all mass. Legs are a true test of my strengh of will. But my hard work is paying off I have hit personal records that I never thought I would be able to do. If you have read some of my previous blogs you would know about the severe medical problems well DR.s I took 315 down to ass and ankle baby for 4 beautiful reps. I have always squatted with a wide stance that used my butt for power. I changed my stance, 6'1 in height and only 18 inches between feet, all quads and it was also the last exercise in my routine this week . My left leg almost gave out on rep number 4 so I stopped but man THIS is the reason I am so gung ho in the gym. There is nothing like giving your all reaching those short term goals and surprising your self! The incredible rage I use when I train enables me to push things beyond what other do. I watch people stair at me in the gym but I don't care if they laugh. I love training!! If I had a complete gym at home I'd train more and the sounds of a grown ass man singing his butt off to god know what would echo through out my neighborhood!! HHHmm shoulders have been really doing great. I still can't believe I got 95 lb dumbbells up for 6 reps on the military press!! I have really come to believe that if your smart about it and keep your focus you can attain your goals in the gym.
My back actually is really strong, I have made a point of slowing all reps down but sheez, its always been strong but come on 365 on bent rows, the seated hammer row my top set has 5 plates per side then a 70lb on top of that for 10 slow rows! It weird but everybody has those awesome body parts that respond to just about any thing. My biggest problem is getting the lat to contract hard enough before one of my joints starts to go. To strong of muscles and to week of tendons and ligaments, so I've been working on increasing my secondaries so that I can tare it up on the main. Been working! Kind of funny I go up in weight for a couple of weeks then stop until the secondaries are stronger again. I have had this problem allot, considering how bad my genetics are. Oh well I work around it,
No retreat No surrender!!!
I would say the one kind of music that defines me in the gym is the sound track from Conan the barbarian!! When I'm deep in the middle of a workout I feel like I 'm at the forge of my soul and a new being is brought forth through my blood sweat and tears!!! I roar at the confines of my prison and will never stop pounding the iron!! It is a burning need that doesn't care if your sick,tired, or whatever excuses you possess. I must honor the iron and build the machine of blood and bone that satisfies me! Of course being a bodybuilder this will never happen. Oh I could do this to my chest oh and that to my hamms. It never ends but neither DOES MY SOUL!
Never Retreat Never Surrender!!

[scorpio3200]

Hey guys,
been a couple of rough weeks but things are getting better you can checkn it out here: http://lifeafter2heartattacksat38.blogspot.com/

[shanellebes]

You must be very strong and coping. You are lucky to have a family that is always there to take good care of you. With that incidence, I would suggest that you take a good diet and exercise to prevent further heart attack.

[Willy45]

Man this is crazy, I'm glad you're fighting the good fight. Keep it up brother, motivation comes from within!

[scorpio3200]

Hello all, thought I'd give and update. So in the last 6 months I've had special training and testing to make sure I can even train anymore. The news was good and with a really basic daily cardio routine I can still train as hard as my body lets me. It's weird by just talking to fellow gym rats I have become a motivation tool for my gym. Every time I train one of a couple dozen people will come up and say how good I look with my bad ticker and how much just seeing me there never giving up and bustin my butt drives them to try harder. I am thinking if I can add another 15 lbs. of quality muscle I can compete in about 15 months. At 6'1 and 215 currently. Good thing about being sick is I don't have a choice my diet is always clean and it's just a case of force feeding myself. The other major change is I have started a personal training business. After almost 30 years in the gym I can take just about anyone and teach them how to train in about 2 months. I believe that most trainers do not take the time to fully teach and prepare their clients, most treat clients like cash cows, show just enough to keep them coming back over and over again. My company is about teaching and trying to give back some of the love I have for the sport. Here's my link if anyone would like to contact me. hhtp://trainerswhoteach.com Keep your eyes open I'll be posting more soon!!!

[GeorgeForemanRules.]

Time to wake up and take responsibility for your life....or death.

No steroids.

http://forums.musculardevelopment.co...HRT?highlight=

No diets taking you down to sub 6% bodyfat.

No being huge, muscle or fat is is unhealthy for you. Get down to 170-190.

No more bodybuilding, just being fit and healthy is your hobby/job now.

Change your diet big time.



Or you can have another heart attack, your decision. You are a man, not a boy, grow up and do the right thing for your family.