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@thankful Wow, I'm amazed you made it from a widomaker issue. Referring to the amount of time gone by before before Drs intervened. Miracle! My widowmaker callapsed (occluded) on the operating table so not much damage. Lower part of heart damage only. I had another heart attack a month later.
Anyway, the kinds of meds I'm on that was asked of me by @OKANAAZPEREIRA are:
Aspirin, Ativan, buspirone, norco, plaquenil, isosorbide, Lipitor, nitro (as needed), plavix, ranexa, requip, traxodone.
@donning, this is a tough position you are in on the decision your up against. Surgery or not. My take, and only and as a non doctor, I'd be willing to do the surgery only if my other body parts are healthy. I look at it this way, if you die on the table there is no pain but if you die of a heart attack out side of hospital there is. I'm feeling pretty good about death than most. I look at it as a chance to go home and trying to get there with little pain as nessesary. I'm a wimp. If the surgery works out then look at all the better quality of life you will have. So sorry to be Blunt but can't think of any other way at the moment. If your breathing and can still function pretty good then be happy without the surgery. I've never had to make this decision. I just know I was calling out for them to stop my pain during my heart attack. I'd like to avoid another as much as possible.
You asked about how they went in if I'm understanding correctly. They when in my right wrist and up the arm with the stant. Other than that I haven't asked how or what. I'm sorry. I was just happy they didn't cut open my chest.
Hope this helps.
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thanks pamelaann1, I have not had a heart attack but did have a triple bypass at age 44. I am now 60 and all of my bypass grafts and the rest of my arteries other than the mammary artery used for the bypass are 100% occluded. I'd never heard of CTO until my cardiologist told me of the condition. Apparently it is mostly genetic but my lifestyle has contributed to much of it as I was a smoker until my bypass and I also struggle with weight control. Fortunately, I still have never had the dreaded heart attack. The prescribed Isosorbide (continuous release nitro) is working but we have had to double the dose after the first few months. I have nearly constant pressure and slight pain in my face and jaws as well as my chest. The surgeon says there is a procedure to open a small pinhole between the artery wall and the blockage with a fine probe to then open the blockage and insert a stent. High risk because there is no way to get to the artery other than through smaller capillary channels and then the risk of puncturing the artery wall exists during the procedure as well as clots breaking loose. I'm trying to discover if there is anyone out there who can relate to this procedure. I have tried to learn what is available online but it is all about trial development and success failure ratios and advancement in technologies. I would really like to hear from someone who has done this and see how they are doing after any amount of time. Thanks so much for taking time to reply to my post. I appreciate your perspective on the life issues and am sorry to hear you have had to deal with so much pain............DG