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Things I Wish I Had Known Sooner

lkay
4 Recommendations

Hello all,

I keep picking up little tidbits here and there and am surprised there isn't a list, kind of like David Letterman's top 10, of Things I Wish I Had Known Sooner ....

I hope you all will jump in with your tips, no matter how trivial it might seem to you because it might be new to me and all the others out there. Also don't hesitate to add anything humorous because heaven knows we all could use a laugh or two.

So here goes -
I wish the doc had told me to take my lipitor at night before bed - a friend who is also a nurse said that it is processed by the liver easier while you are sleeping and more effective. It was two months into this treatment before I heard this tip.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Surgery Lipitor Back pain Pregnancy Beta blockers Anxiety Angina Menopause Stent Zocor Stress Dizziness Asthma Heart disease Hysterectomy Aspirin Coumadin Fever Diovan Pain Heart attack Depression

68 replies

kwinner

I wish I had known sooner that women and men with HD present differently, and because of that I was going to have to fight harder and be smarter to get what I needed.

lkay

It would have been nice if someone clued us in sooner about the male/female difference.

I wish they had told me never to take my aspirin on an empty stomach- been taking it first thing everyday and could have cried when the stomach doc just told me yesterday NEVER do that.

eviefor3

i wish "they" had told me about online support with sites like this so that you can share your experiences or get much needed feedback and truly understand what we all go through (or can at least try to understand) and give helpful info or share a laugh or just cry with us so that we don't have to just depend on the clinical side of things......we are allowed to be human in here and can share our thoughts and emotions and know that no one will try to belittle our "feelings"

bettyboop48

I wish that they would of told me how to take my nitro pill instead of just handing them to me and say here ya go if it wasn't for the nurse in the er I wouldn't of found out how many I could take and how often. And I wish that I would of listen when someone told me to quit smoking maybe then this wouldn't of happen. I wish that I would of kept my girlish figure when I was younger maybe that would of helped, oh wait I am still trying to find that girlish figure ha ha. I am glad though that I found all of you guys cuz you are all awesome even through all of this !!!!!!

Terric

I wish they had told me that heart disease is just as painful emotionally as it is physical. That many men feel those emotions compelety differently from women.

I wish they had told me that you need to fight depression as much as you need to fight heart disease.

I wish they had told me that most of the people in our lives are wonderful and will try to understand what we are feeling. But, they really can't identify with our feeling like we may have had a death sentence.

Most of us don't look any different today than we looked before our diagnosis. Our families and friends forget that we are not really the same. We don't have a fever, cough or cast. We have lots of meds that have side effects. We have a healthy dose of anxiety. Many of us have fear or are not able to do much physical, we are trying to find our limits.

I'm so thankful that I happened upon this website as I wish I'd known how important it would be to me and to my continued good health, both mental and physical.

I wish my family knew how luck "they" are that I found this web site and such a wonderful support group. My family has never seen me spend much time on the computer. When I retired I signed off. I stopped almost all use of the computer. Since I found this web site I've actually bought a laptop and I am rarely sitting around without it. It may not be on but it is my security blanket.

I wish I knew how to share this site and the incredible knowledge the women here have with those women who are newly diagnosed and shell shocked thinking they have to do this alone!

I wish I knew how to tell you all how truly thankful I am for your knowledge, support and friendship!

Blessing and Thanks from Texas Terric

kareno

I wish that there was a group like this for family and friends. They really try to understand, but don't.
I wish doctors had more training in "listening" to the patient.
I wish that people didn't judge you by how you look, but how you feel. I often get you look great then they don't understand why I can't do things like before.
I wish that you didn't have so many side effects from the medications.
I wish that my medical expenses weren't so great and a burden on my family.
I wish I could get on with my life without so much anxiety, worry and depression. Someone else continue this awesome list. kareno

lkay

Hi everyone,
I wish that the stuff inside that carton of sugar-free, fat-free chocolate ice cream really tasted as good as they make it look!

lkay

BettyBoop- I'll join you with your wish list except that didn't give me nitro to take home. I do wish that my girlish figure hadn't disappeared over the years. Maybe I'll find it yet.

As for the smoking, I know what you mean. I wish the switch in my brain that said "stop" had been flipped long ago instead of waiting for my HA to do it for me. I guess we both can file this under "woulda, coulda, shoulda" and move on from here. Beating ourselves up does no good.

Take care,
Laura

kwinner

I wish I had more energy to do fun things with my kids. I wish I had known the toll this was all going to take on my family, I might not have told them.
I wish I had some chocolate right now!
K

mamasmurf

A big Amen to all of this. Thank you for starting this tread. I can't think of anything to add at this point, but what Terric said has echoed with me also. She said "Most of us don't look any different today than we looked before our diagnosis. Our families and friends forget that we are not really the same. We don't have a fever, cough or cast. We have lots of meds that have side effects. We have a healthy dose of anxiety. Many of us have fear or are not able to do much physical, we are trying to find our limits."

Also about our friends and family. They try, but how but there's no way they can understand? They just haven't been there and I hope they never are.

fairybell

i wish i knew the impact of stress on how it effects your body i would have stressed lesss and enjoyed lifes ups and downs . i promise if i survive this thing i will never stress and enjoy life. fairyxx

melisue

I wish they had told me that an early hysterectomy was a risk factor for heart disease. I still would have had to have it but I could have been more pro-active in other areas.
Melanie

lkay

I wish all of those caring and compassionate medical personnel (doctors, nurses and technicians) all had the luxury of being able to slow down and treat each woman, not just rushing through to keep on pace for the quotas that insurance companies require. I don't necessarily think it is their fault that we get rushed through the system. I wish they could treat me as a whole person and not just the pieces and parts they specialize in.

Pretty big wish, huh?

smokefreeme

I wish I could convince everyone with CAD that life is still good. I wish I could have known after my first heart attack that I would still be here eleven years later enjoying my kids and grandkids. I spent so much time worrying and feeling sorry for myself I almost forgot to enjoy the simple things. God bless us all for if we continue to survive this disease it must be for a reason. So many don't get the chance I have been given. I wish I would have known that I was stronger than I thought. I could and did quit smoking, I could give up most meat, and I am a terrible dieter. OK, 2 out of 3 ain't bad LOL.

AuntieMom

I wish there was some sort of device that others could wear (like the pregnant woman thing for husbands to wear) that would give the wearer the same fear, anxiety, inability to do all that they used to do,etc. so that people (CAD free) would understand what we deal with on a daily basis.

I wish I knew how to shut out my brother's comments and the effect it has on my relationship with my niece. She and I used to be so close and she is pulling so far away from me it scares me. She thinks that the sun rises and sets on her alcoholic father who during his very frequent moments of drunkeness questions whether or not I really had a heart attack. I have no words that can explain how deep it cuts. The rest of the family says "Ignore him, he was drunk, he doesn't mean it."

I wish I had known before my heart attack that the people I thought were supportive weren't supportive.

In a warped way I have to say that my heart attack was a good thing to happen to me. It has opened my eyes to the way my world really was.

Sorry to ramble on - it just flowed out of me. Things that I have been holding on to for too long I guess.

lkay

Hi AuntieMom, I'm glad you joined this discussion. From what I have read on this site, your experience with people looking at you but not believing that the heart attack happened or was that bad is all too common, unfortunately. I'm sorry that those who are closest to you are the worst offenders. You don't mention how old your niece is but if she is a teenager it may not just be the influence of her father, but also the dreaded hormones! I know through those years I often had to look at my teenagers and wonder 'did I really birth that one?' :-)

And yes, life with CAD is still good, because we're here. Right ladies?

My best to you all and may your wishes come true,
Laura

CJA

THE 10 THINGS I WISH FOR:

I wish that I had known that all those things that
my mom said I would paid for later on in my adult life I had quite when I was still young enough for it to count.

I wish that I had not be so eager to show the world that," I could do it my way", I paid dearly for that one.

I wish that I could turn back the hands of time, I would know better next time.

I wish that I knew that having a handicap car tag meant that people would still look at me as though I was a lair.

I wish that I could convince my 2 children not to repeat my mistakes, least they become like me as well.

I wish that I could spend all the money that goes to my pharmacy for heart medication on a long vacation somewhere on a beach.

I wish that if I had one moment to change it would be that I would never smoke anything ever.

I wish that I had just one year without heart fear.

I wish that my husband, children , family and friends didn't have to worry about me so much.

And finally, I wish that every person who lives without heart disease will continue to live a healthy life and that all of us can be happy and at peace with the lives that we now have.

God bless, wishing you all a happy and healthy week,
CJ

gracie62

CJ your posts always touch my heart. You are such an inspiration and touch stone for me. Knowing you have walked this path and are still around to help those of us following gives me the hope I need to keep fighting to stay alive. So many people have told me how my bypass has shortened my life. You have shown me it is possible to keep living after it.
Now, on that note, I want to add a new twist to this thread.

THINGS I HOPE I REMEMBER
I hope that I remember what led me to this point. The past is not destined to repeat itself unless we continue making the same mistakes.

I hope that I remember I have a voice and I am alive only because I made it heard time and again.

I hope that I remember that my family is capable of taking on more than they let on and that it is okay to say "No" and not shoulder all the burden myself.

I hope that I remember that my heart sisters have always been there for me, making this journey less of a struggle and more of an online gabfest/slumber party.

Have a great day, Ladies -
Dianna

lkay

CJ, Dianna, and everyone else-

I take such inspiration, hope and joy from reading each and everyone's posts - the heartfelt wishes and dreams come through succinctly in your words. It is the highlight of my day to log on and see who is present in our conversations.

Thanks for adding to the thoughts. I love the "I hope that I remember" addition - makes me think of last week when I couldn't find my car in the parking lot ....

My best to all of you,
Laura

CJA

Dianna and all sister hearts,

I too want to say thanks for the " I hope that I remember". It does remind me that I do hope to remember that this journey that I have traveled though at times seemed to test my faith beyond my endurance, didn't beat me down.

Thank you and all of the beautiful ladies that come to share their lives with me and each of us daily. What a proud and wonderful community of sweet souls that I am part of. I hope to remember that I have made and hold dear more beautiful friendships of grace and love by being part of this journey, Women's Heart.

I hope to remember and never to forget that we are all heroines and angels, we are survivors. Thank all of you for being my sister hearts, today and everyday. How blessed I truly am.

Be well, this day and everyday.
CJ

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