Lin, Thank you for your message. Although we cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this correspondence, if you would like to seek help from Mayo Clinic, the best way to do it is to call one of our appointment offices:
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville Fla., (904) 953-2272
Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minn., (507) 284-2111
Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz., (480) 301-1735
You do not need a doctor’s referral, although information about past treatment is always important.

Lin, Thank you for your message. Although we cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this correspondence, if you would like to seek help from Mayo Clinic, the best way to do it is to call one of our appointment offices:
Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville Fla., (904) 953-2272
Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minn., (507) 284-2111
Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz., (480) 301-1735
You do not need a doctor’s referral, although information about past treatment is always important.

Now, just this past week, On October 6th, 2010, I went to have a check up by my cardiologist because I was suffering again from shortness of breath and tightness and a gripping feeling in the deep center of my chest upon exertion or mild jogging. Another angiogram was done the next day and two more stents plus an angioplasty balloon to reopen a blockage where one of the previous stents had become blocked again.

So only 1.5 years after my first angiogram and 3 stents inserted, I have the need for more stents and procedures for opening arteries that had stents inserted. I asked my cardiologist if I would have a better prognosis at this point if I had a bypass surgery instead of inserting stents again…he said, no, the first stents we used just did not have a drug in them that worked for your blockage prevention like we had hoped. So we used a different type of stent this time.

Many in my family history died very young from this disease and I do not want to die young. I would like to know how to get the best advice. I have health insurance through Blue Shied and I would like to hear from anyone with feedback.

Thanks, Lin

Now, just this past week, On October 6th, 2010, I went to have a check up by my cardiologist because I was suffering again from shortness of breath and tightness and a gripping feeling in the deep center of my chest upon exertion or mild jogging. Another angiogram was done the next day and two more stents plus an angioplasty balloon to reopen a blockage where one of the previous stents had become blocked again.

So only 1.5 years after my first angiogram and 3 stents inserted, I have the need for more stents and procedures for opening arteries that had stents inserted. I asked my cardiologist if I would have a better prognosis at this point if I had a bypass surgery instead of inserting stents again…he said, no, the first stents we used just did not have a drug in them that worked for your blockage prevention like we had hoped. So we used a different type of stent this time.

Many in my family history died very young from this disease and I do not want to die young. I would like to know how to get the best advice. I have health insurance through Blue Shied and I would like to hear from anyone with feedback.

Thanks, Lin

And what a remarkable testimony to the power of social media to communicate these stories to reassure others and also to draw out and make explicit that new emerging story of “Wellness.”

I’m off to read the Utne Reader article now and will blog my thoughts on it later.

And what a remarkable testimony to the power of social media to communicate these stories to reassure others and also to draw out and make explicit that new emerging story of “Wellness.”

I’m off to read the Utne Reader article now and will blog my thoughts on it later.