Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

This is from Eric Esche, alive and walking, talking and discharged from the hospital. Yes, I did have a full blown 100% blockage heart attack on Saturday 12-12-15 around 2:30 PM. I called 911 when I recognized the symptoms (weakness, thickness under jaws, heart burn like feeling in center of chest - much like before in 1998) and stopped denying them after about 10 minutes. Had been burning brush in the front yard and wanted to put away things - dumb. Waited on telephone with EMS operator until the first paramedic arrived, a former neighbor of mine who remembered our feeding him during an ice storm in years past. Went by ambulance to NW hospital in Bentonville, AR and their cath lab where they inserted another stent butting it into the one I had gotten with my first heart attack in 1998. They said it was plaque peel off that caused the blockage and that one of the new medicines they are giving me will help to stabilize the plaque, lessening the chance of it happening again. I have gotten along just fine with 45% remaining heart ejection function for the past 17 years, but miracles of modern medicine, the cardiologist says I appear to have more than that now, maybe even 55%. Only real discomfort last night was not getting quite enough pain killers for my knee operation which I had on Monday 11-30-15. Doctor said no real restrictions other than to take it easy for 3-4 days on my right wrist where they ran the wires for the angioplasty and stent insertion through, and that I could go back to paddleing when ever the orthopedist, Dr. Chris Arnold, released me to after my followup exam on Dec 22nd. Have 4 new medication to take in exchange for some old ones, but after a very thorough echo sonogram this morning around 9AM, the cardiologist said i could go home before noon from ICU, a less than 24 hours stay that is amazing to me as I was expecting to have a 4-10 day stay. He told me I could take a 2 day break from my knee rehab exercises and constant motion machine, but I should keep my Tuesday Rehab appointment and get right back to it.

Hope to see y'all back on the water this spring - Eric Esche

Wow Eric. Get well soon.-M-

Eric, man glad you are able to get on the msg board.

Modern medicine can and does work wonders on us.

Stay with it and get well.

Brother You are in my prayers.

Get well soon

I'm glad that you are still with us, Eric.

It is good to hear that things are looking up for you. You are in our prayers.