Quad Bypass Surgery

I am a 43 year old woman, 5'2 119lbs with controlled diabetes, on Dec 14 2010 I collapsed at work with sudden death, I coded 2 more times that night and they did a stent and quad bypass 2 days later. I left the hospital about a week later, after a follow up with cardiac surgeon he gave me all the paperwork from the surgery, it stated that it was believed that the grafs don't look promising then I spoke to my cardiologist asked him about it and he told me it is in God hands , I could have 3 months or 30 years no one can tell, I have been sooo devastated by this news I don't even want to leave my house, it is a genetic disorder that I have and he said he has never seen such clogged arteries in someone so young. They told me at discharge I need to follow a 1800 diabetic diet with no salt or fat. Then the md says I don't have high blood pressure or high cholesterol (but I am on meds for both) dont worry just watch my diet for diabetes, I am so confused, if I eat some thing "bad" I am afraid that I wont wake up in the am, what should I do? I think the md should not have told me ALL the info he did because now I am more confused then ever! Help!

[ed34]

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation but we have to try and remember that even Doctors are human (well most are), and they cannot predict outcomes all the time. When I had five long stents put in last year the Cardiologist said to me "it's up to God now if they stay open, I've done everything I can". Six months after, meeting with him, he seemed pleasantly shocked I was still alive. All you can do is take each day as it comes and I know it isn't easy, but try not to get anxious over it. Stress really won't help your grafts at all. It makes no difference really if you leave the house or not, not to your arteries and the last thing you want to become is a recluse. Frame of mind can push medicine and science beyond their boundaries, I've seen it quite a few times. An example I've seen is when my wife was on life support and they told me to go home and stay by the phone because she wouldn't make it through the night. She is home and fully recovered. At least you Doctor is being honest and not giving a date. Cholesterol medication has another bonus apart from reducing lipids, it reduces inflammation in the arteries, a major cause of disease progression. My advice would be to eat healthily, try as hard as you can to avoid stress and don't just stay in the house. I think you will surprise them.