Hi. I'm new here. This story goes back
about a year. My nephew, then 14 started
having chest pains (he is also a juvenile
diabetic) and every time they asked the
drs about the pain, they just poo pood it
away and said, you have nothing to worry
about, he's too young for a heart attack.
Well, about 2 weeks ago he got bad
"indigestion" and no amount of Malox was
going to help it. Then on June 4, my
brother and SIL were out shopping and
Chris called them to tell them how bad he
was hurting in his chest and down his arm,
and felt like his heart was going to
explode. So my brother and SIL rush home,
take him to an ER, then sit in the parking
lot for 15 minutes to convince Chris he
wasn't going to have to have a prostate
exam (LOL), poor kid didn't want his
privates messed with. After they convinced
him, they went inside. Well, the drs there
said they could run some basic tests, but
since he is 15 he needs to go to
Children's for further treatment. Well,
his enzymes were way up and he had an
abnormal EKG. So they decide to transfer
him via ambulance. (They get to Children's
call us to tell us where he is, and we
make the hour long drive down there. I was
scheduled for spinal fusion surgery the
next day, so I took everything with me).
Well, Children's kept saying they didn't
know what they were going to do with him
as he is 6'1" and weighs over 200 lbs.
They just aren't equipped to treat a child
in a man's body. So they continue to run
tests, do the enzyme test 3 times that
night, hoping for it to be a fluke. Well
we sat up all night, then had to go to my
surgery. While I was out, they called and
said he was being transferred to UAB, the
major teaching hospital around here. UAB
was going to do the cut down to the groin
and camera up into the heart. Chris talks
them out of it, and they decide to do a CT
with contrast to see if anything looks
off.
They then transfer him back to Children's
but do put him in a private room instead
of the step down ward from ICU. It all
boiled down to the cardio from Children's
and UAB to get together and decide what
was going on. He had a mild heart attack,
and will have a stress test done today to
see about the damage. They may still do
the cut down/camera thing, but so far it
isn't scheduled.
My question is this, how do we explain to
a 15 YO that his life is forever changed
by a heart attack, and him understand. We
can't even get a grip on it, so I can't
imagine how he feels. I mean 15
YO!!!!!!!!!!!! They still don't know why
it happened, but have put him on daily
meds, a strict diet, and right now bed
rest. He's an active child. He lives to
skateboard.
Will he have skateboarding in his future?
Will he ever lead a normal life? How do we
discuss this with him, when we don't
understand it ourselves. My brother said
it finally hit Chris night before last
what had happened and some of the effects
and he got upset and crying. I know that
isn't good for him.
Any words of advice are appreciated.
Prayers are more than welcome. We need all
we can get. I mean, here I am, 1 week out
from major surgery, and we are dealing
with this.
Heart attack in 15 years old boy is not
expected in normal circumstances but in a
diabetic person who is also overweighted
it may not be that surprising. Chest pain
that he had a year ago should be taken
more seriously than doctors used to.
It is very important in your nephew's case
to exclude heart inflammation
(myocarditis) which is more typical for
younger persons. Elevated enzymes and
abnormal ECG are also present in
myocarditis. If heart attack is assumed he
may need coronarography ("the cut
down/camera thing") and echo-cardiography
to locate the obstructed coronary artery
and to assume the heart damage.
You can consult some cardiologist about
this problem.
|
Mitchelle
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jun 2008 Posts: 3
Posted: 06-16-08 03:36am
Thank you Dr.Nikola.
I thought his diabetes might have
something to do with it.
He really isn't that overweight. They are
wanting him to loose bulk in his chest, I
guess he is about 15 pounds overweight,
but I wouldn't have thought that would
cause the problem.
I agree the drs should have responded and
investigated when he complained starting a
year ago. They could have prevented this.
I'll make a note of what you said it might
be, and they can ask about that on Wed
when they see the cardiologist. He is
going to the adult one since he has the
body of an adult.
I think they should have already done the
heart cath, but he really didn't want it.
So they will only do it now if his stress
test shows something off. He has agreed to
let them do it then.
