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A Double Bypass, Is IT or Is Not a Career Ender?
We have a 40 yr old FF that just had a double by pass operation. He was 50% on one and 90% on another one at the heart. We have NO lite duty in the city so what do you all think his options might be. He is physically in shape and does not smoke so its more of what he was eating and stress from the job that may have brought this on. Just like to hear some input on this. I figure he is probably going to be done but hate to see it.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paul Everson on
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Do you guys have a physical agility test you perform yearly? If so, and if his doctors give him the okay, have him do it. We had a guy that had the same surgery, but he could never get his doctor to approve the agility test. Unlike your friend, this guy was 50, obese and a smoker. He had quite a few risk factors and did nothing to change. He was told by the Chief to just pass the test and you can come back to work... It never happened.
Paul
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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Hey Steve, sorry to hear about something like this at auch an early age. Who knows, with todays
technology he just might have a fighting chance. I'm sure he will have to change his eating habits,
and start eating healther foods. I sure hope he makes it, and comes back to the job he loves.
You will have to keep us up dated on his progress. I will ad, that knowing he is in good physical
shape, that's half the battle.
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Permalink Reply by St Wood on
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Thanks for the reply, Its probably really going to depend on any damage to the heart, and what the doctor says. We dont have anything formal that we have to do but the guys work out in our workout room when they are on shift and are pretty good about it. Its just ashame that this has happened to him.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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I'm familiar with a 45-year old firefighter who had a bad family and personal history of heart disease.
He had a quintuple bypass a few years ago and was off work for aroudn 6 months.
After he completed his rehab, he was able to pass his firefighter physical and PAT test and return to work.
He's been back for around 5 years and is actually in much better health now than before he had the 5 coronary artery bypass grafts.
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Permalink Reply by Dewayne and Diana Bean on
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As a nurse and as a family member who lost my FIL in the line of duty he died from a stress induced heart attack from fighting a fire. There is a lot of times it may be corrected with surgery however there is still a huge risk. My FIL knew the risk (he had heart problems, heart attack etc) but opted to continue because he knew his family would be taken care of if he passed on the job. He passed in 2002 fighting a fire and my MIL is still trying to get the city to pay his PSOB benefits for survivors. I would hate this to happen to another family. Best case scenario would be for him to change jobs in my opinion.
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If the firefighter has no cardiac damage (no Q-wave indication of MI, no reduced ejection fraction, no increase in acute cardiac injury markers) then there's no evidence of increased risk. Most of the firefighters who die from LODD heart attacks die from their first heart attack.
What we're discussing is a firefighter with coronary artery blockages, but no myocardium damage. Once the myocardial perfusion is restored and the firefighter rehabs, there's really no reason to keep them off the job as long as they get medical clearance from a cardiologist or other qualified physician.
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Permalink Reply by Kirk D. Baughman on
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i think if the doctors have cleared him to do the job then it should be ok. it has to be up to the person that is going through the bypass. if he cant do it then he needs to be a man and say i can't do this any more. everyone is going to have to give up the fire service one of these days. every one get old and thats life.
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Well DT he had been having chest pains for about 2 weeks he said, but you know how us guys are. Thanks
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Hey thanks guys for all the relpies, I will let him know that there is some good hope for him and just not give up. You all stay safe out there.
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I'm also familiar with a fire chief who had an aortic valve replacement and who returned to work in much better health a few months later. He has a ball-and-basket aortic valve, so he's a "Lub-Click" instead of a "Lub-Dub", but it's prolonged his career, to the benefit of both the fire chief and the community.
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Permalink Reply by Bill on
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If he can do the job then what is the problem. We have person that is missing a leg and he still does the job even though everyone said he wouldn't be able to. As long as they are physically and mentally able to do it then let them do it.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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So your saying he knowingly stayed in the fire service instead of having his cardiac condition fixed because of the PSOB would take care of his family???
I guess his department had no physical/medical standards, annual testing, pulmonary function tests, etc. For all of the lip service talk about "reducing the numbers" for a safer fire service... All of which attempt to reduce the LODD numbers, if instituted could have possibly allowed you and your family a longer time together.
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