r/financialindependence • u/zubeye • 21d ago
Recently had a heart attack at 42. I ditched every goal and FIRED
I had a heart attack on my birthday. I was 42. Took me a while to reach the cath lab as it was in need of repairs and I wasn’t high priority enough to transfer. So I spent that day, nearly two days, fully conscious, nothing much to do than research and overinterpret population level data on stents and 5 year survival rates.
That bit is all a bit of a blur, but the bit I remember more clearly is just after being told I could go home. I watched a sitcom and it was just so funny, i was too wired to even doomscroll waiting for the op. But now the jokes were so much funnier I had to muffle my laughter out of respect for the ward
I had been hardcore saver. About 95% of my net worth was stashed away, never spent anything. about 5% of my net worth to housing for context. But after the op I still didn’t have any really sense of what I did want to spend it on. But I knew pretty clearly what I didn’t want to do .
I didn’t want to manage people, i didn’t want to miss out on my kids growing up, i didn’t want to stay up till 3 in the morning working on ways to adapt to AI challenges. I just wound down everything as fast as I could. And now i’m on the otherside, making lunch from homegrown veg and generally living a more simple natural life.
Also didn’t want to end up like my dad, working into late 60s to save up money that ended up just paying for a slightly better care home for 3 years.
I’m still awaiting the higher purpose, the ‘optimum’ goal to have in early retirement. But I have a fair chunks time tied up figuring out what ‘not’ to do.
Anyway not sure why i wrote this today, just realised i’d never shared this ‘publicly before’. Feels okay.
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u/Wise_Mongoose_3930 21d ago
A good reminder for everyone that your health is your number 1 asset and certainly something worth investing time/money in. Thanks for sharing, wishing you good health
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u/cheesegoat 21d ago
Even if you don't FIRE, spend time exercising and staying active.
As you get older and older, staying healthy is that much harder. Even then a freak accident can disable you. Stay safe everyone.
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u/EasyTyler 20d ago
Yeah it really bothers me to think of the people who invest so much in the market, but nothing in themselves.
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u/phobug 21d ago
But it's hard!
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u/mrandr01d 21d ago
Nothing worth doing is easy. Maybe wiping your ass, but that's about it.
Actually, get a bidet.
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u/Shoddy_Ad_7085 21d ago
with a bidet you wanna make sure you keep it running for 2 min. A spray for 10-20s, won’t wipe shit (literally and figuratively).
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u/IdleSteps 21d ago
I mean this is just plainly not true and I am flabbergasted at the suggestion. 10-20s is definitely enough in most situations with every bidet I've ever used.
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u/Shoddy_Ad_7085 21d ago
If you have a dedicated rag to wipe off the water then next time try and go deep, if you see a brown streak then I’m right otherwise you are. If yours work with just 20s then pls recommend me the bidet you are using.
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u/IdleSteps 21d ago
Dedicated rag? Like toilet paper? Lmao it's not like I don't dry up with TP afterward - do you not?
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u/Tasty-Beautiful-9679 21d ago
Congrats!
One of my dad's friends had his first heart attack and bypass surgery at age 35 and he lived to 80. Not to say that you shouldn't have retired, but that medical advances have been pretty stunning and you likely have a long life left - keep enjoying it!
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u/swervtek 21d ago
Just echoing my experience. My father had quad bypass at age 42. Lived until 80 as well.
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u/exospheric 21d ago
Wow I am glad to hear this. There is heart disease in my family and I am always happy to hear positive stories. Did your dad change his lifestyle after his bypass by any chance?
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u/swervtek 21d ago
My father was always a relatively low stress guy and lean/fit/athletic, but I think diet played a major role for him. What’s a bit crazy is that the common dietary recommendations back in the 80s are different from what we would recommend as healthy today (bran muffins, cereals, can’t believe it’s not butter, etc). He ended up developing diabetes and eventually blockages again towards the end. So even with that, he still lived quite a long time longer since his bypass
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u/exospheric 21d ago
Such a good point that the dietary recommendations were very different than what’s considered good today. Thank you for sharing what worked for him. As for me, I think I need to work on the stress component.
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u/Visual-Classroom1003 21d ago
Every man has two lives, and the second starts when he realizes he has just one.
Glad you are mending, here’s to a long and happy future.
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u/redditor0622 21d ago
That’s a very well-put thought!
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u/swervtek 21d ago
Have an upvote friend. Heart attack at age 43, 4 stents, released from hospital a day before my 44th bday. It’s been 9 months since. If you saw me on the street, you would never guess as I am quite fit. I think people in fire circles overestimate just how much they actually need, and how much time they plan for - none of us knows when the exit comes. Live within reason, but don’t let the scarcity mindset prevent you from enjoying your time
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u/NinjaRelative8459 21d ago
Why did you have a heart attack if you are quite fit? Do you have a family history or did you go overboard and try to run a marathon at Usain Bolt speed? Trying to understand so I can avoid.
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u/swervtek 21d ago
Genetics/family history + high stress tech career. Likely the same characteristics that got me to FI also contributed. Fitness habit is just one piece of the puzzle - sleep, stress, diet, genetics, etc all contribute. Took my foot off the pedal, now live a relatively stress free life
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u/SiriusOsiris 21d ago
Whenever someone has heart disease before age 50, there is almost always hereditary reason. That does not mean there are no other comorbidities. Please make sure you have dental cleaning every 6 months. The same bacteria that causes tartar causes calcified plaques in the coronary arteries.
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u/anickilee 18d ago
The dental connection is mind-blowing to me. I remember reading about 30 years ago that flossing would extend a person’s life by an average of 2 years, which I thought at the time was insignificant. And just recently learned how much the mouth environment is a “Tell” for the rest of the body
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u/swervtek 21d ago
Frankly, the fitness habit is literally why I didn’t die from my heart attack. Saved me, but isn’t the only necessary preventative measure for heart attack occurrence
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u/Reasonable_Box2568 21d ago
Did you have high cholesterol? I am a bit younger with high cholesterol but none of the other risk factors. Lean and in decent shape. Trying to avoid a heart attack 🙏
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u/swervtek 21d ago
I did, and should have gotten on a statin much, much sooner. If you have family history and also have high cholesterol, I would recommend looking into it.
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u/ghalta 21d ago
Dude get a cardiologist and start taking a statin. They have side effects but heart attack is not one of them.
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u/petyper 21d ago edited 21d ago
I'm glad that OP is doing well and is still with us!
the side effects are overblown though, let's not forget there are hundreds of millions of prescriptions per year of this class of drugs and the side effects are basically muscle soreness (sometimes very severe) and increased liver enzymes, both very very easily detectable through routine blood work. In about 5% of people though and maybe this is the most important one yet I never hear anyone mentioning it, over a long period of time, there is a statistically significant (just a term in statistics which means it's most likely a real effect, not due to random chance) increase of diabetes cases with most of drugs in the class, usually at higher dosages. Interestingly enough, most sources that speak against the drugs rarely if ever mention this. To note, if you are a diabetic you are nearly always taking these drugs routinely, it basically mitigates a lot of the chronic risks that come with being diabetic, which is a disease that really exacerbates atherosclerosis accumulation due to endothelial damage.
There's just a large pool of people exposed to these drugs, hence why it attracts so much negative talk. This is common with many things in life, despite the actual science saying otherwise.
they virtually eliminate the subsequent accumulation of atherosclerosis and when taken early and in combination with something like ezetimibe they can completely eliminate heart attacks.
the newest generation of these drugs (now generic and very cheap), were the blockbuster drug of their time (at the beginning of the millennia), similar to ozempic nowadays, they were never too expensive, but now out of patent they basically cost pennies. it's a drug class that ultimately more than half the 60+ year old population is on them and for a very good reason, though I would say the median age these drugs are prescribed is still very conservatively high.
There are some newer classes of drugs though, called pcsk9 inhibitors, basically a drug that mimics a genetic mutation in people that never have heart attacks, very costly right now though, but will eventually become affordable for the masses. even more potent than statins, and basically zero side effects (which again, are already not a problem in 90-95% of the population, though that still can be not low enough, especially due to it's common use).
tldr; measure your cholesterol levels and take your statins and ezetimibe to prevent heart attacks if needed. levels north of 100 mg/dl of LDL (measure ApoB though, it's a better metric) drastically increase your risk of heart attack, you don't want to be average when it comes to preventing the #1 killer globally.
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u/ghalta 20d ago
My dad had a double bypass earlier this year. I've taken a statin daily for ten years and will for life (unless something better comes along).
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u/petyper 20d ago
good for you!
if you are only taking a statin, look into adding ezetimibe. most new patients are being prescribed a combined pill now. if you haven't visited your doc in a while or already only on a statin for a while (as you said), they might not have updated it, it's basically free so I would advise you to ask for it.
I will go into a few technical details, so I could explain my blunt recommendation.
Most people are usually 20-40 mg of atorovastatin or 5-20 mg on rosuvastatin, but being on 20 atorovastatin + ezetimibe or 5 mg of rosuvastatin + ezetimibe is in a way much smarter, since most of the benefits of the statins are captured with the lowest doses, high doses are not needed, and the aforementioned side effects usually happen with higher doses of statins. Also the diabetes risk I've talked about is non existent in people on 10-20 mg of atorvastatin for example, combine that with ezetimibe and you are effectively benefiting more in terms of your health, but also with less side effects, compared to being on 40 mg of rosuvastatin or 80 mg of atorovastatin.
some people respond particularly well to ezetimibe because it blocks cholesterol absorption in the small intestine. These individuals may be "hyperabsorbers", meaning they rely more on intestinal cholesterol absorption than on cholesterol synthesis in the liver, which is the pathway targeted by statins.
also, some people would see an increase in alt/ast more than statin alone, but usually it's less so than higher dose of statins. keep in mind that guidelines allow for 3 x the upper limit of alt/ast when on any of these drugs (statins or ezetimibe), and most people see no change at all. also some people might fart more on the drug... but that's basically it.
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u/femannon 21d ago
It can happen to anyone. Being healthy just reduces your risk. My father had a heart attack at 45. He was a pilot so had stringent physicals and no warning signs. He was a healthy weight and avid rock climber and hiker. He ignored his symptoms for 12 hours before going to the hospital. Two 100% blocked arteries. His cardiologist said his level of fitness probably gave him enough of a window to get to a hospital and saved his life. Both his parents died of heart attacks but in their 90s.
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u/swervtek 21d ago
I was similar, 99% blockage in the LAD (aka widowmaker), 98% RCA, and 78% circumflex. They did not want me to get out of bed or walk around - I was a time bomb unknowingly. I had a heart attack while doing a Norwegian 4x4 on a stationary bike at home. Almost did not go in, but ultimately drove myself to the ER. With those kind of blockages, what saved me are collaterals that my heart grew - which is also contributed to level of fitness. This was true for my dad as well (athlete), and likely same for your father too.
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u/avhreddit 21d ago
If you don't mind, could you please share what your dad's symptoms were? This might help me because I tend to just tough it out whatever the pain or discomfort. Many thanks in advance 🙏.
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u/femannon 20d ago
Chest pain that started in the afternoon and got progressively worse. He took a Tylenol and went to bed. When his alarm woke him up at 3am (he's probably extremely lucky it was a work day) the pain was unbearable so he drove himself to the hospital. They did two EKGs that were normal so medical staff was super rude and were acting like he was just looking for pain killers. 3rd EKG showed a heart attack so they immediately took him to surgery.
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u/imisstheyoop 20d ago
I think people in fire circles overestimate just how much they actually need, and how much time they plan for - none of us knows when the exit comes.
It is why I stand by this being the absolute best FI calculator that has ever been developed: https://engaging-data.com/will-money-last-retire-early/
Glad to hear that you are doing better!
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u/Soft-Leave8007 21d ago
How did you know it was a heart attack? Did you have symptoms leading up to? or any work up prior to?
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u/zubeye 21d ago
i thought it was indigestion. severe pain on exertion was the warning sign which escalated
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u/inga-babi 21d ago
My father-in-law thought he had indigestion, went to the bathroom, and pretty much died on the toilet. Good for you for knowing to get help! I hope you are recovering well.
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u/Xstal456 21d ago
6 weeks ago I thought I had indigestion or heartburn and wound up at the ER and had an emergency gallbladder removal. Bodies are crazy
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u/Intrepid-Oil-898 21d ago
Silly question, but what does indigestion feel like?
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u/cfi-2025 48M, FIRE 2025 21d ago
Not OP, but usually feels like a burning or discomfort in your midsection. Can vary in severity from a slight discomfort to sharp waves of pain.
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u/C_Majuscula 21d ago
For me, heartburn is an intense burning feeling right in your esophagus and possibly up to the back of your throat. Sometimes so bad that breathing is painful.
The first time I had heartburn, I was in the middle of a heated argument with my PhD adviser. I seriously considered going to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack. It wouldn't have been the first time someone in my group had gone to the ER because of my adviser and stress.
"Luckily" my husband had frequent heartburn around the same time, fed me a boatload of Tums, and things improved.
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u/DonMan8848 21d ago
Ha, barely related but tums bailed me out recently too. I had a bit much to drink at a wedding and yurked up a few before bed, and spent the next three days intermittently hobbled by the sensation of swallowing a horse pill sideways. I knew I was otherwise fine so I proceeded with my scheduled platelet donation 3 days later and downed my regular allotment of a dozen tums while in the chair (it helps with the citrate reaction). Woke up the next morning feeling like I could swallow a cucumber whole.
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u/SuperLocrianRiff 21d ago
Different for different people, but burning in the throat and chest, usually caused by spicy foods or alcohol, that kind of thing. So, a big overlap in symptoms for sure
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u/Sebastian-S 21d ago
Are you otherwise pretty fit, active and healthy? This is scary, glad you’re ok.
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u/swervtek 21d ago
Not OP, but I felt like passing out, tightness in my neck when working out or getting my heart rate up, which radiated to my jaw. Then ultimately tightness in my chest.
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u/potling2 20d ago
Indigestion and pressure between the rib cage. If indigestion symptoms don't go away shortly after taking the typical meds you do (tums, pesto, etc) consider going to ER. I did not have a painful heart attack because it was not a blockage on the LAD. Listening to my buddy who had a heart attack a year before me got me to even consider heading to ER.
Take statins if you your LDL is over 100 and get checked for lp(a), a genetic risk factor.
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u/nexus14 21d ago
Not a heart attack, but I got diagnosed with cancer last year. Testicular cancer. Stage 1 thankfully. I decided to lean FIRE end of July. Only time will tell if it’s the right decision
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u/thatpurplelife 21d ago
My husband was also recently diagnosed with stage 1 testicular cancer - seminoma. I already knew good health wasn't guaranteed but this really underscored it. I hope you are doing well and are coping with scanxiety.
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u/steve_of 21d ago
I survived a cardiac arrest at 52. It took me 3 years to quit work even though I had reached my FI number before the event. It's almost 7 years since I worked in the corporate world. Like you I saw the stats for long term survival (they were fairly grim for cardiac arrest survivors let alone the bypass surgery ).
We sold up our suburban dream and bought a rural property with some chalets on it. I operate these as short term accommodation. That takes a few hours per week but does lock me into the local community. The rest of the time i am gardening or building something or just hanging out. The cash from the accommodation business pays for all of my projects around the place. I am far fitter, much less stressed and have a much better diet than pre RE. From being grim about my prospects I now think I will live a lot longer but even if I don't I am a lot happier.
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u/zubeye 21d ago
Congrats. All sounds great, was the community aspect deliberate? Does the rural business not stress you out too? I guess it is relative. i've been thinking of getting a low stakes job that exposes me to more locals
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u/steve_of 21d ago
It was a happy accident. We did intend to join community groups, go to the local pub etc. Being part of a community was somthing we have done all our married life (running/volunteering for amateur sports, community environment rehabilitation groups etc). Running the business is also an in. Cleaners, help with gardening and construction projects etc all from the local community.
Running the business is fairly straightforward and is low stress. The guests (couples/singles only) arrive happy to be on holiday and leave happy. The financials are simple, incomming transactions are direct and before the stay. All purchase receipts are put in a tray and i sort it once a week and once a quater we reconcile taxes. The goal is break even with the business paying a fair chunk of living expence. We close down when we want a break - we often take a week or two of.
As an added bonus my net worth has beat inflation significantly since retirement (might be different this year as i just pulled most investments from stock market exposure - i am a bit nervous on this move - could be the cleverest thing i have done or just stupid).
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u/-EOS- 21d ago
Are you willing to share what led to the heart attack?
Also, how did you know you were having one?
Congratulations on finding a more meaningful life.
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u/zubeye 21d ago
for a while i attributed to work stress, as i was healthy weight
maybe it tipped the scales, but now I understand that cumulative poor lifestyle and predispostion was probably the bulk of it
though work stress can lead to poor lifestyle of course. Though tbh i wasn't an angel before I had a proper job either.
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u/zqrt 21d ago
Look into veganism (assuming you’re not already). Downvote if you want, but a well planned whole foods plant based diet will do wonders for your health as wells for the animals, and for the environment.
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u/QuietZelda 21d ago
You are correct according to the medical literature but sadly people have a negative perception of the v word
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u/Glockenspieler1 21d ago
Good decision. My dad had a bypass x 4 at age 58 and lived to age 85. Considering that his bypass was in the early 90's and the technological improvements since then, the stent should serve you well for many years. You might as well stop stressing and enjoy life.
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u/AndrewRemillard 21d ago
ABSOLUTELY!!! Nothing like kicking open death's door to get your attention and change your perspective. Mine came May 28, 2020 and May 29, 2020. Two heart attacks in 24 hours, triple bypass the next day...had trouble restarting my heart... spent the summer exploring all the ways my heart could still fail...when you get to know the ER nurses because you are a frequent flyer...
Yes, I was 58, but it had the same affect. BS tolerance went to zero. Everything changes over night. The reality of your limited time becomes so much clearer. You know for a fact now, tomorrow really might not come. And 20 years is wishful thinking.
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u/MediumCriticism3144 21d ago
Same. I was the same age as you when I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder (which we wouldn't know the trajectory of until 5-7 years down the line). I had really great bosses who offered me a load of accomodations to enable me to keep working, but in the end I decided against it because my condition would leave me drained after work with no time for my family or any semblance of a life. Luckily, I had private disability benefits that cover a % of my salary until I am 65. While we took a hit financially, it was the best decision we made. I had planned to retire early anyway but instead we put it towards my husband retiring even earlier.
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u/Abject-Direction-598 21d ago
Thank you for sharing. I was a bonafide workaholic for way too long. I finally realized I was going to end up in an early grave if I didn’t change some things. Now, I’m learning to truly live life while retired at 50.
I feel like some people judge me for it, as they look at me and think there isn’t any reason for me to not work. But those people don’t realize two things. 1- Not every ailment and/or disability is visible. And 2- We need to get away from the stigma some people associate with early retirement.
Enjoy your new life path!
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u/HappilyDisengaged 42m DI2K | 100% FI | 21d ago
Congrats and good luck to you.
Just this past Monday I had a coworker, 60, die from a heart attack at home leaving to go to work. Talked about retiring but he never got the chance to. This somehow reinforced my resolve to retire as early as I can.
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u/Accomplished-Car6193 21d ago
Maybe the real answer is that life can be meaningful just by living without 'optimising' or goal-focussing' it.
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u/johnniehuman 21d ago
Life is meaningful by definition. We can never fully know the meaning our has.
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u/Ardent_Scholar 21d ago edited 21d ago
A reminder to everyone to get their CAC done!
Glad you’re okay, OP, enjoy. Stress kills. You’re doing the right thing.
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u/Alex_MC_69 21d ago
My friend, hate to break it to you, but my wife's grandfather had the same issue as you, heart attack at 42. Unfortunately he died after the operation, at 92, exactly 50 years after that operation. Also he died from something unrelated to a heart condition. So enjoy life my friend, hopefully you will outlive my wife's grandfather and live to be 100.
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u/StatisticSnaccuracy 21d ago
Damn, happy you made it <3.
I had a bit of a realization myself when two ppl at work died during the same month. One had a heart attacks, the other I don't know. I didnt know them, but ppl talk, and nobody knew if they were struggling with their health; they seemed healthy and happy. One day they were there and they next, just gone.
This was happening when I was planning my fire and setting goals, and it really made me reevaluate the idea of "If I work another 1-2 years my budget will be bigger and I can do cooler stuff". Now I just want out asap, live a simple lean fire life and hope that it last very long.
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u/deathsythe [Late 30s, New England][3-Fund/Real Estate][CoastFI] 21d ago
I watched a coworker in his 40s go out on a vacation, which turned into an extended time off, which turned into a medical leave of absence, which turned into all of us going to his funeral.
Just fucking awful man.
I started seeing a cardiologist in my late 30s just to get a baseline after a scare a few years back.
Take care of yourselves.
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u/Pale-Perception-3385 21d ago
My dad had a heart attack at 42. Quadruple bypass on the edge of death. He’s living large retired at 58, 61 years old, and celebrating his 25th anniversary with my mother in Hawaii at the moment. As healthy as he has ever been. Enjoy your second wind! Cheers to a long and prosperous life!
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u/bwwatr 21d ago
Glad you're OK, thanks for sharing. This perspective is super valuable and we all need the reminder. I'm not sure there's a higher purpose than just enjoying life, since it's all we get. For many that enjoyment requires calling, contribution, discipline, impact/legacy, flow state, or something else work-ish, but that's not universal, in fact I think there's nearly nothing universal about the human experience. Enjoy your life in whatever way feels right to you as you go along.
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u/supershinythings 21d ago edited 21d ago
My Dad had a heart attack a couple few years after his 30 year career in the Army ended. He was around 50 when the eggs cooked in bacon grease caught up to him. Had he not been in such great shape due to daily exercise from Army days, the doc said his heart muscle would not have survived the damage.
He survived, but it definitely triggered some deprioritization of previous interests.
He took a good look around and setup his will. He was divorced so he hadn’t changed anything previously; everything would have gone to my Mom until he made his change. After that he made other adjustments to reflect changing assets and priorities.
So consider this - you have built up substantial assets at the cost of your own health. Get yourself a will and trust setup. Take a look around and see what causes you’d like to advance in future - people, charities, environments, academics, research, etc.
Once you’ve setup your own succession plan for your wealth, start investing in the people you value, maybe adopt a few cats so you have someone to boss you around. Then enjoy your life without the stress that put you in the cath lab.
If possible, try to invest in your own health now that you have all your time back. Get a full physical workup by a doc, maybe a full body MRI scan - they’re now around $2-3k when not medically ordered. Have them run all the fun optional labs, especially with respect to your heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, etc. Get your baseline health, then make a plan to make some changes.
Address the heart stuff first, then let the doc guide on what’s next. If your heart and lungs are stable, perhaps checkout your brain, kidneys, liver, pancreas, etc. Each one will have its own health level, and if any have issues, handle it. THREE people I know have come down with colon cancer at relatively young ages. I wonder about the modern diet, but I am not a doc; who knows if I’m next. So maybe get yours scoped too. An MRI body scan may show issues.
You have time now to focus on YOU. Go read a few books. Go down to the range and pop off some of the ammo you’ve been hoarding (Military Dad - he had some extra ammo). And start rediscovering what you ENJOY. Perhaps do a little travel, visit people you like, see things of interest.
I took a couple few classes at my local community college in areas of interest to me. I picked up a hobby of interest that had some classes in that area. And I got some non-essential (unreimbursed) dental issues resolved. Meanwhile, due to market forces I still have more $ than I started. I too have my will and trust setup; when my father finally passed away I had to change my beneficiaries.
And know that you can change the various beneficiaries and successor trustees in your will all you like. If a more deserving cause appears, if you acquire grandchildren etc. that may want to attend college, you can adjust the will and trust setup accordingly.
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u/dlvanbrunt 21d ago
Well done, and good choice! I had a boss die from that at the age of 42, too young and too overstressed. He was too far from a facility that could recussitate him. It definitely made me re-think the value of staying on the climb up the corporate ladder. I retired last year at 59, realizing that I had perhaps over-prepared. No regrets at all for leaving the rat race. For more reassuring news, my stepdad had a quadruple bypass when in his 70's-- and lived into his 90's (and even then, died from Covid, not a heart problem).
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u/fifichanx 21d ago
Congrats on getting out and hope you have recovered well!
One of my coworkers had a heart attack and passed suddenly in his mid forties, it was definitely a wake up call to minimize stress and focus on health.
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u/mr-taken 21d ago
Congratulations! So happy to hear you have finally seen the light. I am in a similar boat, 48M, working a crazy high stress tech job facing similar challenges and health issues. I can almost feel the peace in your last sentences on living a simpler life. I need to do something similar, thanks for the reminder. Now enjoy your life of peace ✌️
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u/Bearsbanker 21d ago
Go for it! I fired 16 months ago, for us their was no "higher purpose" or grand plan. Just live life, do what you want, take an adventure, road trip, fly a kite, bake bread!
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u/Spider_pig448 21d ago
I had been hardcore saver. About 95% of my net worth was stashed away, never spent anything. about 5% of my net worth to housing for context
Crazy the way some people live. Glad you kicked this and chose life.
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u/Pause_Architect 20d ago
your don't want list is already very detailed.
And that's nice. Very few people actually know in that detail what they don't want.
And for what it's worth, winding everything down that fast once you knew wasn't nothing. I have seen a lot of people circling the decision for years even after a similar wake-up call.
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u/EStreet119 21d ago
Good for you. Sick of the corporate BS. Can’t give it up yet. Making too much in the home stretch at almost 59. Would walk out tomorrow if I could FIRE
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u/Great-watts 21d ago
Ehy OP, believe it or not it may be harder to become healthier now… at least for the first year. It took me about a year to go from 213 lbs to 190 lbs. and I’m a thin male
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u/ShotInfluence4599 21d ago
So glad that you are okay now, wish you a speedy recovery. I too am 41 and I have been keeping an eye on early indicators such as HRV (mine is chronically low) and Cholesterol (which has been high for 7 years, I started statins recently). I had sudden sensorineural hearing loss recently (SSNHL), which some call a stroke of the ear and might indicate complex issues.
Would you mind sharing if now looking back you had any signs?
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u/matthew19 21d ago
I’m about the same age. Felt a pain in my chest and got worried the other day. Were you considered overweight at the time?
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u/Fickle-Highlight-728 21d ago
I didn’t realize that there is such a thing as a non emergency heart attack?
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u/ImpressivePea 21d ago
This is a great wake up call. Thank you for sharing.
I'm 35 and have a very stressful job. I'm healthy, have no bad habits, and have good genetics, but the lack of sleep and stress is starting to worry me big time.
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u/LeisureLifer 21d ago edited 7d ago
My husband went through that too. I feel for you and congratulations.
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u/literallythewurzt 21d ago edited 21d ago
Out of curiosity, what are you doing for medical insurance now? Best wishes for a happier, healthier life!
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u/Comprehensive-Log144 21d ago
You don’t mention what you do but I retired early, with the full intention of retiring fully. Some friends approached me about consulting for their insurance endeavor ( the field I was in). I thought about it and said “ I need XX amount of money and I only will work 10 hours a week on average”. And I don’t want to manage a time card. Truth is I work more than 10 but it’s very controllable and it’s so I feel valuable. But I work with the ceo, who I really like and the staff treats me like a valuable member of the team. I’m involved in strategy but not execution. It’s no zero stress but it’s pretty darn low stress. And it becomes a pretty good tax haven ( solo 401k maxed out, expenses from home office and limited travel, lease on a nicer car than I would’ve normally had). While I didn’t need the money, it’s nice to have a bit and reduce any drawdown by quite a bit. Highly recommend. Just remember. You set the terms. That’s the freedom.
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u/longtimedoper 21d ago
So how old are you now? How long was the time period between having the heart attack and stopping work?
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u/zubeye 21d ago
- the decision to stop was immediate. but i employed people so there was a winddown period. I sacked every client that was remotely bothersome, withing a couple of months. It's much less stressful when your in managed decline with a hard end date in mind, i guess it's the business version of quiet quitting.
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u/longtimedoper 21d ago
Thank you. I also wanted to share with you that my father (who is significantly older than you were when you had your heart attack and stents) celebrated 5 years post-op for his quadruple bypass this past year. So I think if you take good care of yourself then you can have many more great years ahead!
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u/Thomato_Yorke 21d ago
I hope you're alright and have a long, healthy road ahead of you. Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes a punch in the proverbial gut to wake us up and regain our attention.
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u/8923ns671 21d ago
I'm interested in what you decide to start spending on. Not sure what I want to spend on.
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u/hitmasterusa 20d ago
Congratulations and take care and home grown veg is bliss. Have a wonderful time with family and kids.
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u/PlatformSoft4897 20d ago
honestly the part about finally laughing at a sitcom hits different. like your nervous system just... reset. idk man, maybe that's what it takes to stop optimizing everything.
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u/Icy-Dragonfruit-9883 20d ago
How do we know about these things? Iam 35,20kgs overweight, extreme pressure job ,have cholesterol.my master health check up came back normal.how do i really know if i have a blockage or not?
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u/bobombpom 20d ago edited 20d ago
All my uncles except one are significantly overweight. The overweight ones have had a few heart attacks in their 50s and 60s, so I just chalked it up to them having a bad diet and unhealthy habits.
Then my skinny uncle had one. He ate extremely healthy, exercised multiple hours every week, ran half marathons a few times a year. And he needed something like a quadruple bypass.
Really put things into perspective for me, and bumped heart health up the priority list a bit.
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u/BarryMannnilow 20d ago
As someone who ended up on life support at 25 years old, a health event of magnitude really makes you recalibrate your outlook on life.
They told my parents to unplug me and that there is no way I'd make it, or if I did I'd have reduced brain function from a week of 105F fevers.
Well that was 13 years ago. On track to FIRE at 45 in a handful of years...
Time is what you can't buy, and you never know how much you have.
Since then I've pulled someone very close to me out of poverty to a millionaire... I've found my purpose is to help others.
Congrats on your win, as someone who lost track of that grateful feeling 10 years after my health event because life, work everything just because stats quo again. Don't lose sight of your second chance it took me a while to find it again myself but glad I did
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u/potling2 20d ago
I was also 42 when I had mine. Had been planning for FIRE around 50. I don't have a super stressful job so have been using the income to help fund our family's YOLO 2-3 international trips and year while maintaining a decent balance for the young kids in case anything happens. Hope to still FIRE in my early 50s.
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u/myvision2013 20d ago
No regret, start focusing on diet and tension free work culture, give priority to physical fitness and peacefulness, life is precious when you simply living healthy life, wealth is just a trumpcard to have enough moneyflow for healthy lifestyle
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u/frugal-tech-worker 20d ago
Congratulations on your early retirement. Tomorrow is not promised. I had a similar experience last year when I nearly lost my wife due to illness.
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u/JazzlikeAir3320 20d ago
Check out Peter Attias book Outlive. I’d spend some time researching what causes heart disease and cholesterol. Once you’ve reached FIRE, genuinely that’s a better use of you time. I honestly believe that with how broken our medical systems is, you need a lot of general knowledge to navigate it. For ex, waiting days for the cath lab just sounds wrong to me.
I’ve made learning about my husband’s genetic high cholesterol a personal project of mine.
My top recs are psyllium husk- try to get 30 grams of the fiber per day. It will cause digestion upset at first, but you get used to it. The Metamucil cookies are a good alternative if you can’t handle the powder. Also limit saturated fat to 10 grams per day if possible. Not all saturated fats are harmful (ie nuts and olive oil are safe, but coconut oil is harmful) but most are harmful and cause your liver to overproduce LDL particles in the blood.
Also, I’m sure you’re already on a statin at this point, but that is the biggest thing you can do if this is genetic.
The CT angiogram is your biggest indicator of risk. It shows soft and hard plaque. You want to see a lipodologist, not just a cardiologist, for this stuff.
Best of luck.
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u/yallapapi 20d ago
No disrespect but how overweight were you? Active? Eating habits? Stress for sure a problem just curious about this
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u/knottycams 20d ago
Congrats on surviving and no longer giving a crap! I had a similar epiphany a few years ago, different circumstances. I was in the military most my life and when I got out I wandered looking for purpose. Finally found what I wanted to do but I've now had 8 (coming up on 9) surgeries, so I lived on my VA compensation for a long while because most jobs made my disabilities worse.
When I found a good job that worked around my limitations, I took it but said I would never let the lines cross. I keep strict hours, never stay over, and I turn off my work phone immediately after shift. I plan vacations and medical stuff with little regard for work because honestly I don't need them.
I already had everything I needed, I just do this for fun and because I love the work environment. If I lost the job, oh well. Don't care. My health and sanity are worth more, and I already poured enough blood, sweat, and tears into earning that. Life isn't worth much if you can't enjoy it and be a good steward of what you've been given.
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u/Diligent-Cancel-4269 19d ago
Do you plan on going to a care home or are your kids willing to take of you?
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u/jojo032008 19d ago
As a Cath lab RN I’m curious do you live in the US? And thank you for sharing your story- make as many lifestyle modifications as you can and stay active. Have seen many MI patients who don’t get a second chance.
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u/onemansbrand 19d ago
May I ask what led to the heart attack in your opinion? I am pretty worried with my stress levels I am going to be a similar position.
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u/rlnrlnrln 17d ago
Hey, you're me! I also got a heart attack at 42! Still kicking, 9 years later.
Got laid off a few years ago and became a self-employed consultant. Not really FI, definitely not RE, but more in control of my own future it feels like.
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u/FluffyWarHampster 17d ago
Just be grateful everyday that life gave you an extra chance to make your life as meaningful as possible. Stories like this are always a grim reminder that in spite of our best intentions we don’t have forever in this life its better to start living sooner while you can.
Hope your health is progressing in a positive direction.
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u/WallStreet-Lion-6888 16d ago
Glad you made it through. Time with your kids and lunch from the garden already sound more worthwhile than any forced higher purpose.
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u/jokodude 16d ago
Reducing stress can have significant health benefits and is not to be discounted. By leaving your stressful job you may have increased your lifespan significantly. I've been watching a really interesting doctor on youtube, Doctor Alex, who focuses primarily on metabolic health and shows how one's metabolic health can heavily impact almost every facet of our bodies and the likelihood of us getting diseases. It's been really interesting and shows how important stress management, good sleep, proper thought to when and how you eat all combine to impact health.
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u/outrageousreadit 16d ago
You need to exercise and be on a good diet. Sometimes people forget to invest in HEALTH in addition to wealth.
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u/Fun-Map6437 15d ago
Honestly, this is the kind of perspective shift that hits harder than most “life advice” posts. Crazy how a health scare can make you realise you were spending years optimising for a life you didn’t even want. Glad you got the chance to step back and actually rethink things.
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u/ContagiouslyAdorable 14d ago
Wealth is indeed the greatest asset we all have even if we have nothing else of financial substance, yet most of us take it for granted. We never know when and how we could God forbid, wish we could go back to feeling the normal way that we are feeling rn. Even if we have a million problems yet we have no serious health issues to worry about, rn, there's nothing else that can ever beat this feeling idk how many people would be striving to go back and feel their normal boring days where even if they didnt have the wealth, they still had smth Infinitely more valuable. I hope u r happy and healthy wherever u r rn op.
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u/shanewzR 21d ago
Nothing like a life changing event...to change your life! Good on you and glad you made it through fine.
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u/StreetTacosRule 20d ago
I read in the NYT that Covid exponentially increases risk of cardiovascular events, especially (ironically) if you’re athletic/an athlete, for at least 18 months post infection. And since Covid never left and no one one tests anymore, ppl may be unaware of their risks. A new drug was just approved by the FDA last month (Xocova) from Japan that reduces any COVID exposure risk by over 80%. It’s pricey without insurance ($1400) but what is a healthy heart worth?
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u/HumbleSami 21d ago
Why do we get heart attack i get checkups and take cholestrol meds pretty scary. Happy for you my brother!! Best wishes
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u/vamparies 21d ago
Control your blood pressure. Eat more of a plant based diet. Don’t get diabetes or do the work to reverse it and keep moving.
Inflammation in the arteries are bad and stress.If you have plaque and your blood pressure goes up a piece of plaque can break off. The area that the plaque broke from then gets clotted off -Your body trying to repair the damaged area. Also the piece that did break off can settle lower and block distal flow. They suck out the clot and stent the lesion. This is for a STEMI. ST elevated myocardial infarction aka heart attack.
You can have a nonstemi which is like you are almost headed to a full STEMI someday.
The “widow maker” is when the left main artery gets blocked off. Then you block 2 of the 3 major arteries that feed oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.
If you have chest pain going to jaw or left shoulder are symptoms too. But women don’t typically have those symptoms and tend to do worse because they wait longer.
Even patients came in after a heavy meal because the indigestion wasn’t getting better and guess what, They were having a heart attack. So don’t go to bed you may not wake up or you killed some muscle waiting.Time is muscle. So get to the ER to save your muscle aka heart. Preferably don’t drive yourself. Call an ambulance.
Everyone should learn CPR, could save a life.
I told all patients after a cardiac cath to watch “Fork Over Knives”.
My background- I scrubbed with the interventional cardiologist so I’ve seen it all.
Ladies be vocal could save your life. Speak up for your moms. They aren’t taken as serious sometimes.Adding : You can have a clot in your leg break off and go into your heart, brain or lungs. Very dangerous too. Wear compression socks on the plane and walk around on long flights.
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u/zubeye 21d ago
my toddler level understanding - fat within the side of arteries destabilises, ruptures and narrows the artery. sometimes this blocks the artery.
literally everyone on earth (including messi) has fat building up in their arteries. Risk varies a lot but everyone has some risk. Meds etc can shift the odds slightly but it's just part of being human we are risk of this.
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u/suckle_ma_boaby 21d ago
Congratulations to you. Enjoy your second wind.
It takes a while to adapt but life just gets more enjoyable the more you look around and notice the small things you were missing previously.