Paul in MN
Well-known Member
Hi All!
I don't post often, but I do view this board every day, so I feel I can share the joy I am feeling.
On Tuesday just after lunch I had a heart attack. The symptoms were not typical and like most guys, I just put down 3 tums tablets and waited 20 minutes for the heartburn to go away (blamed it on the left over pizza I had for lunch). With the intense and worsening heartburn, I had some strange pains in the RIGHT armpit and then a tingling and loss of strength in the right hand. I had some of these same symptoms last week, but not anywhere near this intense. My Google search last week for H.A. symptoms described the much more common pains in chest and left arm, so I put it out of my mind. But this time the heartburn got so intense I became light headed and had to grab for furniture to keep from going down.
I called the Medica nurse line and relayed what I was experiencing. She asked if my wife was at home. Yup. She wanted to talk with wife and made it very clear to her that you hang up immediately and call 911, and DO NOT drive me to the hosp. 2 squad cars arrived with a heart attack kit with oxygen and other stuff (maybe a defib?). Officers were good and responded very professionally. Ambulance was here in about 10 minutes and then they took over. It was a very cold day here on Tues, probably close to 0 then and they wanted to get me on the gurney without a jacket and I think they had my shirt off by then. I wanted to walk to the ambulance. NOT! The rig had all sorts of EKG and emergency meds and was in communication with the hosp. Rough Ride! The thing is a friggin truck going over frost heaved roads. Arrived at ER and cartiac docs took over immediately. The test results were not strongly indicating H.A., but were borderline in both EKG and the blood protein they check for. Pain had gone away. Hey, false alarm! and I'm outta here! Got work to do, see you guys some other time like 20 years from now. NOT!!!
Stayed overnight, food and service was good, room was pleasant, but Goll they kept waking me up about every hour. Same blood tests at 9 pm and then at 3 am. Results of 9 pm were 21X as high and in ER, and then the 3 am tests doubled that. For Real! Schedule angiogram for 9 am where blockage was found over 90% in 2 of the 3 heart arteries. 2 stents later I was back in my room to get even less sleep than night before. WOW was I feeling good, no pain, and feeling like my chest was clear and breathing was much easier. Yup, blood thinners and a whole pail full of pills, but the food was good. The nurses and other staff were from every ethnicity including a few nnalert with habibs. Every one was pleasant, kind, and well trained.
Much longer story, but I'll save it for family and close friends who can stand the pain of me telling all the details. A follow-up CT scan of the heart showed indications of Lymphoma (cancer!). O Shi#####! Best oncologist in area was called in immediately. She was a bright ray of sunshine in the midst of a thunderstorm. She accepted the possibility of lymph problems with my 28 year history of Lyme Disease, but wants to monitor me for about 2 years to see if it follows the typical paths of Lymphoma. OK, sign the papers and I'm outta here! Slept in my own bed Thursday night, and put my own wood on the fire at home.
Lucky?? You Bet!
Lesson? Call quickly, there is much less damage to the heart muscle if attended to very quickly. None of us are bullet proof. Doc said that 50% never live long enough to have a 2nd H.A.
Take care of your body, winter can be very tough on us guys. I wish you ALL the best of health as we work to meet the challenges of Nature this winter.
Paul in MN
I don't post often, but I do view this board every day, so I feel I can share the joy I am feeling.
On Tuesday just after lunch I had a heart attack. The symptoms were not typical and like most guys, I just put down 3 tums tablets and waited 20 minutes for the heartburn to go away (blamed it on the left over pizza I had for lunch). With the intense and worsening heartburn, I had some strange pains in the RIGHT armpit and then a tingling and loss of strength in the right hand. I had some of these same symptoms last week, but not anywhere near this intense. My Google search last week for H.A. symptoms described the much more common pains in chest and left arm, so I put it out of my mind. But this time the heartburn got so intense I became light headed and had to grab for furniture to keep from going down.
I called the Medica nurse line and relayed what I was experiencing. She asked if my wife was at home. Yup. She wanted to talk with wife and made it very clear to her that you hang up immediately and call 911, and DO NOT drive me to the hosp. 2 squad cars arrived with a heart attack kit with oxygen and other stuff (maybe a defib?). Officers were good and responded very professionally. Ambulance was here in about 10 minutes and then they took over. It was a very cold day here on Tues, probably close to 0 then and they wanted to get me on the gurney without a jacket and I think they had my shirt off by then. I wanted to walk to the ambulance. NOT! The rig had all sorts of EKG and emergency meds and was in communication with the hosp. Rough Ride! The thing is a friggin truck going over frost heaved roads. Arrived at ER and cartiac docs took over immediately. The test results were not strongly indicating H.A., but were borderline in both EKG and the blood protein they check for. Pain had gone away. Hey, false alarm! and I'm outta here! Got work to do, see you guys some other time like 20 years from now. NOT!!!
Stayed overnight, food and service was good, room was pleasant, but Goll they kept waking me up about every hour. Same blood tests at 9 pm and then at 3 am. Results of 9 pm were 21X as high and in ER, and then the 3 am tests doubled that. For Real! Schedule angiogram for 9 am where blockage was found over 90% in 2 of the 3 heart arteries. 2 stents later I was back in my room to get even less sleep than night before. WOW was I feeling good, no pain, and feeling like my chest was clear and breathing was much easier. Yup, blood thinners and a whole pail full of pills, but the food was good. The nurses and other staff were from every ethnicity including a few nnalert with habibs. Every one was pleasant, kind, and well trained.
Much longer story, but I'll save it for family and close friends who can stand the pain of me telling all the details. A follow-up CT scan of the heart showed indications of Lymphoma (cancer!). O Shi#####! Best oncologist in area was called in immediately. She was a bright ray of sunshine in the midst of a thunderstorm. She accepted the possibility of lymph problems with my 28 year history of Lyme Disease, but wants to monitor me for about 2 years to see if it follows the typical paths of Lymphoma. OK, sign the papers and I'm outta here! Slept in my own bed Thursday night, and put my own wood on the fire at home.
Lucky?? You Bet!
Lesson? Call quickly, there is much less damage to the heart muscle if attended to very quickly. None of us are bullet proof. Doc said that 50% never live long enough to have a 2nd H.A.
Take care of your body, winter can be very tough on us guys. I wish you ALL the best of health as we work to meet the challenges of Nature this winter.
Paul in MN
