Heart attack - a personal story

[Whiskey 7]

Heart attack - a personal story but I am well all considered. Some five weeks ago I suffered a heart attack.

Yes believe it! I did happen to me – read on,

I am telling you here for your information only. I figure you can’t identify me in a crowd so who gives a toss anyway?
It makes no difference to me personally. Life is indeed (or can be) too short for shit.

Now I really thought I was fit enough, I walk 20 + kilometres and cycle the same most weekends.

This was a big surprise indeed and pretty spooky, because being a 100% blockage of an artery, they say I should have died.

The story, on 8 November 2007…

I drove home from work a little sore in the chest/arm and did all my afternoon chores, showered etc before my wife got home.

I had some pain in my left arm, a little in the chest region. I figured was from dialing so many mobile (Americans read cell) phones all day long. Understand, normally these numbers are programmed on my telephone in my usual work area but management shifted me ‘cause I am a good guy and (past tense) worked too hard; but I am like that. It was only for a day or two anyway.

I actually had heaps of time to consider / reflect here because, I left work early, not feeling 100%, drove home through usual afternoon traffic, and having got home, showered etc.

I even had time to Google "Heart attack symptoms" (yes believe it) because I was a little concerned by the now continuing symptoms, accompanied by a quite funny (this is not right) feeling.

While reading on the ‘net, I realized something was going on, but I still didn't believe it, and realised by now that a quick response was warranted.

...... and yes I shouldn't have walked to the hospital some 300 metres away, but my defence is that I really didn't believe I was suffering a heart attach (still can't maybe). It was arm pain.

Yes, of course, I wouldn't have walked if I had any suspicion of dropping dead on the way. How embarrassing would that be?

An ambulance would have been over kill (ha ha) and if we drove our car (300m) trying to park would have been a nightmare.

So I did feel that walking was OK, 'cause I wasn't having a heart attack. I even thought that on the ER (Emergency Room) table they would say it was a false alarm.

The pain, if you could call it that was about 2 out of 10, nothing like I expected. In casualty (ER) they gave me an angina pill, that halved the pain (chest and arm), but it wasn't until they hurriedly took the angio/cardiogram and blood tests that the alarm bells started to ring, loudly.

The Doctor reviewed the data and then made sure I understood that I was having a heart attack, and in no uncertain terms, repeating rather loudly (over all the other emergency staff) that "…. You are having a heart attack. I'll tell you again, you are having a heart attack".

He added that if he didn't do the angiogram (leads to angioplasty) that I'd die!

Sign here he said (a disclaimer I suppose). That’s the wake up call indeed.

Four days in hospital and 7 weeks recovery and I’ll be like new, no worries mate.

The cardiac surgeon gave me 5 weeks off work and I am to return just a week before Christmas holidays (good luck)….. (Just sent the boss an e-mail – now back 2 January).

Funny too, I just bought that surgeon the most expensive bottle of champagne I could find, as my next appointment is New Years Eve. He saved my life, his job I know but still....

BTW - Happy New-Year bastards.

I am fine, no ill effects (strangely).

The only time I really felt ill was on the ER table watching that wire go around my own heart on two monitors, just like on TV. Really weird and certainly a scare.

I would have thought that I was too young and fit to have a heart attack, how wrong we can all be, but I am alive and feel 99% of my former self, save this stainless bullet (they call it a stent) in my heart.

I have no bad memories. The angiogram/angioplasty went well and quickly, without drama, so it feels like it wasn't the big deal. I was indeed lucky.

Apparently there is no rhyme or reason for the event. The numbers where against me, just our modern lifestyle I am told and apparently males between 50 and 55 have statistically a 14 % of a heart event. My local GP (General Practitioner – Australian slang for Doctor) gave me those figures when I asked why me?

A wakeup call for us all people. So look after yourself or leave this planet too early.

Cheers
Live long and prosper


PS Sorry to waffle - but it is my story.

[Massive Quasars]

Wow.

Good to hear you came out of it relatively unscathed (save surgery of course).

[l0g1c]

Holy shit. Glad to see that you're alright Whiskey. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

[Whiskey 7]

Thanks guys

All of you here in

[ajerara]

man you are very lucky. It's a lesson to all of us, if you feel these symptoms get it checked immediately, even if you're young and healthy.

[Underpants?]

hory fluck!
were there no other precursors? major stress on the job, etc?
Wow, you put everything together relatively calmly, given the severity of the situation.

Thanks for sharing, Dub7, glad you're ok

[mjrpes]

Wow. Glad to hear you're okay.

[Whiskey 7]

hory fluck!
were there no other precursors? major stress on the job, etc?
Wow, you put everything together relatively calmly, given the severity of the situation.

Thanks for sharing, Dub7, glad you're ok

Yes Underpants it took a while here to share the story but it needed to be said....

I would miss you bastards if I died I reckon

Shit I could be dead and buried, burnt even

No, in answer, there were no precursors ( that's a term and a half). No family history. etc...

I only smoked the occasional cigar and enjoyed it with a glass of red wine, funny enough, not any more though...

[Massive Quasars]

Just in case, or merely out of prudence.

Do you have your will in order, instructions on what should be done with you if you're incapacitated? May treat the question as rhetorical if you'd prefer not answer, but I raise it as something worth consideration.

[obsidian]

Glad you're doing alright now. Take care of yourself, check your diet, stress, etc. This usually means a change in lifestyle.

My dad had a serious heart attack oh... about 9 or 10 years ago now. He collapsed one evening, dizzy, cold sweat, couldn't get back up and scared the pants off me. Called an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. Funny thing, he also couldn't believe he was having a heart attack even when the doctor insisted. He kept saying that there must be some mistake. I swear, that night I thought I'd lost him.

Another funny thing, the doctor who treated him in the emergency room had treated me the night before. I had an accident while playing baseball and ended up with some stitches. The doctor was surprised to see himself treating junior then senior in two days.

While he was at the hospital, his roommate was a relatively young (30ish) Italian hair stylist who had a lot of pretty ladies visit him, also had an unexpected heart attack. He said it was probably from eating too much mortadella. My dad spent about a month in the hospital following (IIRC) a angioplasty before they let us take him back home and then he had to spend the better part of the year recovering. He's doing well, on medication, but still very much with us so I'm grateful.

A family friend of ours also walked to the hospital after feeling the same condition that you experienced. He's a psychiatrist so he certainly was aware of the symptoms. I think he had a triple bypass or something.

For several years I've been a big supporter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding medical research and advocacy for heart and stroke. It is the largest funder for heart and stroke research in Canada. Every year, I've been taking part in the Heart and Stroke Ride for Heart event which is a 75km bike ride across Toronto to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. I raised over $500 this year and the event totaled over $3 million with over 75,000 participants in 3 cities.

Heart and stroke affects over 40% of the population here in Canada and it is also the leading cause of death. I hope everyone learns sooner than later and start taking care of yourself.

Thanks for sharing, Whiskey7.

Bunch of health resources for you too:
http://www.heartandstroke.com/

[feedback]

Glad you're okay, remember, don't be afraid to have sex from now on.

[Ryoki]

Holy shit. Glad to see that you're alright Whiskey. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

[Eddie]

damn thats crazy! glad your fine :]]

[MKJ]

see you cheated death. pwnt

[Whiskey 7]

Glad you're doing alright now......
Thanks for sharing, Whiskey7.

Bunch of health resources for you too:
http://www.heartandstroke.com/

A big thanks obsidian

Just in case, or merely out of prudence.

Do you have your will in order, instructions on what should be done with you if you're incapacitated? May treat the question as rhetorical if you'd prefer not answer, but I raise it as something worth consideration.

Thanks Massive. Yes I have had plans in place for years, not that I was expecting anything.

Can't be too careful it now appears

[Whiskey 7]

see you cheated death. pwnt

Just to advise I have cheated death as you put it MKJ twice before

I should, well could have drowned when I was 15 years old and then been electrocuted (shocking) when 22 'ish.

More stories for another day

Luckily, I have never met the Grim Reaper, guess he was out to lunch when I knocked

but we all have to go (somewhere) sometime..........

[MKJ]

whoa
are you sure you're not Jesus Christ himself?

[seremtan]

whoa, lucky escape. glad you're ok. a mate of mine had a minor heart attack at 40, and he exercised like crazy (though in his case there was a family history). have the docs got you on warfarin or aspirin or anything?

roll on plaque-munching nanites

[4days]

was wondering if you were going to post about this, didn't want to ask in the thread where you mentioned it before. glad to hear you survived

I even had time to Google "Heart attack symptoms" (yes believe it) because I was a little concerned by the now continuing symptoms, accompanied by a quite funny (this is not right) feeling.

While reading on the ‘net, I realized something was going on, but I still didn't believe it, and realised by now that a quick response was warranted.

heh, that reminds me of my mate's dad. he was up a ladder painting their house or fixing something, my mate was holding the ladder steady. his dad put the tool he was working with back into his belt, leaned over and shouted through the open kitchen window - "Can you put the kettle on, I'm having a heart attack."
"Do you want me to call you an ambulance?" his mum shouted back.
"Yeah, go on then."

[axbaby]

woke up.hurt to breathe. bad chest pain. drove to hospital. pain really bad oow. tests tests . sent home when told i tore my chest muscles in my sleep.
if a heart attack feels like that shoot me now. Glad you lived ... blame the whiskey

[Whiskey 7]

whoa
are you sure you're not Jesus Christ himself?

No MKJ just very lucky

Nice to hear from you axbaby

4days Yes didn't want to burden you all, but I thought WTF. I just had to tell the story after 5 weeks

.... roll on plaque-munching nanites

Yes nanites, bring 'em on

[Survivor]

keep on bolding whiskey

[+JuggerNaut+]

glad to hear you're alive and well Whiskey. you'd be pretty easy to spot in a crowd from what i recall in your car pic

[Jackal]

Well it's all been said already but glad you're ok.

[menkent]

ah sweet google, i've correctly diagnosed many an ailment only to sit around in the ER for HOURS AND FUCKING HOURS to have some jerkoff confirm what I already knew. go team america.