Medical Warning from bfine

[BengalHawk62]

(09-14-2017, 10:48 AM)bfine32 Wrote: I took the day after the 4th of July off to catch up on some yard work. While push-mowing my slopped back yard in the in the blazing heat, I experienced a burning sensation in my chest. I finished the backyard and went inside; as I didn’t feel like doing the front yard. After a few minutes of rest the burning sensation went away and I went about my business.

My next off day was Saturday July 8th, So I decided to go out in the mid-day heat and mow my flat front yard. After about 2 strips the burning sensation returned, being a stud, I fought through the pain and finished the front yard. I went inside to rest and allow the pain to subside; unfortunately, this time it did not. The burning pain turned into a constricting feeling and my left arm began to hurt.

My wife immediately said “let’s go to the hospital” of course I objected and reminded her that I am bulletproof. She did talk me into taking an aspirin. After about 30 more minutes of chest pain and her insistence I said OK, we can ride up to the ER and if it is still hurting when we get there I’ll go inside. It lessened; however, did not fully go away so I lived up to my word.

Once inside my pain was all but gone, but as soon as you say, “chest pain” in an ER folks waste no time. They got me in, took and EKG, a chest x-ray, drew a bunch of blood, gave me a shot of blood thinner in my stomach, and put a nitro patch on my chest (those cause severe headaches). After a while the ER doctor came in and said everything looks fine on the EKG and x-ray. He did say that the only way to rule out a heart attack, is to take multiple blood samples over a few hours and look for changes in enzymes.

Of course, being a Saturday, the early reports came back clean, I now felt fine, and the fact that they don’t serve beer in a hospital; I wanted to leave. The ER doctor and the wife finally talked me into staying overnight.

The next morning I felt great and was getting my clothes ready to be discharged. The cardiologist came in asked me how I felt. I said I feel great and apologized for wasting folk’s time. He just smiled at me and said: “You had a heart attack”. They did a Cardio Cath the following morning and found a 90% blockage in the main artery (RCA for medical folks) that pumps my blood my heart.

I am VERY lucky. The damage was miniscule and they were able to stent the artery to restore 100% blood flow. I share this with you all so that each of you to take care of yourselves and not ignore the signs. I lead a very active lifestyle and thought chest pains were just part of getting old; it was my heart trying to tell me to “take care of me”.

I know I am alive today, not because of me, but because of the Lord, my wife, and that stubborn ER Doctor who wouldn’t let me leave. Because there is no doubt that if I had left that ER and went home I would have been right back at it the next day and this time the attack may have (most likely) been massive.

(09-14-2017, 12:46 PM)Wyche Wrote: Yep, you dodged a bullet my friend.  I'm glad the Good Lord was watching over you, and made your wife more stubborn than you.  Having two stents myself with a 99% blockage in the circumflex, and 30 in the RCA, I know where you're coming from.  It hit me at work, and because my grandmother had been through it, I knew immediately what was going on.  I couldn't believe it at 32, but I knew.  I chewed the aspirin, took a co-worker's BP pill and dialed 911.  Nine years later, after some drastic lifestyle changes due to this and finding out I was diabetic as a result, I'm doing ok.  I had ignored the signs of diabetes, because...like you...you don't go to the doc if a bone is not sticking out, and it almost cost me dearly.  At least two years of extremely high blood sugar had wreaked havoc on my bloodstream, my liver was dumping fats, sugars, and cholesterol into my arteries and clogged two of them off.  You combine that with what was a stressful job at the time, and chain smoking Marlboros....it's a wonder it wasn't worse than it was.  They said my blood was like gravy, and couldn't believe I was conscious with a blood sugar reading of over 800.  

Heed the doc's advice, and you should be good to go.  Godspeed.

Damn dudes!  two of the most entertaining fellas around here.  It definitely would NOT be the same around here without ya'll.  I hit forty recently and with my first little one on the way, this scares the bejesus outta me.  I'm not exactly your most well fit guy, but I did quit the smoking back in February when the wife told me the good news.  Glad you guys are still with us!