RRRR
05-03-2004, 07:15 AM
...... trust me, now I know.
This posting isn't being made to solicit sympathy, but as a warning to you guys out there, especially those in their 30's and 40's.
Last Tuesday, after presenting the dissertation for my Master's degree, I started feeling poorly. I hadn't been sleeping but 4 hours a night, was pretty stressed up about the paper, plus had all the springtime yard and toy jobs backing up. I had even scheduled an appointment the next day with my doctor because of my "state of exhaustion" as I was calling it.
You know how you always hear about people having heart attacks who describe shooting chest pains, pains up the arms, etc? Well, at no time did I ever describe how I was feeling in those terms because I wasn't. It was just a general discomfort with an occasional very tight chest.
I convinced my daughter to take me to Redi-care after stopping at the ER and seeing the long line and all the drama. Remember, I still had no clue that I was having a heart attack. Redi-care, to their credit, suspected something big and put me on an EKG. They quickly informed me that I might be having a heart attack and would be transferred back downtown to the ER.
Turns out that I had a coronary artery that was 100% blocked, causing the attack. I was awake, alert and totally amazed as I watched a dozen people work me over as the prepared me for an angioplasty (where they insert, into the groin, a catheter into the artery and use a balloon on the tip to dislodge the clog).
Then they inserted a stent to hold the artery open and hopefully, prevent another clog there.
By 1 pm, I was in the critical cardiac care unit recuperating.
So much for the dramatic story, here's my point. I had a treadmill stress test and EKG in December and was given the all clear. Since then, I had cut way back on the beer, began eating right, walked 3 miles a day, and dropped about 20 pounds. Too little, too late, I guess!
If any of you guys in your 30's or 40's think this is just sh!t for old guys to worry about, think again, especially if you have a father, mother, uncle, or grandparent who has (or had) heart or artery disease. I am 48 and have a very poor family health history and have been treated for high blood pressure (hypertension) for the past year.
I was extremely fortunate. The permanent damage to my heart was minor. I still have a 2nd artery that's 80% blocked and will have to have another angio done in a couple weeks.
I'm not going to get all preachy about how you need to change your lifestyle and all that, but if you have the family history, it's not a question of "if" you'll have trouble, it's "when" you'll have trouble. Trust me. Go to school on me.
So, I'm off work for a month or so, my boat project sits unfinished, I can't ride my new scoot........ hell, I can't even drive for a couple weeks. I'm not looking for a pity party, I'm just trying to illustrate how something like this will really f u c k up all of your plans.
My family has been wonderful. How many 18 year olds can stand around at the hospital while their dad is having the big one and hold together. I actually think it's been harder on them than me.
Sorry for the long post, but if this makes an impression on one of you, it's worth the trouble.
RRRR
This posting isn't being made to solicit sympathy, but as a warning to you guys out there, especially those in their 30's and 40's.
Last Tuesday, after presenting the dissertation for my Master's degree, I started feeling poorly. I hadn't been sleeping but 4 hours a night, was pretty stressed up about the paper, plus had all the springtime yard and toy jobs backing up. I had even scheduled an appointment the next day with my doctor because of my "state of exhaustion" as I was calling it.
You know how you always hear about people having heart attacks who describe shooting chest pains, pains up the arms, etc? Well, at no time did I ever describe how I was feeling in those terms because I wasn't. It was just a general discomfort with an occasional very tight chest.
I convinced my daughter to take me to Redi-care after stopping at the ER and seeing the long line and all the drama. Remember, I still had no clue that I was having a heart attack. Redi-care, to their credit, suspected something big and put me on an EKG. They quickly informed me that I might be having a heart attack and would be transferred back downtown to the ER.
Turns out that I had a coronary artery that was 100% blocked, causing the attack. I was awake, alert and totally amazed as I watched a dozen people work me over as the prepared me for an angioplasty (where they insert, into the groin, a catheter into the artery and use a balloon on the tip to dislodge the clog).
Then they inserted a stent to hold the artery open and hopefully, prevent another clog there.
By 1 pm, I was in the critical cardiac care unit recuperating.
So much for the dramatic story, here's my point. I had a treadmill stress test and EKG in December and was given the all clear. Since then, I had cut way back on the beer, began eating right, walked 3 miles a day, and dropped about 20 pounds. Too little, too late, I guess!
If any of you guys in your 30's or 40's think this is just sh!t for old guys to worry about, think again, especially if you have a father, mother, uncle, or grandparent who has (or had) heart or artery disease. I am 48 and have a very poor family health history and have been treated for high blood pressure (hypertension) for the past year.
I was extremely fortunate. The permanent damage to my heart was minor. I still have a 2nd artery that's 80% blocked and will have to have another angio done in a couple weeks.
I'm not going to get all preachy about how you need to change your lifestyle and all that, but if you have the family history, it's not a question of "if" you'll have trouble, it's "when" you'll have trouble. Trust me. Go to school on me.
So, I'm off work for a month or so, my boat project sits unfinished, I can't ride my new scoot........ hell, I can't even drive for a couple weeks. I'm not looking for a pity party, I'm just trying to illustrate how something like this will really f u c k up all of your plans.
My family has been wonderful. How many 18 year olds can stand around at the hospital while their dad is having the big one and hold together. I actually think it's been harder on them than me.
Sorry for the long post, but if this makes an impression on one of you, it's worth the trouble.
RRRR