Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Glad I'm here!

[Dockem]

I used up a life the other day, wasn't my time I guess.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Well the last coupla days/weeks have been interesting for me.

This is a long story, but I hope someone will see similarities to their own situation and that this might save a life!

The last number of weeks I thought I had been having stomach problems, severe(!) cramping, to the point of not wanting to eat because I never knew if I'd have a bout of pain or not.

It felt like I got kicked in the stomach, hurt like hell! Only thing I could seem to eat okay was 1/2 bowl of Cheerios/milk in the morning. No rhyme or reason as to what foods would set it off at dinner.

Heard there was a bad bug going around too. Then I had slight soreness in my back one day, I was beginning to think I needed a Gastroenterologist - a Doc that takes care of stomach, gut, and gall bladder, etc problems. I made an appt. after Christmas.

Then about a week back, it changed again, I started feeling like I had a pressure or lump in my throat ( like when you have one of those real emotional moments – you know what I mean.), but still not bad enough to really hurt, just a pressure. I started drinking diet Lemon-Lime soda because it felt better and an occasional belch also seemed to relieve "pressure" of the lump feeling.

Monday night, we had a store bought Chicken Parmeson dinner. Tasted pretty good – for about 2 hours. Then here comes the cramping and pressure. It was hurting. I took a coupla aspirins and finally a Tums and went to bed about 10pm. I had a very restless night, tossing and turning. But it got better.

I kept mulling it over in my head as to the symptoms, they were vague enough, never seemed to stay in one place (except when I first had the stomach problems), nothing that seemed to match up with anything I was familiar with. Sometimes Aspirin helped, sometimes Tums would help, but neither 100% of the time. I hoped the GU specialist could figure things out for me!

I digress a moment, I had been a smoker full time, except for a few breaks, since I was about 18. The last few years I had been making a concerted effort to cut back. I had lately smoked filtered W*********r cigars, got down to less than 1/2 pack a day. When the stomach problems started, I was down to 1 to 2 or 3 cigars a day, usually with my morning coffee. Seemed to make my stomach hurt more if I smoked, but not always. I all but quit.

(OK, You KNOW where this is going!)

Tuesday seemed to be a bad stomach day, couldn't eat. Felt kinda like the flu, I even had chills. I finally had an ice cream bar for dinner, the cold seemed to help my stomach. I took a couple of aspirins and finally a Tums and went to bed again about 10pm. I sleep light, so I had a very restless night, tossing and turning, but the pain had diminished.

I got up next morning, after sleeping in a bit, went to the bathroom, and starting having dry heaves and tried to throw up, but I didn't have anything in my stomach. I felt like hell. I had some real shortness of breath too.

Hit me with a brick and call me an firehouse!

I knew this was bad. BUT I didn't feel bad – no elephant on my chest feeling or any other severe pain in my body. I just had that lump in my throat. I was starting to have a sense of “foreboding doom” though. This is how my 80 y.o. grandmother died, she was "in perfect health" at a checkup. Woke up one morning, felt nauseated and threw up in the toilet, died 2 hours later.

I was in denial.

I knew what was happening, but didn't want to confront the possibility! (It'll get better and go away, right?!)

I went out and had a bit of coffee with the wife on the back porch. I was still denying the situation and trying to decide what to do.

I then calmly went inside, took a shower, etc., got dressed, (Momma always said wear clean underwear if you go to the Doctor!) and then calmly went out to the wife and stated that she should get cleaned up and take me to the ER. I tried to stay calm because I didn't want the wife to freak out.

IF you ever feel that you are having a heart attack – DON'T DO THIS – CALL AN AMBULANCE!

My only excuse was that I felt that we could drive there more quickly ourselves and I still didn't feel that bad – STILL a bad move!

Can you imagine if I had passed out and the wife was trying to take care of me AND drive at the same time?

And, she wasn't sure how to get to the hospital by herself! Dumb. Dumb, Dumb!!!

Got to the hospital (12 miles approx.) walked into the ER and calmly told the receptionist that I thought I was having some angina pain. My blood pressure was sky high, 190+ over about 95. Pulse was close to 100. They quickly took me into Triage 1 and got an EKG going to check me out.

The nurse came in and asked why I had stated that I said I had possible angina, wondered why lay person used a medical term. I told her I had a little medical background (worked as the head orderly in a hospital part time in HS and college, retired Dentist. My wife had been Director of Medical Records in a hospital.)

The hospital was adding a new wing, so an orderly took me back to the patient diagnosis area of ER, I was put on a gurney, oxygen slapped on me and they started checking my vitals, etc right there in the hallway with everyone walking by.

The ER Doc said a Cardiologist had been contacted and he would be there shortly. Meanwhile, they started an IV and started me on nitroglycerine to get my chest pressure sensation reduced and B/P down. They also gave me a bunch of Children's Aspirin to chew up also. By this time, I had also started to notice a slight pain in my lower jaw. People and personel were scurrying around – it was a madhouse of activity.

The cardiologist's nurse arrived and starting taking my health information and symptom information. The cardiologist showed up shortly thereafter. Since this was our first year as snowbirds in Florida, we had no local doctors established, so we were kind of at the mercy of the system. He was in his fifties, close cut beard with graying hair, below average height, and very quick and decisive. He said when my B/P lowered enough, they would start me on some cardio tests and then get a diagnosis on me.

Did a bunch of Xrays, MRI/CT scans, etc, etc., lots of blood draws.

The Doc came back and let me and the wife know that it was official –

I had had a heart attack.

Being a “cheap bastard” of Scottish heritage, I still didn't believe the diagnosis, and suspected my Medicare account was being tapped for Christmas. I knew something was wrong, I just didn't know exactly what (HEY, I read WebMD on the internet! )

Later that afternoon they had scheduled a heart catheterization to determine where I had possible blockages.

In the meantime, more tests, tubes of blood, etc, etc. And they checked me into my own private room.

End Part I Next: The Surprise

I hope that some of you are able to get some info about my experience so far, and that will be helpful. Notice that I was still in denial after a Board certified Cardiologist had told me I had had a heart attack with some damage! While I was hardly on a par with a physician for cardiac medical knowledge, I was still denying the stone cold truth!

[peteg59]

Quite the experience you relate above, Jim!

Glad to hear you made it through, & hope your recovery is swift/pain free.

[1dn5up]

Was watchin over you!

As far as driving there, that’s a big . You get same day service when the ambulance transports ya. Actually it becomes imeadiate service .

I worked a whole 8hrs feeling weird all day. When I got home my wife said what’s wrong ? Zoom - we were off.

Hope ya feel better , as us men are vauranable. You had some strange symptoms for sure !

[Dave59]

Glad you're here to talk about it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

[Jack Klarich]

Wow, you are very lucky

Heck of a Christmas gift

Hope you make a strong recovery

Merry Christmas

[David357]

Boy Jim, that was quite a story and a very close call. Glad that you are OK.

As I read through your post, a very familiar pattern emerged. The more I read the more familiar your symptoms sounded. Please follow up with your gastro doctor. I ended up with a perforated ulcer that required emergency surgery with near identical symptoms.

A quick outpatient endoscopy can pinpoint a diagnosis.

Glad that you are on the mend. Be well and get some rest.

[Gone2Three]

Dang Jim... I'm glad your still with us... Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas Hope y'a feel better, we'll be praying for you brother.

[trike lady]

Yikes, will pray for you.

[Zammy]

Wow Jim, glad that you're doing OK now, that was quite the scare.

[LadyonaMission]

Jim, I am happy you are still with us. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Dockem]

Was watchin over you!

There is a great saying about "Never ride faster than your Guardian Angel can fly."

In my life I have put my Guardian Angel to the test a few times - knowingly and unknowingly. This was one of those times my G. A. really came thru for me. I am not a super religious person, but I definitely believe in a supreme power, (God or what you will - God for me.) During the last few days, I definitely had some prayer time!

In part 2, I test the limit for my G.A. again, and find some of the good and bad of our medical system.

[ol' school]

Dang Jim! That is quite a story! Glad you are still here! Good luck in your recovery. You and yours are in our prayers!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

[Roadbuz]

Someone upstairs is ALWAYS looking down on us. I KNOW some might not agree and at times we have a tendency to doubt, but I DO NOT.

Sure, most of us have had similar medical problems throughout our lives....some don't work out the way we wish while others do.

I have had and still have medical issues, but even with mine, I'm able to somewhat function and enjoy seeing my kids, grandkids,

great-grand kids and truly blessed with a wonderful wife. Although you may not be totally out of the woods, I'm sure with proper care and

prayer you'll be fine.

Best wishes for a full and Happy New Year !!

Ron