I Almost Died - 06/30/17 03:16 PM
I wanted to start a new thread even though I said the previous one was going to be my last. And the one before that...and the one before that...
Unfortunately, I can't remember how to link them but it is titled "About Last Night.".
Can someone help me out with the link?
I haven't really posted much lately because there really isn't anything new as far as the "sitch" goes. I've seen so many come and go in the 6+ years I've been coming to this board. So many of the "old-timers" or "vets" just seem to fade away. I guess that is a good thing though because it means that they are moving on. I assume that is what is happening to me as well. I'm fading away or so it seems.
I can't remember the last time I saw or spoke to XW. That is a good thing.
The lady friend has been keeping me busy with trips to the zoo and to our local aquarium. Tomorrow, she is making some Turkey Tacos and we are going to spend a quiet day at her place and maybe go for a swim. Still, just friends for now, but that is ok. I don't want to jinx anything, but I sometimes get the feeling that she is starting to have feelings for me. I may be wrong. I guess time will tell.
Now the real reason for the update:
I almost died.
Around the first week of May, I had a few really minor chest pains. I shrugged them off as indigestion because they were minor and they went away after a minute or two. I had them every day for about a week and then, they went away for a few weeks...completely gone.
On Saturday night, June 10th, I had a pretty bad one while lying in bed watching tv. It scared me a little bit, but because I'm an idiot, I just remained still and "hoped" that it would go away. (Stupid, I know.) Finally after about 15-20 minutes, it went away as quickly as it came.
On Sunday afternoon before heading to work, (I work 2:00-Midnight) I had a little one that was comparable to the little ones that I had weeks earlier. It went away after about a minute. I then had another one just like it while driving to work. Around 4:30, while sitting at my work station, I had a doozy. It was very mild at first, but increased in intensity. Within just a few minutes, it felt like someone was making a fist around my heart and squeezing as hard as they could. It was a pain unlike anything I had felt before and a pain I'll never forget. I had pretty bad jaw pain and broke out into a cold sweat. Still, not wanting to admit it was a heart attack, I decided to wait it out but....it wasn't going away. It was just like the one I had the night before but only much worse. I was starting to squirm in my chair because I couldn't get comfortable and the pain wouldn't go away. Finally, I said something to my coworker and he convinced me to talk to one of our security guards who is also an EMT. He took my blood pressure which was (I hate to say) 210/146. He called an ambulance and I was taken right to the emergency room. I had two doses of Nitroglycerin before we even left my work parking lot.
It turns out that I DID have a heart attack with a 95% blockage in the artery that doctors refer to as the widow maker.
It is the artery that feeds the front of the heart and the left side. It is "THE ARTERY." I ended up needing a stent and it was inserted the next day. I was also diagnosed with Diabetes and have to poke my finger several times throughout the day and give myself a shot depending on my sugar levels. At the time of my heart attack, my levels were over 500. Normal is 70-120 I believe. So, needless to say, I'l be changing my life style and the way I eat. I haven't touched a cigarette and have been doing little walks. I was finally cleared for cardiac rehab and will be starting that next week.
Luckily, lady friend is a health nut and she has promised to help me with my food choices. She has already been a big help.
My son told me the other day that one of my other sons has told the XW everything about my heart attack. She knows it all. I really wish that she didn't because it is none of her business.
I have some things to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I was at work when this happened. If I had been home, I would have probably did what I did the night before and hoped that it went away. I most likely would have died. According to my doctor, many people do die from what I had. Years ago, I had a radio buddy that got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. He never made it out of his bedroom. He died right there as soon as he got out of bed. I'm also thankful that they didn't have to do a bypass like they did my dad. He has three stents and had a quadruple bypass when he was 54. I'm only 49. I'm thankful for the security guard at my work that just happened to be working that day and just happened to be the only one with EMT training. I'm also thankful for the EMTs that helped me and for lady friend. I'm thankful that I'm going to get another chance.
I was lucky.
Moral of the story:
If you have pain or just feel "off", regardless of how minor you think it might be, don't hesitate to call. If I had been home alone, there is a very good chance that I wouldn't have made it to tell this story.
Tad
(Just happy to be here.)
Unfortunately, I can't remember how to link them but it is titled "About Last Night.".
Can someone help me out with the link?
I haven't really posted much lately because there really isn't anything new as far as the "sitch" goes. I've seen so many come and go in the 6+ years I've been coming to this board. So many of the "old-timers" or "vets" just seem to fade away. I guess that is a good thing though because it means that they are moving on. I assume that is what is happening to me as well. I'm fading away or so it seems.
I can't remember the last time I saw or spoke to XW. That is a good thing.
The lady friend has been keeping me busy with trips to the zoo and to our local aquarium. Tomorrow, she is making some Turkey Tacos and we are going to spend a quiet day at her place and maybe go for a swim. Still, just friends for now, but that is ok. I don't want to jinx anything, but I sometimes get the feeling that she is starting to have feelings for me. I may be wrong. I guess time will tell.
Now the real reason for the update:
I almost died.
Around the first week of May, I had a few really minor chest pains. I shrugged them off as indigestion because they were minor and they went away after a minute or two. I had them every day for about a week and then, they went away for a few weeks...completely gone.
On Saturday night, June 10th, I had a pretty bad one while lying in bed watching tv. It scared me a little bit, but because I'm an idiot, I just remained still and "hoped" that it would go away. (Stupid, I know.) Finally after about 15-20 minutes, it went away as quickly as it came.
On Sunday afternoon before heading to work, (I work 2:00-Midnight) I had a little one that was comparable to the little ones that I had weeks earlier. It went away after about a minute. I then had another one just like it while driving to work. Around 4:30, while sitting at my work station, I had a doozy. It was very mild at first, but increased in intensity. Within just a few minutes, it felt like someone was making a fist around my heart and squeezing as hard as they could. It was a pain unlike anything I had felt before and a pain I'll never forget. I had pretty bad jaw pain and broke out into a cold sweat. Still, not wanting to admit it was a heart attack, I decided to wait it out but....it wasn't going away. It was just like the one I had the night before but only much worse. I was starting to squirm in my chair because I couldn't get comfortable and the pain wouldn't go away. Finally, I said something to my coworker and he convinced me to talk to one of our security guards who is also an EMT. He took my blood pressure which was (I hate to say) 210/146. He called an ambulance and I was taken right to the emergency room. I had two doses of Nitroglycerin before we even left my work parking lot.
It turns out that I DID have a heart attack with a 95% blockage in the artery that doctors refer to as the widow maker.
It is the artery that feeds the front of the heart and the left side. It is "THE ARTERY." I ended up needing a stent and it was inserted the next day. I was also diagnosed with Diabetes and have to poke my finger several times throughout the day and give myself a shot depending on my sugar levels. At the time of my heart attack, my levels were over 500. Normal is 70-120 I believe. So, needless to say, I'l be changing my life style and the way I eat. I haven't touched a cigarette and have been doing little walks. I was finally cleared for cardiac rehab and will be starting that next week.Luckily, lady friend is a health nut and she has promised to help me with my food choices. She has already been a big help.
My son told me the other day that one of my other sons has told the XW everything about my heart attack. She knows it all. I really wish that she didn't because it is none of her business.
I have some things to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I was at work when this happened. If I had been home, I would have probably did what I did the night before and hoped that it went away. I most likely would have died. According to my doctor, many people do die from what I had. Years ago, I had a radio buddy that got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. He never made it out of his bedroom. He died right there as soon as he got out of bed. I'm also thankful that they didn't have to do a bypass like they did my dad. He has three stents and had a quadruple bypass when he was 54. I'm only 49. I'm thankful for the security guard at my work that just happened to be working that day and just happened to be the only one with EMT training. I'm also thankful for the EMTs that helped me and for lady friend. I'm thankful that I'm going to get another chance.
I was lucky.
Moral of the story:
If you have pain or just feel "off", regardless of how minor you think it might be, don't hesitate to call. If I had been home alone, there is a very good chance that I wouldn't have made it to tell this story.
Tad
(Just happy to be here.)
