Hello From the Hospital

[Tekward]

chest discomfort ?

Can folks who have had this expand on this more, I hear that and have no idea what is meant.
Is is like a squeezing, ache as if after being punched hard ?

I had sharp pains around the heart, for a few days now and then, so went and saw a cardiologist, did the stress test and echo cardiogram , turns out I'm fine, but I don't know what it will feel like when it happens.

For me you described it well, a tightness and ache. I had none of the classic symptoms of radiating pain, nausea, sweating, etc. But the doctors said the amount of pain varies with heart condition & severity. I would not have been surprised to be sent home.


Two notes:
- It is important to note that women can present very different symptoms, including back & neck pain. I am a M/65YO.
- When I asked the doctor about the potential for heredity issues she recommended a CAC test (coronary artery calcium). It is not covered by most insurance but is relatively inexpensive. I recommended this video to my 3 DDs

 

[Flieger]

Glad you "listened" to your body and went to the ER!

My HR manager, 60, just had quadruple bypass last Friday. Also has a pacemaker of some sort (don't know the details). I am not sure if he will be returning to work, or calling it quits.

 

[street]

A brief recap:
- I felt unusual chest discomfort during a Thursday workout.
- It persisted for two hours so I decided to go to the hospital and play it safe. I did not have other symptoms, but I know that people tend explain away health issues.
- To my surprise and disappointment the blood test found enzymes indicative of a heart attack so I was admitted.
- Friday the heart catherization procedure found an artery blocked 70% and a stent was implanted.
- I should be home today and feel very fortunate since both my parents passed very suddenly at younger ages.
Please take your health seriously, listen to your body, and take care of yourself.
(Yes, this will shift my SS strategy.)

Glad you went in, and all turned out well. The medical world has the heart figured out to a T. My parents both had heart issues and both got fixed up like new and lived to an old age. When they passed away the heart wasn't the issues.

Very happy for you and getting home will be a great healer.

 

[eytonxav]

Always good to listen to one's body. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[Venturer]

chest discomfort ?

Can folks who have had this expand on this more, I hear that and have no idea what is meant.
Is is like a squeezing, ache as if after being punched hard ?

I had sharp pains around the heart, for a few days now and then, so went and saw a cardiologist, did the stress test and echo cardiogram , turns out I'm fine, but I don't know what it will feel like when it happens.

When I had mine, I had been putting a hitch on my truck in the back yard. I was laying on my back trying to lift it up to put a bolt in the frame and my arm started hurting. I broke out in a sweat and stopped what I was doing. I crawled out from under the truck and went inside for a glass of water & to cool down. I decided to wait until the weekend to put on the hitch. That evening I was still feeling weak and told my DW I thought I had gotten too hot/ mabe heatstroke. Around 45 min. later I was feeling tightness in my chest and told her I knew something was wrong. She started to cry and had a panic attack so here we were, I'm trying to calm her, she has called our DD and 911, and I'm starting to wet my clothes from sweating so much. My DD and ambulance arrived at around the same time. Bythen I was cooled off some and insisting that it was just that I got too hot. I didn't want to go to ER but my DD said either I got in the ambulance or she and m soninlaw were gonna carry me out. I walked out to their car and they carried me to ER. After the tests, in which one of the tecknitions said I had dropped and bottomed out so fast it scared her. I had indicated a heart attack so since the hospital there couldn't fix it there I was transported to Rome for follow up. Once there they did a heart cath and I had 3 stents put in. I spent the night there and then had 6 weeks of pt rehab. I am now on too many heart and BP meds but I guess it is better than the alternative. Anyway I'll agree with so many here --LISTEN to your body and take action.

 

[steady saver]

It's too easy to second guess things and blow it off. Glad you didn't! And thanks for sharing for the rest of us. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[Chuckanut]

That is good news. Get well.

 

[ut2sua]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Best wishes for a speedy total recovery.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Very happy to hear you had a great outcome. What a relief it must be to know you did the right thing and went to the ER.

Several years ago I had a similar incident--chest tightness and pain. It felt like 2-3 inch thick rubber bands wrapped around my chest, squeezing it. Pain was significant but not unbearable and would ebb and flow. It was nighttime and I was tossing and turning, couldn't sleep much. At the time I was taking meds for Afib so was worried this might be a heart attack.

Finally around 8:00 am I went to the ER. Had the enzyme blood test which came back negative. Turned out I was having a panic attack, which I don't understand as I was not anxious about anything. Was prescribed 5 Valium with instructions to take 1 before bedtime that night and sent home. I spent 3 hours in a bed in the ER. Price was $1,200 under my DW's workplace crappy high deductible health care plan. Knowing nothing was wrong, priceless.

 

[GravitySucks]

Best of luck to you

 

[Tekward]

I'll share bit more on my treatment in the chance that it is helpful:

- ER & diagnostics A+ A clear signal of heart damage via enzymes increase over time removed all doubt about the seriousness of the event. My Troponin first reading confirmed the event and as expected it doubled in 2 hours and then quadrupled in 2 more hours.

- Surgical Team A+ An excellent briefing ( with a touch of humor - later), wonderful technology and skilled physician. As anyone who has been wheeled into surgery knows, you recognize this could be life changing (sad family experience that was brought to mind as I watch the acoustic ceiling go by).

- Hospital care B Great nurses and Techs but formulaic treatment. Based upon the event I was placed on a low sodium liquid diet, even though a kidney doctor had seen me after I was admitted about my blood results - low sodium (I hydrate a lot when exercising).

- Prescribing medicines D - Really disappointing.
First, the script was sent to the wrong pharmacy, not the one in my chart. Second, they were closed until Monday preventing me from following my Saturday discharge instructions. Fortunately I called back and I appreciated them quickly transferring the script to my listed local pharmacist who had the meds filled that day.

Regarding the blood thinners there were uncoordinated instructions. I was prescribed Prasugrel (based on the stent) for a year and aspirin for a month. All good. But the medication list on the discharge instructions has Eliquis, my current med listed, but no periodicity or duration to avoid interaction. Also the care instructions in the same document lists Brilinta for a year but does not have a prescription. (All of this was provided as feedback to the prescribing doctor.)

My bottom line advice is to take good care of yourself and loved ones by tracking the details and asking questions. Many of these patient instructions are menu driven and prone to gaps, conflict, and potential interaction. Do your own research.
Apologies for the length but I hope it is a worthy share.

 

[Tekward]

Another sobering thought that aligns with ER. I still have occasional consulting w*rk and I realized that if I was on-site for a client I probably would have tried to push through it. That thought really scared me and I am now downshifting further in recognition that ER is best for my health and longevity.
By far the hardest part of the event was telling my loved ones and causing them worry & sadness.

 

[pacergal]

Tekward--thank you for sharing your story and wishing you continued good health.
And, yes, review your discharge notes and/or after visit summary before you leave so you can clarify and ask questions. Good advice.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I’m so glad that you went to the hospital and got treated.
That must have been really scary.

Thank you for posting this valuable information about your symptoms and to the others that have posted their experiences. It’s really good to hear from people who have actual experience.

I would be the same way about putting off any symptoms while working. I was terrible at ignoring my own health issues because working was so much easier.
Thankfully I did go to the doctor when it really counted but I’m much more proactive now.
Reducing your workload sounds like a really good idea.

 

[Dash man]

Thank you for sharing your story and I’m so glad you are getting well.
I’ve never had a cardiac event, but my calcium score has me as high risk, so I’m on 40mg atorvastatin and low dose aspirin. I try to be aware of what my body tells me, but your story reminds me to be vigilant.

 

[HenryD]

Thanks for sharing OP, and thanks for reminding me that I need to schedule a follow-up CAC. It's been 18 months since my original one.

 

[Koolau]

chest discomfort ?

Can folks who have had this expand on this more, I hear that and have no idea what is meant.
Is is like a squeezing, ache as if after being punched hard ?

I had sharp pains around the heart, for a few days now and then, so went and saw a cardiologist, did the stress test and echo cardiogram , turns out I'm fine, but I don't know what it will feel like when it happens.

I'm sure it's different for everybody. Of course, in my case, I didn't have a heart attack - just significant blockage of one coronary artery.

It happened suddenly. Upon ANY exertion (getting up from a chair to walk to the kitchen) I got a tightness centered about where my shoulder joint is. Drawing a circle around that joint about 5 inches in diameter (so down the arm and toward the center of my chest) the tightness "something wrong" feeling radiated. The "bad feeling" went away when I stopped exerting myself and returned as soon as I moved around again. I KNEW instinctively that it was a heart related event. Got to the hospital and of course, they didn't find any heart damage. My heart sounded fine. Pulse was normal. 20 people looked me over in the course of 36 hours. I kept complaining about the "chest tightness" which finally became pain in the same place. SO, finally they gave me the stress test (really painful in the chest) which took a LONG time to get the electronic signal they were looking for. Then they did Pet scans (or some such) to look at valves and maybe blockage. They concluded I probably did need a heart cath. with a possible stent. Yep, I did. Fine now (I guess.)

 

[FiveDriver]

It's a real eye-opener, isn't it?. Thanks to all you folks for pointing out that action is needed in these instances.

Just out of my own curiosity.....are there many smokers in this group ??
I quit all smoking 4 years ago, outside of the occasional cigar (but I didn't inhale). We've made it this far. I'm looking to extend the 'bon temps' as long as possible.

 

[Koolau]

It's a real eye-opener, isn't it?. Thanks to all you folks for pointing out that action is needed in these instances.

Just out of my own curiosity.....are there many smokers in this group ??
I quit all smoking 4 years ago, outside of the occasional cigar (but I didn't inhale). We've made it this far. I'm looking to extend the 'bon temps' as long as possible.

Never a smoker, but also NOT a "health nut" about food and exercise. Cholesterol was not high enough to treat before hand, but cardiologist put me on a horse-pill statin afterwords. Cholesterol is now super low.

 

[badatmath]

Glad you went and that they listened to you and got you patched up.

As it happens I went to the ER last week . . . they told me it was for sick people. I thought sustained bp of over 180 and heart rate of 134 indicated "sick" but I guess I was wrong. They did find dehydrated, etc and gave me a bag of fluid but I found it not optimal. Have to see my doc this week.

 

[Venturer]

It's a real eye-opener, isn't it?. Thanks to all you folks for pointing out that action is needed in these instances.

Just out of my own curiosity.....are there many smokers in this group ??
I quit all smoking 4 years ago, outside of the occasional cigar (but I didn't inhale). We've made it this far. I'm looking to extend the 'bon temps' as long as possible.

Not now but before quitting totally in 2007 I was a verrrry heavy smoker at 2.5 packs a day. I started smoking in 1965 or 66 in Jr. high because all us cool kids did it. Lord how stupid we were!

 

[Koolau]

Glad you went and that they listened to you and got you patched up.

As it happens I went to the ER last week . . . they told me it was for sick people. I thought sustained bp of over 180 and heart rate of 134 indicated "sick" but I guess I was wrong. They did find dehydrated, etc and gave me a bag of fluid but I found it not optimal. Have to see my doc this week.

Yeah, it's so strange to go for "help" and be more or less shoved aside like "you big faker-hypochondriac." I felt almost like that with doctor after doctor coming in saying "I can't find anything wrong." Yeah, doc, but I hurt - a lot. SOMETHING's wrong!

 

[razztazz]

Glad you went and that they listened to you and got you patched up.

As it happens I went to the ER last week . . . they told me it was for sick people. I thought sustained bp of over 180 and heart rate of 134 indicated "sick" but I guess I was wrong. They did find dehydrated, etc and gave me a bag of fluid but I found it not optimal. Have to see my doc this week.

That's what kept me from going to the hospital. Maybe something was a little wrong? I suspected "guy over 60 mows lawn in 105 heat index" Like I've never done that before?! Didn't want to be a hypochondriac and take an ambulance from somebody who could actually need it. And didn't want to be told "You don't look that sick to me" at the ER and think "Damn, I KNEW it!

 

[Koolau]

I'm convinced that the only reason they didn't send me home was that I kept whining. They were probably also afraid that this was the one whiner/hypochondriac that they send home and he has a massive coronary on the way home. BAD publicity!

 

[badatmath]

Yeah, it's so strange to go for "help" and be more or less shoved aside like "you big faker-hypochondriac." I felt almost like that with doctor after doctor coming in saying "I can't find anything wrong." Yeah, doc, but I hurt - a lot. SOMETHING's wrong!

Right and they should know by my medical records I do not come in to doctors all the time. I am not here for the fun of it. I am also not sure how I get "dehydrated" sitting in a chair. It is not as if i was out climbing a mountain. I've been sitting around more than usual for the last week due to plantar fasciitis too!

Puts me off going again though.