Hello From the Hospital

[Koolau]

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!

Talk about dehydration. Sheesh! The docs finally admitted me for "observation." I even had to sign all the papers that said I understood that MC wouldn't necessarily cover me after 2 days. Sure enough, after 2 days, they decided I really was a "cardiac patient" and started to w*rk on me.

BUT, just in case, they had to cut on me (or, more importantly, use anesthesia on me) they wouldn't let me eat or drink for 3 days when I finally got my heart cath. I got some ice chips and nothing more.

 

[Katsmeow]

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.

I recently found out I had 4 blockages in my arteries (none compromising blood flow enough to need a stent). So, I have done a lot of research about heart attacks and optimal care since that is now a much larger risk for me.

Anyway, everything I have read says that it is always a mistake to have someone drive you to the ER (or, even worse, drive yourself). Always call the ambulance. In an ambulance they can take an EKG and can start some treatment. Importantly if your local hospital can't potentially do a stent they can start in motion the steps to transport you if needed. Valuable time is lost by not doing the ambulance as they can't do anything until you get there if your coming in a car.

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.)

I don't know if you had a cardiologist before. If you didn't, then find a good one (who may not be who treated you in the hospital). If you have had a heart attack (or have documented heart disease like me which was found from calcium score and later angiogram), they will want to get your LDL level very low (my goal is under 50) and will want to prescribe and tweak medications to get there.

 

[Koolau]

I recently found out I had 4 blockages in my arteries (none compromising blood flow enough to need a stent). So, I have done a lot of research about heart attacks and optimal care since that is now a much larger risk for me.

Anyway, everything I have read says that it is always a mistake to have someone drive you to the ER (or, even worse, drive yourself). Always call the ambulance. In an ambulance they can take an EKG and can start some treatment. Importantly if your local hospital can't potentially do a stent they can start in motion the steps to transport you if needed. Valuable time is lost by not doing the ambulance as they can't do anything until you get there if your coming in a car.



I don't know if you had a cardiologist before. If you didn't, then find a good one (who may not be who treated you in the hospital). If you have had a heart attack (or have documented heart disease like me which was found from calcium score and later angiogram), they will want to get your LDL level very low (my goal is under 50) and will want to prescribe and tweak medications to get there.

Sounds like good advice.

Interesting about the calcium score. My cardiologist said "I don't pay too much attention to those." In a year I was getting 3 stents.

Yeah, my doc put me on 80 mg atorvastatin and my LDL is like 20. Doc is happy - so I guess I'm happy.

Oh, by the way, I changed cardiologists.

 

[badatmath]

My cardiologist says EKG don't tell them as much as people think. Mine are abnormal but the angiogram was 100% fine.

In my case I go for blood pressure but all the drugs seem to cause more problems than I had before I got them. It is like they have the opposite effect.

It is frustrating - try to do the right thing and get help in an emergency and so on and it just doesn't always work. And I will be interested to see what doctor says - I suspect he will be more interested than ER doc.

And really what does a heart attack feel like? Not like most of us have had one before. We only know if something seems vastly abnormal or different than usual.

Just need to be your own advocate.

I generally agree about the ambulance. My neighbor had a bad asthma attack and called for ambulance. He had a heart attack on the way to the hospital and they were able to get him sorted out until he could be patched up.

 

[Montecfo]

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.)

Praise the Lord you went to doctor. Easy to ignore symptoms.

My heart attack was during pickup basketball, a usual activity for me. I played on after feeling chest pain that I thought was heartburn.

I eventually got to hospital got a stent (95% blockage in LAD aka the Widowmaker). This was 2006. In 2018 I got a second stent in the Widowmaker after a "heart event".

Always take all meds pass all tests never had high cholesterol etc.

First symptom of coronary artery disease is often a heart attack and they are often fatal. And medical science has not figured out how to prevent them. The first one is often fatal. Fortunate indeed.

Take care of yourself. Get well soon, Tekward!

 

[Montecfo]

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.

This is major failing of our medical system. Sometimes theywant to see an overweight red faced person in acute distress before taking it seriously.

When I had my "heart event" my symptom was very short of breath after just beginning to mow the lawn-NOT normal.

ER could find nothing wrong after 6 hours of monitoring. And after all, I had passed a nuclear stress test 5 months earlier-flying colors.

They wanted to send me home but I Insisted something was seriously not right. After another four hours of monitoring they were finally able to detect elevated troponin levels. No heart damage they said, but heart stress. So off to cath lab, second stent to address a 95% blockage.

If you know something is wrong, advocate for your self. I could have had a HA and died in the ER parking lot.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I second, or third, in getting a CAC scan. The report is interesting, I had 0, and with comments that I am at no risk for a heart attack in the next 10 years. Our friends, wife had 0 and husband had 1000. He was immediately scheduled to get a stent. He had 95% blockage in one artery and had no symptoms.

 

[badatmath]

This is major failing of our medical system. Sometimes theywant to see an overweight red faced person in acute distress before taking it seriously.

When I had my "heart event" my symptom was very short of breath after just beginning to mow the lawn-NOT normal.

ER could find nothing wrong after 6 hours of monitoring. And after all, I had passed a nuclear stress test 5 months earlier-flying colors.

They wanted to send me home but I Insisted something was seriously not right. After another four hours of monitoring they were finally able to detect elevated troponin levels. No heart damage they said, but heart stress. So off to cath lab, second stent to address a 95% blockage.

If you know something is wrong, advocate for your self. I could have had a HA and died in the ER parking lot.

Right when I had my first hypertensive crisis they admitted me due to troponin but subsequently decided no damage just stress. But normally when bp is high heart is still normal rate - or close to normal - until last week - except for last year when I was admitted. So that is why I was worried.

But you are right I am of average weight, 55, "look" fairly healthy so I must be fine right?

They did say last week my potassium was whack but they certainly didn't give me any so I guess it still is.

 

[aaronc879]

You will be back to normal in no time. I read this as saying any heart attack you had was small. Just by coincidence today is 3 years since my heart attack. I was mowing the lawn instead of at the gym. My symptoms were too easily explained away, ha ha. And I don't mean I was BS'ing myself. They just weren't anything that had me scared enough to think of a heart attack. So after a nap and cold shower (which 4 out of 5 doctors don't recommend for people suffering a heart attack) I decided to go to the hospital. Three stents and two days later it all worked out except I am left with less than 50% of normal heart output, a pacemaker, and an ICD. But today I washed and waxed the car.

Who is that 5th doctor who recommends taking a nap when experiencing symptoms of a heart attack? I want to cross them off my list of people to go to for help.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Smart moves by you! Glad all is good. Same happened to my neighbor who is 80 and cycles and walks daily and appears way fitter than me. His was a blocked "Widow Maker" artery. Thankfully he is all good now too.

Take care.

 

[Montecfo]

Right when I had my first hypertensive crisis they admitted me due to troponin but subsequently decided no damage just stress. But normally when bp is high heart is still normal rate - or close to normal - until last week - except for last year when I was admitted. So that is why I was worried.

But you are right I am of average weight, 55, "look" fairly healthy so I must be fine right?

They did say last week my potassium was whack but they certainly didn't give me any so I guess it still is.

Yeah. They look at you and say this guy does not look like he's dying. Next?

I do think it is a hazard. You go to doctors and knowing their specialty and assessing the waiting room, you realize you may be the healthiest-looking person they have seen in a while.

 

[badatmath]

Yeah. They look at you and say this guy does not look like he's dying. Next?

I do think it is a hazard. You go to doctors and knowing their specialty and assessing the waiting room, you realize you may be the healthiest-looking person they have seen in a while.

Maybe I should try to look more decrepit next time. I hope there isn't a next time but still. . .

 

[mystang52]

Add me to the well-wishers, and I too thought I was in good shape until my episode February '22. I had a great morning run, but then noticed some "heartburn" which I ignored/forgot about. Next morning I had an unusually exhausting swim, then realized that heartburn was still there. Same story, ER visit followed by 2 stents...and 3 more a month later. I'm back to my exercises, although I'm not too good beyond one flight of stairs. Most definitely, we can't ignore those initial symptoms!

 

[badatmath]

I did ask cardiologist what heart pain was like today - if it specific spot or something and he said no usually pretty much all over. I honestly didn't know. I often had odd aches and pains otherwise - sometimes in chest but I have always ignored them and really so far that has been fine. (I see him for blood pressure) but I thought of this thread.

 

[bloom2708]

Happy you went in. Recover fast.

Eat more whole plant foods. Eat less or no saturated fat and cholesterol laden foods (from animals).

 

[Katsmeow]

Sounds like good advice.

Interesting about the calcium score. My cardiologist said "I don't pay too much attention to those." In a year I was getting 3 stents.

Yeah, my doc put me on 80 mg atorvastatin and my LDL is like 20. Doc is happy - so I guess I'm happy.

Oh, by the way, I changed cardiologists.

That is just terrible from the cardiologist. I mean, maybe if you had just had an angiogram or a heart attack, they might think the calcium scan wouldn't add anything. But, for people who have not yet had a coronary event I think it is very valuable. It was a huge wake up call for me. At 20 mg rosuvastatin my LDL was down to 59 with a goal of under 50. I increased to 40 mg and just today had blood drawn for a lipid panel to see if I was OK. My primary care doctor (pre-calcium scan) was happy just to put me on 10 mg which wasn't nearly enough....

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

I spent last Christmas @ Walter Reed hospital in Bethesda. I've always had moderately high cholesterol, and the EKG and all symptoms, including really high troponin levels, pointed to me having a heart attack. So they took a look under the fluoroscope and found zero blockage.

Was instead diagnosed with myocarditis, just like you heard about the otherwise healthy athletes getting shortly after receiving the covid vaccine. It had been a few months for me, so I don't believe that was the cause. Cleared to fully exercise now, but I have started on rosuvastatin since then.

One interesting experience while in the hospital....one of the residents informed me that ever since covid, they've seen a lot of weird things with covid vaccines and heart issues. His team was working on a research study and paper, but someone higher up in the chain of command ordered them to terminate all work, with no explanation.

 

[jollystomper]

Glad to hear you are OK. Determining whether or not to go in can be a challenge, but it is always best to error on the side of caution. Because I still lift weights frequently I have sometimes gotten chest pains that my doctor checked out and indicated these were muscular. They tend to be shooting like a quick needle prick) and brief.

However, back in 2017 I was working out on a treadmill one afternoon, the day before a work trip to Las Vegas (a DW was going to come with me), and got a sharp, somewhat steady pain in my chest It seemed to change based on what position I was in. It lingered into the early evening. I had no other symptoms, no pain anywhere else, no sweating, etc. But we decided better safe than sorry so I went to the ER. Fortunately at that time, the local hospital philosophy was "if you come into the ER with chest pain and are over 50, you get priority service". They ran the blood tests, X-rays, MRI - but nothing indicated heart attack or blockage. But early the next morning the pain had subsided. But, they recommended not going to Las Vegas, and I was fine with that.

I went to my cardiologist a day later for a stress test, and the main result was them adjusting my HBP medicine. But my arteries were clear (when I had enlarged heart surgery in 2004 they also checked my arteries and they were clear then, so I was glad nothing has changed). My cardiologist was still glad I had gone to the ER.

 

[Koolau]

Glad to hear you are OK. Determining whether or not to go in can be a challenge, but it is always best to error on the side of caution. Because I still lift weights frequently I have sometimes gotten chest pains that my doctor checked out and indicated these were muscular. They tend to be shooting like a quick needle prick) and brief.

Once I was in a bed after my "chest pains" most of the 20 folks who wandered through pushed on my shoulder and asked if it was painful. I finally asked why and one of them said "to see if your pain is muscular." It wasn't but YMMV.

 

[badatmath]

I thought it rather odd when I was in they acted like they didn't believe what I said. Like my allergy to a med. I was like look at your own records YOU treated me for it in April. Just really unprofessional and uncaring.

Oddly enough I had just read this was one of the "better" hospitals in my town too.

 

[ncbill]

I did ask cardiologist what heart pain was like today - if it specific spot or something and he said no usually pretty much all over. I honestly didn't know. I often had odd aches and pains otherwise - sometimes in chest but I have always ignored them and really so far that has been fine. (I see him for blood pressure) but I thought of this thread.

FWIW, with the females I've known a heart attack also presented as bad and getting increasingly worse tooth pain.

 

[Koolau]

FWIW, with the females I've known a heart attack also presented as bad and getting increasingly worse tooth pain.

I've seen quite a few articles on why females don't seek and then don't get help when they have a heart attack. There is a certain level of bias against women having heart attacks since they're considered more of a "man's disease." Women need to advocate for themselves if they think they have a heart attack (or blocked artery.) I'm not even a woman and I had a hard time getting doctors to pay attention to my symptoms. Essentially all "their" tests showed I was fine. My pain didn't seem to count. YMMV

 

[MarieIG]

Add me to the well-wishers, and I too thought I was in good shape until my episode February '22. I had a great morning run, but then noticed some "heartburn" which I ignored/forgot about. Next morning I had an unusually exhausting swim, then realized that heartburn was still there. Same story, ER visit followed by 2 stents...and 3 more a month later. I'm back to my exercises, although I'm not too good beyond one flight of stairs. Most definitely, we can't ignore those initial symptoms!

Wishing you a rapid and complete recovery Mystang52!

 

[MarieIG]

FWIW, with the females I've known a heart attack also presented as bad and getting increasingly worse tooth pain.

I didn't know that - thank you.

 

[Gremlin]

Sometimes you just have to whine! My brother, age 62, had chest pain on and off for a full year. He kept going to his doctor, getting repeat EKG, stress test. All normal. Finally, I told my brother ( we live 2k miles away) with the next event GO TO THE ER. They have protocols to follow and the work up will be more thorough. Finally, he did. Work up including Troponins normal initially. He refused to leave the ER until they figured it out. So, they admitted him and followed serial troponins. Cardiologist sees him the next day and, fortunately, listened to my brother and decides to do cardiac cath regardless of normal work up. As they are wheeling him to the cath suite his latest troponin was finally elevated ( after almost 18 hours) Unfortunately, the blockages were too severe for stents so he underwent quadruple bypass.

He is two years out and doing well.

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!