I guess that I'm getting to be that age...

[rrich]

Saturday I had a heart attack. It's not that big of a deal.


WHAT???

Let me give the details and yes it was VERY SERIOUS.

Saturday about 2:20 it hit while I was in the shop. A HUGE pain in my chest. I rolled averything back into the shop and by 2:35 LOML was driving me to the ER. After a quick EKG I was in the ER by 3:10 with them planning to admit me. By about 8:00 I had already seen three cardiologists and the plans were in place to move me to another hospital a few blocks away. (Lakeview doesn't have the facility, yet, to insert stents.) Monday morning I had a stent inserted. This afternoon I came home with a bunch of pills and a very sore right leg. (They went into the leg, did an angigram and inserted the stent.)
The reason that it is not a big deal is that there was almost no damage to the heart. The big reason that there was no damage was because I went to the ER immediately. I was on drugs in less than an hour of the event starting.

The screaming message here is, If you are experiencing severe chest pains get to the ER immediately. (I should have called 9-1-1 rather than let LOML drive.)

For those of you that are technically minded, my blood tests for Toponin at 3:15, 10:00 and 4:00 showed levels of 0.0, 0.39 and 0.18. Had I waited a day or two, those levels could have been 30+. Toponin is an enzyme that is given off by dying heart cells.

Two different cardiologists asked why I came to the ER so quickly. I explained that my rules are chest pains or a peak flow (Atshma) of less than 450 means a trip to the ER. Both said good but next time use 9-1-1.

The third cardiologist spent about 20 minutes teaching me how to read an EKG print out. Really cool! My problem was an S-T wave form transistion of non zero. Then he asked me what I did for a living. When I said a retired network engineer, he exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew it! I can always spot an engineer." I got a good laugh from that.

The amazing thing about this experience has been money. Until we picked up the drugs at the phamacy on the way home, NOTHING has been said about money. No ER co-pay, no hospital co-pay, etc. I'm sure that we'll get a bill in the mail for the charges but the whole emphasis during the last three days has been my health and recovery. I'm guessing that the bill will be less than a grand. I think that the co-pay for the hospital is $300 per day. (It could be just a hundred but I can't remember. The difference is not significant.)

Guys --- Let me repeat the screaming message...

If you are expereincing chest pains call 9-1-1 !

[craigb]

Glad to hear it was a happy ending. Must have put the wind up you a bit!

It's not much good calling 9-1-1 in Australia though, here you have to call 0-0-0.

[Barry_White]

Saturday I had a heart attack. It's not that big of a deal.


Guys --- Let me repeat the screaming message...

If you are expereincing chest pains call 9-1-1 !

Rich

So glad you got fixed up quick.

The trouble Rich is if we call 911 we would be dead before they got here.

Over here it is 000 or 112 on the mobile.

That is part of the trouble here is that Aussie's watch so many Yankee movies that they think they should ring 911 and they risk death waiting.

[chrisp]

I'm pleased to hear that you are still with us - although to call this forum the "land of the living" might be overstating it.

[Groggy]

Good to read you're ok Rich. Always wise to get to medical aid quickly.

[ozwinner]

Age has nothing to do with it, its the bad western life style that does it.
All them fatty fries and burgers and drinks that are sooooooo tasty, you can thank them for the heart attack.

Al

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What Al said... doesn't have to be fatty foods either.

In my mid-20's, I'd been dropped off in the field at my 'dozer and was climbing aboard... left hand reaching up for the hand-grip, right leg up on the blade-arm so I could get a leg up onto the track. WHAM! Instant agony in the left side of the chest... and I was literally frozen there like a statue for what felt like an eternity, until the pain eased.

I won't say I panicked, but I was sure damned worried... heart attack? At that age? Maybe just a cramp? [fingers Xed] Better safe than sorry though, so I flagged down the leading hand and asked to be driven into occ-health. He poo-poohed the whole thing and I copped a lot of flak about being a hypochondriac from my workmates. Until brew time in the crib hut, anyway... where it happened again, only this time in front of witnesses. It scared the shyte out of them that time so they finally ran me into occ-health, who immediately diagnosed heart attack and rushed me to the local hossie.

Apparently 'twas hypokalemic(sp?) paralysis caused by a potassium deficiency and 'tis very serious indeed. Maybe not your "typical" heart attack, but still as dangerous, still caused long-term damage to the ol' ticker and can happen to anyone at any age.

I most definitely agree with the screaming message, Rich! (Good to see you're still with us, too. )

[scooter]

Glad to hear you're OK, Rich.

You too, Andy, would never have met yer if you'd turned your bare toes up then...

[Barry_White]

Just watched the New Inventers where this couple have invented a personal heart monitor that can tell if you are having a heart attack and through a PDA and bluetooth records your heart information and sets of an alarm off and if you don't cancel the alarm within a certain amount of time it sends a SMS to a nominated phone so they can ring 000 and will send graphs to your cardiologist to determine how bad the attack is.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1958450.htm

[Jedo_03]

Quote[Over here it is 000 or 112 on the mobile.]unquote

I didn't know that...

Thanks...
PS any other mobile numbers I should know...
cheers
Jedo

[Barry_White]

Quote[Over here it is 000 or 112 on the mobile.]unquote

I didn't know that...

Thanks...
PS any other mobile numbers I should know...
cheers
Jedo

Jedo

Don't know any others but 112 will connect to the closest Telco provider even if your provider is out of range.

[Jedo_03]

also...
for STROKE (CVA\TIA\Brain attack) sooner you get to A&E the better...
if it's ischaemic they can thrombolyse \ warfarinise which will minimise neurological damage...
if it's haemorraghic they will drop your blood pressure rapidly to minimise neurological damage...
Not all health facilities have STROKE units... but the sooner you get to an acute tertiary centre - the better...
Ambos with paramedics can deal with heart attack (MI) on a high-expert level now... The move is on to train Ambos and paramedics in acute Stroke Management now...
Signs of Stroke: (can be all or some) collapse - one sided limb weakness - garbled speech - blurred vision - tingling in limbs...
Mostly, STROKE occurs in the over 50's... can be younger...
Don't hesitate - 000 or 012... get to a hospital...
Jedo

[Cliff Rogers]

....about 2:20 it hit while I was in the shop. A HUGE pain in my chest. I rolled averything back into the shop and by 2:35 LOML was driving me to the ER. ....!

You spent 15 minutes cleaning up while you were having a heartie????

I want that kind of heartie when I have mine.

I have never spent 15 minutes cleaning up, ever....

Glad you are still here to tell the tale.

[joe greiner]

Very glad you're on the mend, Rich.

One of my Dad's coworkers, an air traffic controller, had a heart attack around 1940. In those days, it was considered a death sentence, and he went on disability retirement. Didn't finally check out until around 1970. They're all different, though. My Dad had his at age 86, but it was a big one. Shuffled off his mortal coil in a couple weeks.

"I knew it! I knew it! I can always spot an engineer." I got a good laugh from that.

Now, that's excellent medicine! They need to teach it more in medical school; or maybe they do.

Best of luck.

Joe

[rrich]

Thanks for the get well wishes, mates.