"How did you know you were having a heart attack?" Is the one question I'm most frequently asked once most people see the scar running down my chest so I decided to take this opportunity to give my answer and share my story here and now.
It all began early on a Friday morning. I remember waking up with the worst throat pain I'd ever experienced in my life. I couldn't understand what was happening because, not only did I have this unfathomable pain out of no where at five a.m., but it intensified with each breath I took.
I knew, almost immediately, I needed to get to the Emergency Room so, while running around holding my throat, I managed to change clothes and wake up my husband. Having just been in the ER the week before due to Gallbladder issues, he didn't seem too concerned about the situation, but he hurriedly got up and began to get himself ready, anyway. At the same time, I tried to lay down on the couch, while waiting for him, but it was just about then that the nausea and cold sweats kicked in. I couldn't hold back so I ran to the bathroom and got sick, uncontrollably.
After this newest episode, I tried to get back to the couch and remember pretty much just collapsing half-way there. My husband had already sent our daughter (who was twelve-years-old at this time) on to get in the car and was trying to get me off the floor, saying, "You need to get up. You can't let her see you like this."
With that thought in mind, somehow, I managed to pick myself up off the floor and head out the door. Still fighting nausea, weakness and dizziness, once outside, it took everything in me to make my feet move so that I could get to the car.
Since I was still vomiting, uncontrollably, I had a very tight hold on the trash can as we headed down the drive to the gate. Some say our driveway is the longest part of the drive in getting to and from our house... this is one time I would have to agree! Once we'd gotten to the highway, almost to town, I suddenly began to feel better so I laid my head back on my pillow that I'd grabbed on my way out the door and just tried to relax until we got to the hospital. Whatever this was, I foolishly thought I'd seen the last of it.
Once at the hospital, I walked inside the door and straight to one of the chairs in the waiting area. It wasn't a minute later that they had me in a wheelchair, heading to the back for tests. It was about this time that I began to get sick again. Soon after, the weakness and dizziness took over, along with some wicked shortness of breath. By this time, the ER doctor was in the room with about five other ER staff, me, my husband and our daughter. He began to ask me questions, most of which I don't remember. Suffice it to say that not one of us in that room ever considered for a second that it could possibly be my heart at that point.
I wish I could be more specific on the details as to what happened from here on out, but due to the drugs they'd given me and my overall state of health, things begin to get blurry for me. I do, however, remember it was about this time that an indescribable pain hit me in my left shoulder blade. I kept begging my husband to rub it harder and harder, but nothing helped. Besides this pain in my upper back, the shortness of breath now became the primary symptom that was of greatest concern. Trying to lay and relax was just impossible. I couldn't do it. Each time I tried to lay down, breathing became increasingly difficult so I slept sitting up with the pillow on the bedside tray that I had pulled up to the bed.
Also, it was at some point during this never-ending day that they had called in a Cardiologist for consult. Since the one they had originally called in had to go out of town that weekend, they introduced me to the Cardio-Doc who is now my attending Cardiologist, aka, Dr. Wonderful. Our first meeting was pretty much one-sided as I was in and out of consciousness, but from the info I've gathered over time, all the testing done never once showed anything out of range for my heart so they had decided to send me home. However, imagine how surprised I was to read in the notes that I was the one who had asked them to check my heart one more time. It was then, during more testing, something out of the ordinary gave the doctors cause to hold off the discharge and admit me, instead.
The next thing I remember is waking up in the Critical Care Unit with Dr. Wonderful sitting next to my bed, saying, "You've had a heart attack. You almost died."
"What did you think was wrong?" He asked.
"I thought I had pneumonia." Which I had originally thought once breathing became an issue.
I think it was sometime during the night or the next morning in which talk of intubation was thrown around due to my labored breathing. Thankfully, an IV of Lasix was administered and seemed to help control the Flash Edema situation (lungs filling up with fluid) I was now experiencing. One of the last tests done was a Heart Cath, which is where they shoot dye into your arteries and check for blockage. And, hello blockage in my arteries! The blockage found was, thankfully, able to be dealt with by using a stent to hold open this artery. Once the stent was in place, my breathing became almost effortless. Almost.
At this point, I count it a blessing that I don't remember any more than I do. What I do remember, especially of the Heart Cath was beyond awful. And that's no exaggeration.
For those of you who have stuck with my story 'til the end, I thank you. Actually there is more, but what I've written here are the highlights. I am emotionally drained (the emotional side of it is a whole other blog in itself) from recounting the events of that time of my life so I will lay it to rest until the next person asks, "So, how did you know you were having a heart attack?"
xoxoxo
PS... If you or someone you know is experiencing any or all of these symptoms, please get it checked out. Also, remember that cardiac symptoms vary from person to person and not all symptoms will be alike or typical.
