21-22 Nov 2008

Hospitalized:

Friday morning I got to work about 6:45 in the morning and I was feeling fine.  But by 7:30 I was hurting pretty bad. It started in the left side of my chest and radiated up into the crook of my neck. It wasn’t really pain, but a real deep down ache. Then it started moving up my neck and down my arm. It got to the point where my left arm was weak and I had a hard time moving it.

I decided that I needed to go to the hospital. Even though I have never had heart problems, it sure felt like what I’d heard were the signs of a heart attack.

So I went to my boss and essentially told him I was leaving and going to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. So I walked out and got in the car and drove myself the three blocks to the little hospital in the town that I work. Yeah, I know. That was pretty stupid. Everyone since then told me I should have had someone drive me or call an ambulance.

I walked in just as the ambulance was unloading a patient that was pretty bad off. So I went in and set myself down in the admitting area. Apparently I didn’t look too bad because the admitting person kinda ignored me to work on the other person. I shouldn’t say she ignored me, because she did see me and acknowledged that I was there but kept working on the paperwork for the first guy.

When she was done she asked me what I was there for and I said, “Well, I really hope I have indigestion, but it really feels like I’m having a heart attack.”

She picked up the phone and said, “Chest pains in Admitting.” And within one minute I was in the ER with a nitro pill under my tongue. Within five minutes most of the pain was gone. That’s what scared me. I thought I must have had a heart attack if the nitro pills worked so well. Yes, pills. Three of them and then a nitro paste patch. And for those of you lucky enough to never have had nitroglycerin pills before, they help the chest pain, but give you a wicked headache to replace it.

Well, two EKGs, three nitro pills, two chest X-rays, an IV and blood work, the doctor comes in and says everything looks fine. But some 10% of heart attacks are not discovered until a full work up and stress test can be done. So he wanted to transfer me to a bigger hospital with a Chest Pain Center for 24 hour observation and full testing. I said sure. I wanted to know for sure that it was or was not my heart giving me problems. Plus he said my symptoms were spot on for a heart attack and wanted me to be transferred.

So I got my very first ambulance ride.

Oh and I should say that I had instructed the nurse to NOT call my wife until I knew what was going on. But since I was getting moved they called her at work and told her what was happening. Man I tell you that was one rough phone call ‘cause they put her on the phone with me and I was trying to be all casual about it and M was crying her head off. Luckily the VA hospital is pretty much right next to the hospital I was being transferred to so she didn’t have far to go to meet me there. I spent the rest of the day flat on my back until they got me in for the stress test.

Long story made short, I passed the stress test no problem and the cardiologist said I had no problems with my heart at all. No blockages, no narrowing of the arteries. Nothing.

Now the rumor mill has gone to work. We had to tell our bowling teammates that we wouldn’t be able to bowl and then everyone at the bowling alley knew about it. I spent the last 24 hours on the phone telling everyone that I was fine. I’m glad that so many people care for me and it made me feel pretty good that I have such great friends to look after me.

I’m sure to get an earful tomorrow at church too, ‘cause I told my preacher about it too and I know that there will be a lot of my church family who will talk to me.

I’ll be calling my primary Doctor on Monday to get more work done up because everything ruled out my heart as the problem, but nothing was found out about what really caused the pain. Today my chest and neck began hurting again, same as yesterday, just not as bad so I just kept it to myself. I know now it’s not my heart and all the testing and X-rays would have shown something if it was my lungs or whatever.

So I’m just taking it easy and waiting until I can get with my Doc.

I’m Alive… So Far…