Not Nearly As Bad As It Sounds.
So, my mother had a heart attack.
She is fine as of now, 4 1/2 days out. All the tests look good, minimal damage, recovery going well.
The real reason for sharing this:
She did all the right things.
She felt some chest pain and heaviness. She thought 'I might be having a heart attack.' She immediately took an aspirin and called for an ambulance. At the smallish local hospital, because she came by ambulance, she was evaluated immediately and given prompt treatment, preventing progression of the attack. She was then transferred to a different facility with a cath lab, and had angioplasty with stenting within hours.
***Learn From This***
If in doubt, assume those 'heart attack-like' symptoms are the real thing. Take the aspirin; it is effective and safe. Call the ambulance. Do not sit around for an hour or two and wait for the pain to go away. Do not assume this pain, different than you have ever had before, is just a new kind of heart burn. Do not drive yourself to the hospital and wait patiently in line behind fevers and sprains. (Okay, you can wait behind the major traumas.)
My mother is 78 years old, and will probably have no permanent damage or change in life style, all because she knew what to do. Could you have done as well?
She is fine as of now, 4 1/2 days out. All the tests look good, minimal damage, recovery going well.
The real reason for sharing this:
She did all the right things.
She felt some chest pain and heaviness. She thought 'I might be having a heart attack.' She immediately took an aspirin and called for an ambulance. At the smallish local hospital, because she came by ambulance, she was evaluated immediately and given prompt treatment, preventing progression of the attack. She was then transferred to a different facility with a cath lab, and had angioplasty with stenting within hours.
***Learn From This***
If in doubt, assume those 'heart attack-like' symptoms are the real thing. Take the aspirin; it is effective and safe. Call the ambulance. Do not sit around for an hour or two and wait for the pain to go away. Do not assume this pain, different than you have ever had before, is just a new kind of heart burn. Do not drive yourself to the hospital and wait patiently in line behind fevers and sprains. (Okay, you can wait behind the major traumas.)
My mother is 78 years old, and will probably have no permanent damage or change in life style, all because she knew what to do. Could you have done as well?