Internet Therapy--Heart Attack Recovery

This might be rambling, but the internet is "free" and full of strangers that share a common interest. If you read through, I thank you. Black Friday I started having indigestion-thought I overindulged in covering everything with gravy. The indigestion kept getting worse, looked at the internet and thought it was an ulcer. On Tuesday I get the sweats and almost faint. I thought, that was weird. Wednesday, coworker told me I looked terrible and don't come in for the day. A couple of hrs later, I was sitting on my couch, very uncomfortable, and thought, I have insurance-I am going to the ER. I got to the ER state I have chest pains. I get up to go a seat to wait, and I am called back. I get shown to an actual room and they hook up an EKG and proceed to tell me I am having a heart attack. My first reaction was relief--this is so treatable! As 10-15 people ran around me, I didn't have time to really think as they stripped me down and got me ready for surgery. They whisked me away and I told my wife I loved her. I was certain I was going to make it through, I am 43, never smoked, don't drink, low cholesterol, blood pressure under control with meds. As i laid in the surgery room having the cardiac doctor enter my heart though my wrist, my kids flashed through my mind. Thank goodness for fetanyl, I didn't have too many thoughts during the procedure. Within an hr of signing into the ER I have a stint. The artery they opened up was 100% blocked. It is the artery on the lower back right of my heart. I am now home and recovering. Now, I almost feel survivors guilt. The well wishes and support has been overwhelming. I appreciate it beyond any comprehension, but to realize I haven't appreciated those same people before now has me feeling very, I don't even know. It's a beautiful thing to find out how many people are rooting for you. Knowing I will probably never be able to repay all of them is the bit of guilt that I have. The guilt of making my wife, 2 kids, brother and parents go through this, is also something unexpected. If you made it this far, thanks. The last thing I will say is, if you have indigestion for days that you can't explain, go get that checked. I almost lost out on walking my daughter down the aisle, watching my son play sports and annoying my wife with the many projects I do, that she doesn't approve of... Hug your loved ones.

Damn! I'm glad you went to the ER when you did, the old ticker is nothing to play around with. Good luck with the recovery.

Holy Crap! Scary story man. Life is way too short as it is, but definitely glad to hear you got to the Dr. in time.

Wishing you a speedy and full recovery!

That is a scary story - especially for a guy like me, who's a few years older than you - and who went from an already-sedentary office job to an even more sedentary work-from-home job then "don't leave the house" as a policy. I'm amazed I've only gained 10 or so pounds through all this. I have a friend who's the same age as me and also not fat (we both are adult skateboarders who belong to a whole community, in fact) who had a heart attack recently and has been in recovery since... but is back up on his feet and rolling with the crew again.

I'm incredibly glad to hear that you are OK (a little shocked to hear they give fentanyl, with all the crazy addicts who take the tiniest amounts and die), and a stint after 100% blockage - wow. I hope that makes you 100% good now, and speedy recovery. Do what they say, and I know it's hard and scary with all this Covid and all these 'Muricans accounting for 25% of all the Covid in the world - but get outside, take some walks... when you get the go-ahead, that is.

My father and mother both had heart surgery, and my dad just turned 79 last week... My mom is type-1 diabetic on top of it (told she'd probably never see 21) and she's 72.
My grandfather had heart surgery, and he lived to 101.
Speedy recovery!

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Originally Posted by geolemon

...a little shocked to hear they give fentanyl, with all the crazy addicts who take the tiniest amounts and die...

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Meh, fentanyl's perfectly safe when used appropriately in the right amounts in a controlled environment. Better than many of the other pain meds, actually, in my opinion. Short-acting and no euphoria from regular mild doses. You really have to take a bunch to get "high" off it. Now carfentanyl and some of the other related/derivative meds I've heard about on the street - not so much.