How To Detect A Heart Attack
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Having a Heart Attack, it was always something I worried about since I was in my 20's since my Father died aged 46 of a massive heart attack. Now he had high blood pressure, he smoked very heavily and I am talking the untipped old Woodbine cigs that ripped the very guts out of you.
Having a Heart Attack, yeah the thought of one really scared me, January 20th 2008 at 8am I was to experience one. I will now take you with me on that one hour journey that saved my life and hopefully may one day save yours.
How Do You Know You Are Having A Heart Attack ?
Strange thing is we all know clogged arteries and the blood clot causes the heart attack but do you know you are having a heart attack, trust me loads of good folk die daily by not spotting the signs. It was a Sunday morning and the second I woke up at 8am and my feet touched the ground I knew something was wrong. I did a First Aid course and they told us you have a feeling of impending doom. When you experience a heart attack you realise exactly what those words mean.!
I didn't have that typical dagger to the heart stabbing pain, in fact I had no pain at all. I felt really sick like I was about to throw up, I also felt like I needed the toilet bad, sorry I had to share that with you. I could hardly stand but on looking in the mirror I was stunned at the ashen face looking back at me. Then my arms started to go numb so then I knew it was a heart attack so I immediately dialled 999 and the operator talked to me until the ambulance arrived.
The First Hour Decides The Rest Of Your Life.
The ambulance team arrived, strapped the e.c.g pads on me and it was like I was no longer there, it was just a dream. It was now 820am and I heard a voice saying " Yes he's had a heart attack " and then being wheeled into the back of the ambulance. I was scared, my heart was racing as I knew my Dad had died in the back of an ambulance, I didn't want to die. I forced myself to relax and started breathing in and out deep and slow.
You see it on television, the ambulance arriving, the team waiting and wham you are off in the ambulance and then speeding down the hallway on a hospital trolley. Beads of sweat are dripping down my face, I can't wipe them away as the feeling in my arms have gone.
The door bursts open as the trolley crashes into the Cardio Emergency room and as I scan the room I swear there must have been 9 people there. I look up at the clock, 845am and then a Doctor says " We have to give you this injection to break the blood clot, there is a 1% chance it will bypass the heart and hit your brain, we need your permission". Hell what a choice, give me the damn injection and then a nurse asks me do I need morphine for the pain. Jeeez I felt guilty for having no pain so I just said yes please and that was me just slightly out of it.
I heard faint words saying that's the clot bust and then being put back on the trolley. In all I was in that Cardiac Emergency room for about 15 minutes, the difference between life and death, it was now 9am and I was on my way to a private room.
Waiting Too Long Will Kill You !
One funny thing I do recall was my fear of lifts, elevators to you Americans. I was actually more afraid of going into that to get to the ward than what was ahead of me. I was then put in a private ward and hooked up to an e.c.g machine plus I had something inserted into my arm so they could take regular blood tests. I then had an oxygen mask put on me and as I lay there I took it all in. I nearly died, good god this actually could have been my last day on this world but for realising it was a heart attack.
Within the next hour my wife and daughter arrived and well all the emotions just poured out, a heart attack really opens your eyes that you can leave work on a Friday night to enjoy your weekend but never take returning on the Monday for granted. I still fear having another heart attack although I was lucky as I suffered no damage to my heart as the damage only starts after the first hour. I was lucky, I really was. Tomorrow I will tell you the Symptons of a Heart Attack in detail plus the following day the operation I got.
This Hub is dedicated to the Cardiac Staff at the Belfast City Hospital.
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Comments
I thank you young lady, I am deff changing a few things in my life. Take a hug my friend xx
-hugs- for your heart and good soul. I am glad you made it ok, thank you for sharing such an emotional story.
Ahhh but you always make my heart beat faster my friend, you are a little Diamond !!
Many Hugs back at ya !
Great hub, well written, good information and I like your style.
Cheers Wrenfrost56, appreciate that. Am gonna do a short series on the Heart Problems then hit all the health issues with of course a bit of humor. I would have added more humor to that one but for the fact it did actually happen and I kinda wasn't that full of humor that Sunday although the nurse was kinda hot ; )
wow. who knew? thank you for this informative hub. i'm glad you lived to tell.
So am I, I have a soil allergy :)
I'd never heard that a feeling of dread is associated with a heart attack. That is good tid-bit to know.
Thank you for sharing this, my friend. I remember another hub in which you made mention of this, but this was of course much more detailed and personal. It's always great to see you in high spirits. I liked the vivid details you made mention of, especially your inability to wipe away the sweat on your face because you couldn't move your arms. Take good care of yourself my good man!
Important information-
Scary stuff. You were more aware of it because of your father's experience, but I think most people have a "it can't happen to me" attitude until they hit their fifties. Then one day you wake up, look at your suddenly-arrived wrinkles in the mirror, and think, "sh#t, I'm nearer to dying than to being born - this is really going to happen, and much sooner than I'd like!"
Having danced all my life, I sometimes get frustrated with gammy knees and other niggly ailments of age - but then I read something like this and remember what Michael Caine says: "Old age is pretty good, when you consider the alternative"!
Ivorwen it's not just that feeling of dread, there are other signs which I will discuss in my next hub.
Don cheers for that my man, I wanted it to appear like that because I wanted the reader to experience the feeling of going through a heart attack.
Thanks Sandwichwoman !
Marisa - Michael Caine is one of my fav actors and the old rogue deff hit it on the button with that phrase. Funny you talk about dancing, my forte was football, played it, managed it, then did referee then it gets to fast for you, hmmm making myself look old here, methinks I will end it there ; )
Thanks so much for sharing this info and of course I'm glad you came through it all ok. I worry all the time about my husband having a heart attack. He's got a lot of the risk factors plus the family history. After reading about your experience I actually feel like I know a little more about what to watch out for and I do thank you for that. I see you mention you will be writing more on this subject and I'm looking forward to reading it!
What an experience. Glad to read that you kept your presence of mind and called the ambulance. I thought heart attacks are supposed to leave you feeling numb on the left arm but from your experience, I think this is not the case all the time. Thanks for sharing this one BC. Thing is, my father died of a heart attack and he already had symptoms but he refused to go to the hospital. In the end, he was already dead for 10 hours when they found him :(. Sometimes I think if somebody, anybody, just got him to the hospital he will still stay alive to this day. Take care BC.
Aqa his family history might have been down to bad habits by them instead of the Genes. I am going to really cover every aspect of heart disease, what to watch for, tips to prevent it plus loads more and they will deff be helpful, saved me !
Emievil the numbness did start in my left arm and worked right up it then hit the right arm. I actually dropped the phone whilst talking to the operator and my wife took over the call. I think I didn't experience pain because I acted swiftly, I am sorry to hear about your father, I also think what if my father had got my treatment swiftly. Heart Attacks are seen as a killer, they do kill 51 out of every 100 that have them but out of that 51 most would have experienced a sympton that they didn't act upon. I hope my future Hubs will highlight what to look for, you take care too my friend !
HealthTip, I am sorry for your fathers far too early departure and can imagine your own fears following that. But then to actually go through it just have been terrifying, like Cosette said, glad your here to tell us about it. I look forward to reading the signs of one. Thank you, Kimberly
Thanks Kimberly, it's good to share each other experiences because we all benefit. Your addiction post on the forums was deff something everyone related to and your hubs also. I actually in time will be covering addictions, enjoy yer weekend my friend and thank you !
I had to endure a doubtful ambulance crew during my heart attack. I was asked several times if I had ever used cocaine and they wouldn't take no for an answer. It was only when I lost my temper (not good during a heart attack) that they finally left that subject alone.
It took several hours for the attack to subside, despite the usual clot busting drugs.
It might have subsided more quickly if I hadn't insisted on cooking dinner, eating it then having a shower before complaining of indigestion to a friend who immediately recognized the symptoms and rang the emergency services.
Apart from the central chest pain, the real clincher is pain that extends from the chest into the jaw. I had heard that heart attack pain runs down the left arm (as someone else mentioned). This mis-information led me to wait way too long for treatment and meant a moderate heart attack rather than a mild one.
That numbness in the arms you spoke of,
I went through something similar,I ended up falling to the floor followed by a slight blackout(darkened vision)and then I was O.K again,in those days I really used to puff,I think I used a lot of weed around that time as well..LOL
Thank God you made it through man!
Jeeez Will that sounds awful, I found my experience bad enough but good to see you are ok now. I still get tired though from the damn tablets but will be discussing all that in a future Hub. Cheers for yer input Will and always good to hear from you, have a good weekend !
Waren E you made me laugh with that comment, ya know considering I have tried most things in life I have never tried drugs, well except the booze which I started from about 13, still somethings gotta kill ya, enjoy yer weekend my friend !
Great hub, well written nice pictures
You have a great friend in Frogdropping and myself, so you take care now. Yes, she and I talk, frequently 'bout many things. I worry about her issues too. She is a real sweetheart. And I know you are too.
I know that Ralwus that is why I said you two know me better than anyone, I care loads about you both !
Dear god! I went about reading these backwards, but since each of you hubs on your experience with this stands alone so nicely I suppose I can be forgiven. My father went through everything you've experienced (though I didn't get any nurse stories, that would have eased me a bit at the time, but then...). Excellent information in this grouping. I know these will help many, no matter what their role in any of this is (patient or loved one or someone who hasn't had heart issues but will). Thank you so much for sharing this in your wonderful style.
Sorry to hear about your father Frieda, hope he is doing well now. Funny your comment just made me realise the actual families reaction to the heart attack, maybe something I might add to the hub later.
Thanks for your visit and your comment, much appreciated !
my father have heart attack symptoms. Because he didn't stop smoking. I hope he will always health.
Thanks Prasetio30 and I wish your father good health and a long life !
Dear Health Tip: Thank God your O.K. You went threw quite and ordeal. Thank God for modern medicine too. Sometimes with God's help, human medicine does the trick. So happy your doing much better. God Bless You.
Star439 somebody deff was looking over me that day for sure, many thanks for your kind words, you are indeed a star !
Hope you never go through it again. This Hub will help a lot of people. Wishing you well. :)
Lady_E I sure as hell don't either but if I do or anyone reading this does I hope this hub will make them act fast !
This is particularly tricky to diagnose if one is a woman. Symptoms often different and ignored by the medical profession!
So vivid and scarey. I hope you're doing well now. Heart attacks always seem to come out of the blue. There's just no "convenient" time to have one. Take care of yourself.
BookFlame - For the first year after my heart attack all I could do was worry about having another one. But you have to love your life so nowadays I just try to live life and just take care of myself, thank you for your comment, much appreciated !
myownworld says:
2 months ago
yayyy! I'm the first to read this! Loved it....and the combination of wit and sensitivity that is so you! wishing you all the health and happiness in the world, doc! xx