My 2nd Heart Attack
Posted: Monday, February 01, 2010
by Sandie Sudberry
http://www.fyi4health.com
This is a really difficult article to write, as the feelings that keep pushing at me are shame, embarrassment and a load of guilt. But I know it is very important to share what I have experienced, and perhaps help someone with similar symptoms. For the last 4-5 weeks I have been having a tightening around my midriff. There really wasn't much pain with it, and I kept thinking it was anxiety.
Ever since my previous heart attack, I have also been on meds for high blood pressure. But the meds work really well, and my blood pressure is always wonderful. I really didn't have much to worry about, as far as the numbers were concerned, with the exception of my weight. I keep saying that I have to lose some of this excess weight, and it never seems to happen.
And then comes Sunday a fairly normal day, but I had this pressure in my chest that I just couldn't get rid of. My son Mike had been doing some work in the garage and he called me out there to explain his plans for expanding the kitchen. Only problem was that I was having trouble paying attention. The pressure in my chest was non-stop. As I turned to go back inside, I casually asked Mike if he was planning on being around that day. He immediately picked up on it, and asked me what was going on: "Are you having pain?" I tried to shrug it off, but he wouldn't let it go. He took me inside and went for the blood pressure gauge. My blood pressure was high. He took it again, about 5 times, but he still was getting high readings. Obviously, my great blood pressure readings were now a thing of the past. He insisted that we go to the hospital. Would I be writing this article if he had listened to me? And you must understand that I was feeling so foolish. The closest hospital is 40 miles away, and I was so sure that this tightness would pass. It seemed like such an inconvenience to have him drive me all that way.
When I got to the hospital, they took me in immediately. I kept thinking how dumb I was going to feel when they said there was nothing wrong. But, they were treating me as though it was serious. They took 3 more vials of blood, even when I told them that I just had all these tests done 3-4 days prior. And the really hard part: "How would you rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10?" I think I answered 6 or 7, wondering if I was lying, as it really wasn't that bad. I could stand it. They gave me Nitroquick pills to put under my tongue, and when that didn't stop the pressure, they put a Nitroquick patch on my back. That evening the cardiologist came to my room, and explained the options. I agreed to have an angioplasty the next day, even though I wasn't sure I trusted it. But, as the doctor pointed out, it would be the most accurate, and any blockage could be taken care of immediately.
Basically, that's exactly what happened. My 1st heart attack (2 years ago) had blocked the artery on the left side of my heart, aka "The Widow Maker." How ominous is that? This time it was the right side of my heart, and again, I had a very serious blockage. They added a stent to the right side, and now that side is working fine.
So, why did I decide to write this? I want everyone to understand how varied and non-descript the symptoms of a heart attack can be. Do not take any of the symptoms I described for granted. I could just as easily be dead right now. Fortunately, I have a stubborn son, who was smart enough to see through my denial.
Woman most often do not have the same heart attack symptoms as a man will have. And my symptoms for my 2 nd heart attack were very different from the symptoms for my 1 st heart attack. My 1 st heart attack I had no pain I just kept throwing up for 4 days I thought I might have the flu or something. That time I had my daughter-in-law to thank for saving my life by coming over to the house, and persuading me to go to the emergency room.
The 2nd heart attack, again I had no pain. It just felt like someone was standing on my chest. Except for some very fleeting moments, I never really had much pain. There was not the pain running up my arm, no jaw pain, none of the symptoms you usually hear about. At one point I remember saying that my teeth hurt, but even that did not last for very long.
I have to take it pretty easy for the next few weeks, but I can't deny any of this anymore. As soon as possible, I am starting an exercise program, and I am now reviewing diet programs. I am learning about low glycemic diets, as that seems the most logical for me. I've been pretty careful the last couple of years, but now it's time to be extremely careful! Pretty careful doesn't cut it anymore.
In closing, I just want to emphasize how important your health is. We woman tend to ignore most symptoms, unless they hit us over the head. We are so dedicated to the people in our lives, and we are such good care-takers. But we're generally lousy about caring for ourselves. We need to pay more attention, so we can be there for our families, and not short-change ourselves. Remember to be good to yourself. Life is very short, and time speeds up after you reach 60.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)thanks for posting this one - women present with varied symptoms and are not as straight forward with their cardiac symptoms as men - they change and can be varied. Marijo (RN retired)Thank you for your kind response. I was not aware of the difference until I experienced it 1st hand. I would venture to gues that you saw a lot of this when you were working. Thanks again.
welcome to searchwarp!Hope you could contribute more of your relevant articles...Thank you for the welcome note. I am looking forward to spending more time writing.
It's great to hear that you have a caring son who is as hard headed as you. It is a blessing that he decided the correct course of action and took you to the hospital. Hopefully you have a long and fruitful life and we can enjoy your writing.Thank you for your kind comment. I am indeed very grateful for my son.
It's great to hear that you have a caring son who is as hard headed as you. It is a blessing that he decided the correct course of action and took you to the hospital. Hopefully you have a long and fruitful life and we can enjoy your writing.
Well there are some of things that we were not taught in the class of General Medicine which I came to know after reading your article and then consulting my textbooks!Thanks for sharing your experience and God Bless You and your Son.Thank you for kind comment. I do believe that more doctors, and the medical field in general, is becoming more aware of the differences in symptoms, but there are still some that just don't expect women to have the heart problems that men do.
Hi Sandie thanks for this great article. I can't understand why most us play down our problem like you said when you visited the GP. How can we expect the doctor to give an accurate diagnosis if we hold back vital information. Thank you for sharing and 'Welcome to SearchWarp!'Keep wellKacyThanks, Kacy. Very true, and I definately will not make that mistake again. I think that one of the problems is that as women and major caretakers, we find it difficult to admit that we can get sick. I know I had the chickenpox, and a couple of other childhood diseases, but even back then, I seldom was sick. And it is difficult as I get older to realize that my body is not the same as it was 50-60 years ago. Time gets to all of us eventually. Thank you for your comment, and the welcome to SearchWarp. I do indeed feel welcomed.
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