I worked at an electric company in customer service which was a very, very stressful job. Since there is only John and I at home, we ate out a lot and I really didn't watch my diet, smoked, and didn't take care of myself. I had had high blood pressure for 25 years, took a pill every day and tricked myself into believing I didn't have a problem; Same thing with developing diabetes in 1991: I took a pill and didn't worry about the damage.
During the early 1980s, I had a couple of bouts with angina and was sent to a cardiologist for a heart catheterization, which was negative. On January 2, 1998, I was at work and had squeezing pain and immediately called the doctor and went on in. I had an EKG, which showed nothing wrong. The next day I went back for an exercise stress test. Still nothing wrong was seen and by this time I was feeling fine. We celebrated John's birthday on January 11 and went out to eat. I ordered and then decided I felt funny and didn't eat. Coming home, I developed pain in my arm, a burning sensation in my ears and a very tight chest. We came on home and I got ready for bed like nothing was wrong, then decided I'd better go to the hospital.
I walked right in under my own power and said I was having angina. Well, it was actually a myocardial infarction (heart attack). I spent 4 days in the ICU and was moved to a major heart hospital and was taken in immediately for a cath and they found 2 blockages. I had had my heart attack in the left main coronary artery and left anterior descending arteries and the doctor could not understand how I walked into the hospital by myself. I am a very tough Texan!
I was in my second month of cardiac rehab when I suddenly started having problems walking on the treadmill. My legs felt so weak, I could hardly lift my feet. I finally went to the doctor when my ankles started swelling and I was having problems breathing. I had pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital where I first heard the word CHF. I decided to start a search on the Internet when I left the hospital to find out what this word meant. I was so lucky to find Jon's Place right away but I just could not believe he was talking about "my symptoms" in The Manual.
I retired shortly after my MI and applied and got SSD and now I stay at home. My passion is reading fiction of any kind, sitting on the dock fishing, growing flowers, and spoiling my grandkids and 3 cats. I have a terrific, helpful soulmate and we are going to make it with God's help!
Gatha -- May 10, 2000
All information on this site is opinion only. All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been re-written in plain English and may contain errors. No one here is a doctor. No information on this page should be used by any person to affect their medical, legal, educational, social, or psychological treatment in any way. This web site and all its pages copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Jon C.