quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:

quote:

Originally posted by Perception

Err in the direction you did and you end up feeling sheepish.

Err in the other direction and you end up feeling dead.

What he said, I’ve heard Police, Fire and EMS say before that they would rather be called out and have it be nothing, then to not be called at all and it turned out they needed to be.

Yep. A year or two before the incident I reported on earlier, I thought I might be experiencing an attack and called the EMS. They came, ran some tests and an EKG and decided that it was just indigestion. Since they did not transport me to a hospital, the run was free.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
So, I feel kind of sheepish for perhaps overreacting. But, I live alone, and my choices were to go to the ER, or try to ride it out. I think I did the right thing. And you guys were right, even if the initial "diagnosis" wasn't!

Stop it. Reacting is NOT over reacting. Glad you're gonna live. Hoping you get some relief from the pain too!

So glad you’re ok. No one is going to take care of you but you. Don’t count on anyone else to do it- yes, if you have a friend or confidant, share it, but, geez, no one knows you like you. It’s nice to have a bouncing board for ideas, and they can come up with things you can’t see from your perspective, but again, people, like everything else, want to fit in, and tend to hide what they might consider abnormalities.
I’m glad you went with your gut. I know it’s hard, but especially if you live alone, be watchful and mindful of yourself. You only get this one body.

I'm glad that you're OK!

Going to the ER is definitely NOT over-reacting.

Here's a True Story: Back in January of 2010 I was hospitalized for a week for something totally unrelated to my heart, but I was having chest pains while in the hospital. Cardiology cleared me of heart symptoms but the chest pains remained a mystery until a friend of mine, a retired nurse, suggested the likelihood of costochondritis, which is what it turned out to be. This is an inflammation affecting the cartilage that connects your ribs. Painful, but nothing to do with your heart.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago: I woke up one morning with what I thought was the same condition. I stopped at my primary care doc's office to ask about it. No sooner did the words "chest pain" get out of my mouth, than I was told to get my kosher ass downstairs to the ER (my doc's office suite is in the office wing of the hospital building). So, the doc sent me to the ER. He was not over-reacting.

I checked in with the pre-screening person at the ER, told her I was pretty sure that my chest pain was costochondritis, but I did want to rule out a heart problem. With no delay, they slammed me into an ER room, gave me an aspirin to chew, took an EKG (it was clear), ran a few other diagnostics which were all clear, but advised that they wanted to hold me overnight and do a stress test in the morning.

It turned out that everything was fine, except for the costochondritis, which although painful, was definitely not life-threatening.

They admonished me that any time I even had a hint of chest pain or other symptoms, I should get myself to an ER without delay.

Glad you’re ok.
Storytime:
Several years ago, I came home early from work (swing shift) very sick. Fever, chills, body aches, etc.
I crashed on the couch so as to not wake the wife. I woke up at 2AM short of breath and I couldn’t move my left arm.
Kinda scared, I drove to an ambulance substation nearby (yes I should have called, but we live in the sticks and it was easier than giving directions).
They did and EKG, then strapped me down and fed me an aspirin!
Couple hours later the ER doc comes around, tells me I have Flu “A” (apparently my flu shot was for “b”?) and that the virus had “settled” in my chest and caused the numbness and other symptoms. Sounded kinda hokey to me, but by this time I was feeling better, at least for someone who had the flu.

Fast forward several years. My dad felt kinda bad one night, told mom he was going to bed early. He was 68, morbidly obese, and had congestive heart failure in addition to having his bladder cancer come back for a second time. He felt bad, so he went to bed early.
He never woke up.

Point is, you did the right thing. Lots of folks skip going to the doctor/ER and end up getting a visit from the coroner instead.

quote:

Originally posted by Dreamerx4:
Time is muscle....

Most people know they are having an attack, and purposely choose to ignore, or deny it.

Often, it is muscular, or reflux, but better to find out as soon as possible.

Heart muscle needs oxygen, and dies rapidly without it.

Get in.

Time is muscle.

This....I had one a bit over a year ago but called 911 as soon as I pulled over and had a stent in place 45 minutes later.

No damage to the heart the Dr. said....thanks to him and the EMTs.

Glad to hear it was not a HA....

Good luck

A stopped clock is correct, twice a day.
A stopped heart will kill you.

Time is muscle.