I Had a Heart Attack and I Didn’t Know It
Wednesday, June 3, 2020, is a day I’ll never forget. That day, I had a heart attack. The funny thing? I had had one TWO days prior, and I didn’t even realize it. It is my wish that this post will give you some insight into possible symptoms of a heart attack. If you’re in your late 40’s-early 50’s, this post is for you. I am writing this from MY perspective. Some of the symptoms I had may not pertain to you; but, there are some that remain the same. In this post, I will cover three symptoms that I experienced both times.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert. All words contained in this post are written from my own experience. Consult with your physician about your heart health and the risks of a heart attack.
Last weekend I went to stay a few days at my son’s house. My daughter-in-law had flown to Florida to be with family over the passing of her grandpa. Our son works in a salt mine, and he commutes very early in the morning, so, it made more sense for me to stay at their house than commute back and forth 30 minutes one way.
Sunday was an ordinary day. I spent time with the grand kids and went about as business as usual. Monday was a different animal altogether. I woke up sweating, shaky, and my back and chest were tight. I attributed it to sleeping wrong on the couch and that my blood-sugar had dropped. I had been doing Keto, and merely thought that my body was not happy with me. I drank some juice, water, consumed some honey and a banana, all in an effort to feel better. Eventually, I did feel better. As a matter of fact, Tuesday was normal for me.
Wednesday morning, I felt worse than I did on Monday. So, I did what I did on Monday: drank some juice, ate some sugar on a spoon and chased it with water. Nothing was working. I finally told my wife that I was calling her Mom to see if she could watch the grandkids for me while I went and got checked out. I took the kids to great-grandma’s house and proceeded to Primary Care. When I mentioned chest and back pain, I was told to go directly to the ER. I went to the ER, mentioned chest and back pain, and was immediately ushered into an exam room. They hooked me up to an EKG, and I was told that I had had a heart attack, and would be transported to a hospital with a cardio specialist
When I arrived at Arnot, I was ushered into the cath lab area. I was given a COVID-19 test. It was highly unpleasant (I tested negative by the way!). The procedure took about an hour or so. I was laid on the table, they shaved my groin area, my chest on my right side, and my right wrist. It was there that the doctor told me he would be entering my artery to place two stents into two blocked arteries. When they injected the contrast, it burned for about ten-fifteen seconds. I was not knocked out, as I did not require surgery; but, I was given some medication to ease the pain.
The procedure went without a hitch, and I was sent to my own room in the Intensive Care Unit. They really took good care of me. I was under constant monitoring from the time I got there until I was discharged two days later. Blood pressure readings every half an hour and constant EKG monitoring. A few blood draws to check potassium and magnesium levels were done. Sleep wasn’t bad, considering the circumstances. The next day I had a third stent put in, and the doctor checked the other two from the day prior. All good!
Here are the symptoms I displayed during my heart attack
Profuse Sweating
I tend to be a sweaty person in general; but, this sweating was like nothing I’d experienced. It was literally running off my head and it would not stop.
Overly Shaky
When I Googled my symptoms, the shaky feeling I was having mirrored those of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). As you can see, the two instances have some similarities.
Tightness of Chest and Back
This is something I’ve experienced before and I didn’t even think much of it. In my past experiences, a tight chest and back were usually a by-product of some previous exertion, like yard work. That Saturday I had gone to the house and mowed our yard, so, I thought maybe I was feeling the after-effects on Monday. The symptoms can be very misleading.
When the procedures were done, I began to feel much better. I had some tightness of chest and difficulty breathing; but, after consulting with my doctor, those were side-effects of the stent procedure. That eventually went away. I stopped smoking, and it’s been almost a week, with no cravings. I always told myself, “I’ll quit smoking when I have a major life-changing event”. Well, guess what? A heart attack is a serious life-changing moment.
I have had to make some adjustments, such as decaf coffee, foods and drinks will have to be low in fat. I’m officially on blood thinners, cholesterol medication as well as blood pressure medicine, and low-dose aspirin. Because the stents are a foreign body inside my body, my blood has to be thinned so it doesn’t thicken around the stent and block the arteries again. It is highly important to make sure that I take them twice a day. I monitor my blood pressure twice a day, morning, and night before I take my meds.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Pin This For Later…
Pingback: Making Notes of Your Medications ⋆ Life as Rog
Wow! I am so sorry that you went through this but thank you so much for sharing this invaluable information.
It can happen to anyone at any time and knowing some of the less obvious signs could help someone no end.
Take care and well done on quitting smoking x x
Wow this is scary! Thank you for sharing this and I hope you are well now!
Oh my gosh how scary, so glad to hear you are doing well now and it sounds like they took really good care of you too. Still I bet it was shock for you and your family though! Take care xx
Wow, what an awful experience. It sounds like you’ve had a really stressful few days but glad to hear you are on the mend.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, it’s such an earth-shattering experience, let alone with what’s going on at the moment, glad to he you are on the mend.
Wow this must have been so scary. The same thing happened to my Dad too, and thankfully he survived.
Thank God you’re OK. I am 56 so well in the age bracket for this – although heart disease can strike at any age. We all think we’re immortal till something like this happens. I have made a note of the symptoms – the other one that is always mentioned is pain radiating down the arms and through the jaw. Heart disease is a bigger killer of women in the UK than breast cancer apparently so monitoring our health is a must.
What an awful experience but I’m so glad you went to the ER the second time as who knows what may have happened. I think it’s always best to get checked in as you can never be too careful. I hope you’re doing better now x
That must have been a bit of a shock for you. I always stay on the safe side and get things checked if I’m unsure. Glad you’re okay.
Oh gosh what an awful thing to have to go through. Life can be very stressful and this just shows that you never know what can happen. Glad you are on the mend x
Sounds like a very scary experience! Doctors told us that they believed my Dad had a couple of heart attacks and didn’t know about it – so terrifying that it can happen!
What a scary situation but I am happy that you got seen quickly and treated. Hope you are feeling better very soon
Pingback: Top Three Things to do After a Heart Attack ⋆ Life as Rog
OMG, so sorry. I hope you are doing well! Thank you for sharing.
Oh wow so glad that you are alright, so scary and you just don’t know.
this is scary, i worry about this for myself!
very scary experience hope all is well
What a scary experience. I’m glad you made it through ok.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, and Thank God you are still here today. I think its so important to take care of yourself. I know we all get busy , but one must take care or you won’t be here to help others.. sending prayers..
@tisonlyme143
Taking care of yourself is so important! Thank you for sharing. Glad you’re ok 🙂
You are one of the lucky ones! My dad wasn’t so lucky. A heart attack never fits into a person’s schedules. My dad was found by his neighbor, dead in the snow from a massive heart attack- 3 days before I got married! So instead of going on a honeymoon, we held my dad’s memorial. I am so happy that you made it & quit smoking!! You’ll feel better and save money. I really do appreciate you sharing this with everyone! I never got to hear from my dad about what his felt like. I’m glad your family still has you! Plus your COVID-19 free!! Thank you for sharing! I shared too on Social Media.
Oh, such a scary story. I am glad you made through ok.
wow..scary we can just be fine one minute and almost die the next
Glad to hear you are ok now. I too had a heart attack and didn’t know it. I agree with the sweating, you could have wrung me out I was so wet. Had no pain but did have other symptoms. It is scary though.
That must have been terrifying, but it’s good of you to share your experience with others who might have the same thing happen to them.
Thank you for sharing. It must of been a real scary time for you, especially during Covid. I guess we all should be aware of symptoms we could have even when they could be a bit different for everyone.
Thank you for sharing your experience it may save a life . So many times we think will get over what ever is happening but it could be something serious like your event was.
wow that is scary. I am glad you are ok.
Thanks for the information. I’m glad you didn’t wait any longer to go to the Dr. like a lot of people do.
Very sorry to hear about your very scary experience and glad that you’re ok now. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.