One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life Part Two - The Time Line of Events
One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life
Part Two - The Time
Line of Events
This is the second part of sharing my recent heart attack
and the lifestyle and possible events leading up to it. Sometimes we are so busy living life that we
fail to see or recognize things that may be in plain sight in front of
you. I recently had one of those
experiences that oddly through the mental pain, the physical pain and suffering
found a way to change some things modify my lifestyle a little bit. It is from these changes and those events
that probably saved my life. We are
getting older and need to be aware of our habits both in eating, exercise, and
our mental state, not sweating the small stuff.
What I am talking about is a heart attack.
Friday, 11-30-12 11:00 am Pick
up Friend & go to Fred Meyer before lunch
She had returned home from a
flight late the night before and wanted me to give her a ride to the airport
for her next three day trip. We agreed I
would pick her up and go eat some lunch before dropping her off at the
airport. On the way to Asia Gardens
11:25 am to 1:00 pm Asia Gardens Restaurant
I enjoy Asia Gardens Anchorage and possibly
the winter weather. I needed to book it
later in the day if we decided to go to this place as their deadline for the
special rate ended later in the afternoon.
We debated during the course of the meal and enjoyed talking about
several other things and her upcoming trip that afternoon to San
Jose and Hawaii
the next day.
We were having a really nice
lunch and it seemed at the time that her leaving on this trip would be like any
other with another quick trip to the airport to drop her off with a return in
three or four days. During lunch we had pretty much
decided that the getaway I was planning would not really be feasible with the
upcoming holidays and her time off that she would be taking between now and the
time of the trip. It was decided that we
could work out our schedules and then book something at a later time once we
could narrow down when it would work better.
1:00 to 1:20 pm Head to airport.
We arrived at her drop off point
and sat quietly for several minutes before casually talking before we were to
get out grabbing her luggage in the back so she could go inside and check
in.
1:25 pm Emotions were high as we left each other
She went inside the terminal and
I returned to my car and got inside to head home. As I sat there watching her walk into the building
I became aware of a feeling in between my nipples in my chest. It was not a pain nor was it anything I could
put my hand on only I was aware of it as I pulled away from the building. I did notice I felt apprehensive which I
figured was normal after the emotional goodbye we had just gone through. Never in my mind did I think the awareness
within my chest was heart related.
I drove home and settled in for
the evening never thinking about my chest but was still aware of this “feeling”
that came over me at the airport.
Saturday, 12-01-12 8:00 am Saturday Breakfast with friends
I tossed and turned all night
after going to bed around midnight but did not sleep. I laid there thinking about things and where
it seemed to be going with no real conclusion either way. I was up out of bed around 4 am and made
coffee having several until Scott and I would leave for our Saturday breakfast
with several friends. We normally spend
a couple of hours at breakfast telling stories, reading the paper, and just
having a nice time.
I spent the rest of the morning
and afternoon running around doing some shopping and chores like most
Saturday’s then headed for home mid afternoon.
That evening I spent doing a bit
of writing and watching a bit of television before trying to go to sleep around
midnight since I did not sleep the night before. It was another night of tossing and turning
never getting quite comfortable enough to fall asleep. It was another restless night with me getting
out of bed around 4 am again.
Sunday, 12-02-12
I listened to music until Scott
& I went for coffee at eight. After
a couple of hours I went and picked up my granddaughter since we were going to
spend the day together.
I picked her up and we decided to
go see a movie at one of the local theaters which was showing the movie, “Life
of Pi”. It was a really good movie in 3D
and the visuals were incredible along with the story. We both came out of theater excited and blown
away by what we had seen.
4:30 pm
This was late afternoon and she
wanted an ice cream so we headed to the local McDonald’s which was about a
block from the movie where we both had a nice cone while driving back to here
house to her dad.
While we were driving I had eaten
a large bit of ice cream and it seemed like I had a “freeze” going down my
throat which seemed to lodge in the center of my chest. It seemed like it was the ‘brain freeze’ you
get when you drink a slurpee to fast. I
felt the ‘freeze’ in my chest as I drove her home and then went back to my
house.
The evening I was pretty tired
after not sleeping for two nights and listened to music until I went to bed
around 12:15 am. I felt exhausted and
thought I would sleep quickly.
Monday, 12-03-12
I continued to toss and turn
during the night. I would lie on one
side and could not get comfortable and then rotate and turn onto my other side
trying to fall asleep. I would be still
for awhile but my mind was still racing about the events of the last couple
days and if there were options to be worked out. I was aware of the feeling in my chest and
continued to think it was from the ice cream earlier in the day. No pain just awareness that it was there
where I had felt the cold earlier.
3:45 am
I was lying there trying to shut
my brain down and fall asleep but it was not happening so I got out of bed and
posted on Facebook that I need to “turn my brain off” so I could go to
sleep. I went to the bathroom and drank
some water and crawled back into bed where it felt warm with the electric
blanket turned on. I tried to get into a
position that seem comfortable and again shut my eyes trying to finally fall
asleep after almost three days.
4:00 am While quietly lying there for first time I felt like there was
a giant hand that reached around my heart and started squeezing it hard, now
this was painful with the pain level on a scale from 1 to 10, it went straight
to 8.5.
4:02 am Pain level at 10 and now felt like a 200 pound weight was
placed on chest. I have a fairly high
pain threshold and for the first time realized this was my heart and was now
“broken” and it was not something I could ignore. Now when something like this happens to you
there are several things that go through ones mind and I can honestly say that
I tried to think of everything that had nothing to do with having a heart
attack.
I have been in pretty good shape
and never have had any problems with anything in my adult life so the last
thing you want to think of is that you are having a heart attack or anything
related to one. I knew what ever was
happening to me was not because I was exhausted or due from my lack of sleep.
4:10 am I got out of bed and took 2 Advil to help ease the pain. I had put coffee on with the timer for
morning so I went into the kitchen and turned it on so I could have a cup. I sat down with a cup and waited a bit to see
if the pain eased up and decided to make my bed, put some things away in the
kitchen and get dressed. I sat back down
and finished the coffee as the pain dropped to a 7.5. I knew I could not ignore this and needed to
have it checked out still not really wanting to believe it was my heart. I still did not have any of the “normal” signs
or symptoms that one normally has when they have a heart attack.
Before the pain started at four
in the morning there were no indications of anything. No chest pain, nothing in my jaw or left arm,
no clammy or sweating feeling or any indigestion issues which I could put my
finger on.
It was time to pack a small bag
and go to the hospital to get this checked out.
6:30 am I knew Scott would be heading to work in just a few minutes so
was going to get him to give me a ride to hospital. He leaves every morning about the same time
so I figured once I heard the garage door opening I would call and ask him to
give me a ride. No emergency feeling was
going through me even though I had come to the conclusion it was my heart but I
still was not under the realization I was having a heart attack.
I was in the kitchen and did not
hear Scott leave so I decided I would drive to the hospital which was about 3
miles away.
7:00 am I started my rig (Alaskan for vehicle) and headed to hospital. No big deal, I did not feel it was anything or
that I would have any problems so warmed my rig since it was about minus 10
degrees out this morning.
Off I went to the emergency room
at Providence Hospital
End of Part Two
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