Hi Kossacks. One month ago this week I was awakened from a sound sleep by what felt like a crushing force and an intense aching pain in my chest.
I would soon learn that my heart attack symptoms were real and that I needed medical help immediately.
I am writing this diary as a way to share this life changing experience with fellow Kossacks,to share some precautions that anyone can take, and alert other community members to warning symptoms that are very important to heed.
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As I shared in the intro, I was awakened in the wee hours about a month ago by an intense aching pain in my chest and the sensation that someone had parked their Vespa scooter on my chest. It was difficult to breathe and I was left gasping for air as I walked to my kitchen to see if I had any aspirin. I was out. I contemplated calling 911 (which I should have done immediately) when I nearly passed out from lack of oxygen after merely walking 25 yards from my apartment to my car.
My next step was to drive about 6 blocks to the ER at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.
I parked my car and told the registration official on duty that I had chest pains.
The staff member on duty immediately picked up the phone and dialed a number and hung the receiver up. Somehow I managed to retrieve my health insurance card and state issued i.d. out of my wallet and hand it over.
By the time I did that, a nurse arrived on the spot with a wheelchair and I was whisked into the ER.
When I arrived in the ER the nurses did some basic blood pressure work and performed an EKG to measure electrical activity in my heart.
While results were compiling, I was given two sprays of nitroglycerine to treat the congestion in my chest. The results were minimal. By that time, a cardiac doctor introduced himself to me and informed me that the EKG and blood pressure info, and the ineffectiveness of the nitro told them that there was an artery blockage in my heart, and that I would be immediately rushed to the "catheter room" to have coronary angioplastyperformed and to have a coronary stent placed in my artery to restore bloodflow to the right side of my heart.
I was placed on a gurney and wheeled into the "catheter lab." Somehow I managed to keep my blackberry with me and to leave a voicemail for my girlfriend. I also managed to e mail my boss to tell her that I was having heart symptoms and that I obviously would not be at work the next day. The cardiac specialist assigned to the team that treated me (I'll call her Dr. Lee)was amused by this, saying I was the first patient of hers to compose a text message while having a heart attack.
I think at that point I began to realize what a serious situation that I was in.
I was given anesthesia and a catheter was inserted into an artery in my right leg. At that point, as I was later told by Doctor Lee, my heart went into fibrillation. At that point, I did not have a consistent heartbeat, and it was necessary for the doctors to administer electric shocks to get my heart beating again.
I was shocked four times. I only remember the last one, and I remember that it hurt. Thankfully, the defibrillationworked, and my heartbeat returned to a somewhat normal rate. As a precaution, Doctor Lee installed a temporary pacemaker to insure a consistent heart rate.
Doctor Lee also placed two stents my right coronary artery.
I hope that I never forget the efforts of the highly trained and supremely skilled professionals who acted with great speed and expertise to perform these vital procedures.
They literally saved my life, and for that I will be forever grateful.
I am also thankful to have had health insurance, without which I would surely be filing for bankrupcy.
The bill just for my hospital stay was over 60k.
My insurance company paid all of it except for a $250 deductible.
For me, that's a year's salary.
I know that many others don't have this benefit.
What I have gone through in the last month only convinces me more of the need for universal single payer health insurance-for everyone.
During my two and a half day stay in the hospital,I pondered my neglect of my own body that got me to where I was.
Just three years ago, I was a construction worker. I lived a very active lifestyle, was 40 lbs. lighter, and didn't give a thought to my diet or smoking habits. I ate lumberjack breakfasts, steak and potato dinners, smoked a pack a day of Marlboros, and felt strong as an ox.
I wasn't.
All the cholesterol I was taking in was building in my bloodstream, and my smoking was accelerating the buildup of plaque in my arteries. When I changed jobs and entered a managerial position that didn't require so much hard physical labor, I gained weight and became less active. I had created the very conditions that threatened my life.
With the help of my doctor, my friends, family, and yes, fellow Kossacks, I am happy to say that I have been able to make some significant changes in my lifestyle.
I think that I am learning how to make healthier choices so that I don't end up back in the ER any time soon.
One month has passed, and today I just completed a stress test that will allow me to enter a cardiac rehab program at the hospital.
The program consists of monitored workouts three times a week.
Hopefully after that I will be in good enough shape to lift some weights and do some running.
My doctor said that after a period of 6-8 months, my stents should be sufficiently healed to begin more strenous workouts.
I've decided that I would like to train for a 5k run.
I have changed my diet drastically since my stay in the hospital.
I eliminated butter and most milk from my diet. I eat only lowfat cheese and that very sparingly. I cook with Canola or Olive oil and my portions are about half the size of what I used to eat.
I'm happy to say that I have lost 8 pounds in a month without workouts.
With exercise, I think that I can lose about 10 pounds a month.
My goal is to lose 20 more lbs. and get down to 200. After that I think I can get to where I want to be, which is 180 lbs. That's about normal for a 6 ft. tall male.
I'm glad to say that I have been smoke free for one month now.I was given a nicoderm patch during my hospital stay, and at present I am successfully using a 14 mg patch to quell nicotine cravings.
From time to time I still have a desire to smoke, I just try to remember the craving will pass, and that I am very grateful for the peace of mind that I have by being smoke free.
It has not been easy, but I want to tell fellow smokers out there that you can do it.
Without sounding preachy, I would urge all Kossacks who smoke to take a serious look at the real risks they are taking and quit.
As a help to fellow Kossacks, I would like to outline five of the biggest risk factors that can lead to a heart attack, and list some suggestions for reducing your risk.
Many of you have probably seen this list before.
Still, I hope that this brief rundown will allow you to take a brief inventory of your lifestyle and evaluate whether or not you are at risk of having a heart attack.
If you are, changing some habits now could save you from the frightening experience I went through. It could also save your life.
According to the American Heart Association, the biggest contributors to heart attack risk are:
1.Smoking:
Here was my biggest misjudgement. Prior to my heart attack, I assumed that most of the risks associated with smoking would come to bear later in life, say beyond age 60. I figured that at 43, I still had time to think about quitting before my smoking became a major risk.
I was wrong.
Dr. Lee informed me that the one consistent factor with all of her heart patients in their 40's is that all of them were smokers.
2.High blood pressure:
Have your blood pressure checked. Some hospitals offer free or low cost screening. It's worth it.
3.High blood cholesterol:
My cholesterol was 75 points above healthy levels when I entered the hospital.
Replacing saturated fats ( butter, cheese, red meats, eggs)with unsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil, canola oil, fish oils)can help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart attack.
4.Obesity:
In addition to being a risk factor on it's own, obesity adds to other risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
You can use a body mass index (BMI) calculator hereto determine if your weight is a risk as well.
5.Inactivity:
Getting regular excersize will strengthen your heart and help you manage your weight, among many other benefits.
The AHA recommends at least 30 minutes of activity for 5 days per week in adults.
Looking over these risk factors, I realize that I had every one of them.
I minimized my risks because I assumed that I was just too young to have a heart attack.
I was wrong again.
What's more, all of the above items contribute to the risk of having a stroke.
It also helps to know the warning signs of an impending heart attack.
Should you experience any of these, call a doctor immediately.
Do not attempt to drive yourself to a hospital unless it is a last resort.
In conclusion, I am glad to be alive and to be able to share this experience with all of you in hopes that you too can learn from my experience.I've been blogging here for a year now, and I hope to stay for many more.
If you are living a healthy lifestyle, you can be reassured you are doing the right thing.
If you are at risk, hopefully you can use some of the resources listed here and begin to change your lifestyle so that yourself and your family do not have to go through what I did.
Here's to good health!