Feb 21, 2018 (Heart attack 2/16)

Wow oh Wow! I already reported it's been a long time since I felt good...probably 10 years. I'm working diligently on my health. This past weekend I had a new revelation. I had been experiencing elevated blood pressure, severe acid reflux and Hiatal hernia pain. Along with these symptoms I also had chest pain, shortness of breath and a sensation going down my arm. It's hard to imagine that life takes so many twists and turns but I was in the midst of a heart attack. I had been experiencing these different symptoms and scheduled to see my PC Dr. It took close to 2 weeks to get an appointment once I made my mind up that I was experiencing something new. During that appointment my Dr did a EKG, and fasting bloodwork . The bloodwork only showed that I was borderline diabetic. She started me on a blood pressure med and also Prilosec for the indigestion. My Dr gave me scripts for a Stress Test and an Echo-cardiogram. I guess she didn't know that the earliest I would get in was more that two weeks away. I didn't give it much thought at first. But it didn't take long for the symptoms to worsen and my anxiety levels to increase. Everything I did caused me shortness of breath. If I tried to walk fast I was actually holding my chest. Sleep became nights of tossing and turning without the ability to get comfortable. Then Thursday night February 15th I could not lay on my left side without constant pain. The next morning I decided to do nothing, just sit and watch movies. Usually sitting still would keep the pain under control but this time It stayed constant. I decided to get ready and go into the hospital to hopefully have that Stress Test and the Echo-cardiogram so I could get some answers. At first they said I would stay over night and have these two tests in the A.M. After they got my blood results they came to my bed and told me I had elevated enzymes and would be admitted that night. The tests were off and instead I would undergo heart catherization. By the time I was on the stretcher heading to a room, one of the Cardiologist called me. He was the physician of a dear friend who called him on my behalf. He said he would see me in my room. He did come and asked me a lot of questions and said as soon as he could assemble his team we were heading to the Cath Lab for the procedure. I had one artery blocked 70% and the other 90%. My Cardiologist put in 3 stents and performed a stress test on the table. It was a success. Someone told me that heart issues/attacks were 25% hereditary, 25% diet and 50% stress. That makes a lot of sense to me. It seems for at least the last 10 years of my life or maybe many more I have been under tremendous stress. I learned that my Hiatal Hernia can mimic a heart attack as well as a true heart attack has the exact symptoms of the digestive issues I experience. The one thing that will set them apart would possibly be the shortness of breath. Pretty scary stuff thinking that I can never take my symptoms for granted or blow it off as indigestion. SIDE NOTE: If I would have miraculously made it to the Stress Test scheduled 2 weeks out, I would have probably had a severe heart attack right then. They told me over and over at the hospital, I came at the right time or it would have been much worse.