Nothing says good times like a weekend overnight at a local Hospital. The 4 am, 5 am, and 6 am wake up calls. Frequent Blood draws BP and temperature checks. And the chest hair removal (as they pull off those sticky things to which they connect the heart monitor leads). Good times. But then I asked for it.
Related: April- 2018 – So Yeah, I had a Heart Attack.
I spent 24-hours at St. Joe’s in Nashua this weekend (no protesters) but it felt like the whole weekend. I was there from 4 pm Saturday to 4 pm Sunday. Though not for everyone, the good news is that whatever that new and curious chest pain I experienced, it had nothing to do with my heart.
Chest pain gets you to the front of the line just about everywhere doctors and nurses can be found. A patient with cardiac history gets VIP access. And I confess, I appreciate that. There are all sorts of strange twinges and tingles that are not related to angina. But, when something new and different comes along and won’t go away, you appreciate the sense of urgency.
I had a dull aching pain on my left side, (about a 1 or a 2 on the pain scale if you care) just below and to the left of my heart. Not a concern generally. It did not feel anything like my original heart attack symptoms or pain. But it persisted for several hours before I called and spoke to a cardiologist, and several hours after I began my visit to the ER.
Pro Tip: if you have had a heart attack and have chest pain that doesn’t show up in an EKG, you don’t get to go home. They want very much to know what it is and why.
Once we determined that I was no imminent danger, the next question was, what the heck was happening?
Not a lot of sleep at St. Joe’s Spa. They like to wake you up. Check your vitals. More blood work. Another EKG. Can’t be too cautious. And hospital beds are not all that comfortable if you ask me. I don’t need much sleep, but I need some.
I had radioactive isotopes injected in me for radiological imaging – stress test – lots of waiting. But then it was nice to be up and moving for a bit during the test as opposed to sitting in a bed or chair for hours on end.
The stress test was aces. Blood tests all good. Everything went well. And 24 hours after I arrived, I was set free.
Everyone was great. The rotation of doctors and nurses and nursing assistants covered the globe. Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the more recent indigenous American types (hint: racist colonialist bigots, in the parlance of the left). Great folks. Pleasant and professional. And I am back to my normal schedule, the pain is mostly gone, and rare, but we still have no idea what it was or why but it’s not heart-related, and that was what mattered.
I’ll do a follow-up with my PC (Primary Care not Personal Computer) to talk about what we’ll do if that comes back.
As for me and my CAD (cardiac artery disease not computer-aided design), my circumstances are entirely genetic. I am predisposed to hoarding junk in my veins. Diet and exercise and medication are the best treatment. And it looks like I’ve been doing all that and managing well. My cholesterol levels still look great! But now and then, something will happen that requires some time at St Joe’s Day and Night Spa.
And this time, I did not have my laptop, nor did my phone have enough charge for more than a brief stay, which I exceeded in my opinion. Here’s Johnny!! So, I was disconnected for a day. It was nice. I communed peacefully with the patterns on the ceiling tiles and floors. Ommmmm. I can do nothing and enjoy it.
And no, I was not tested for COVID19 which I found interesting. The money must have run out. Or maybe, as I sensed from the visit, they are getting tired of all this crap too.
Finally but not lastly, thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. You guys are the best.
