Super horrible painful blargh but I'm still here

[DarkAudit]

I have been remiss in letting this forum know what's been happening the last week, while giving a couple of others blow-by-blow accounts as events took place, so here goes.

For the previous few days I've had sleepless nights from occasional twinges of chest pains, accompanied by bouts of pain and anxeity a time or three during the following day. I'd had issues with acid reflux before, so I started treating it like that. One particularly bad sleepless Tuesday night turned into excruciating chest pain Wednesday morning that was not subsiding. So I take myself to the emergency room. EKG suspected worse, and an immediate catheterization procedure confirmed it. Turns out it wasn't acid reflux at all. It was an (as the doctor put it) "occlusion and myocardial infarction". Heart attack.

I had a single coronary artery completely blocked, that couldn't be unblocked. The risks involved in a bypass aren't generally worth it in these cases, so I'm being treated with medication pending a followup echocardiogram in about 2-3 weeks, and another visit to the cardiologist.

After the first couple of days, the chest pains weren't really the worst of my complaints. The dry hospital air and the oxygen they had me on did a number on my sinuses, so I had horrible headaches for a time. Percocet did the trick for the pain, but also knocked me silly for a few hours. Really, the best sleep I got was just after the pills kicked in and I got the warm fuzzy feeling.

So now I am home, and made it through the first night. I've got my prescriptions set and now all there is to do the next few days is rest and relax.

[Jairus]

Yikes. That sound's really scary. Well, it's good to heard that you're doing better. It also sounds like you got really lucky. Well, get some rest and get through this.

[Mao]

It's understandable that you've had slightly more important things to do than inform us lot about your status, though it is appreciated of course.  Rest up and get well man.

[DarkAudit]

It's understandable that you've had slightly more important things to do than inform us lot about your status, though it is appreciated of course.  Rest up and get well man.

I was in a hospital that has free wi-fi, so I was eventually able to get my notbook brought in so I could do a little surfing once they got me into an actual room instead of CICU.

My intestines still haven't fully recovered from the hospital food and days of bed rest. 

[superluser]

Oh, geez.  I saw this over at Halfpixel but I ignored it because I thought it was another annoying Tom Brazelton thread.  Just goes to show that I need to read things more carefully.

Get better, man.  I wish I could offer some advice, but I'm sure the doctors are giving you better advice than I could.

[DarkAudit]

Oh, geez.  I saw this over at Halfpixel but I ignored it because I thought it was another annoying Tom Brazelton thread.  Just goes to show that I need to read things more carefully.

Get better, man.  I wish I could offer some advice, but I'm sure the doctors are giving you better advice than I could.

Yeah, that was me. He posted about another Halfpixel member not long before, so I thought I'd better head him off while I could. 

[DarkAudit]

Echocardiogram today. Details to follow.

[Tapewolf]

Echocardiogram today. Details to follow.

Good luck, and keep us posted if you can...

[Lysander]

"Holy crap" was my 1st thought.

Dang, I hope things turn out alright. Good thing you didn't pass out from the initial attack and your progressing some.  :wainscot

[Brunhidden]

someone needs to invent the heart plunger, such a load of ouch and fear

[DarkAudit]

Initial observation from the tech doing the test was "looks better than the last one", which was taken the day after the attack. The doctors will review later today, and I'll know more tomorrow.

[Jairus]

Sounds great! I hope everything really is better.

[Brunhidden]

the crapstorm has passed, jubilations

[DarkAudit]

Great news: heart function back to practically normal.

Good news: won't need to keep taking Plavix after the current prescription runs out ($~160 for 30 days worth).

Not-so-good news: There's a second artery that's about 60% blocked.

Biggest change ordered by the doctor is to get out of the house and get more exercise. Gonna start with a 5K run-walk this weekend. I'll be doing the walk this time.

[Jairus]

Well, getting more exercise is always a good thing. Glad to hear that everything is working properly again.