A 61 year old man walks into...

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Oscar Mike

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A 61 year old man walks into the Emergency Room complaining of chest pains. Guess what happens next? I have never seen medical people at the VA Hospital move so fast. I was whisked into a treatment room and within a few minutes I was wired for sound. I was absolutely impressed with the way the medical team responded.

The Veteran's Administration has some of the best most caring people that I've ever encountered in the medical field.

Long story short...they ran a barrage of tests (chemical stress test really stinks) and almost everything came up negative...waahoo! The stress test revealed a small anomaly that I have to get checked out. I spent the better part of two days in the hospital being poked, and prodded. I got a comparatively clean bill of health, now if I can just figure out this cholesterol thing...dang genetics.



 
There may be some good news soon on the cholestero thing.. There is a new class of drugs, now in the final round of human tests.  That promises to seriously lower bad cholestero without affecting the good kind so much.

I have recently read several articles on it.. all but one were very hopeful, Very encouraging,, one and only one was negative,, That one would have made me laugh under different conditions.

You see the Quack (Ok, so he really is a doctor, though I will never go to him) who wrote the "This drug will kill you" article has never even seen the medication.. Never been involved with it and knows absolutely nothing about it.  So he, of course, thinks he knows more than the folks doing the study.

By the way... I'm in the study.
 
Just so you don't get too complacent, a fellow I knew through my coach owners club went to his local VA hospital complaining of the classic heart symptoms, a numb feeling in the left arm and pressure in the chest. They poked and prodded for  3-4 hours and then sent him home, not having found anything conclusive. He was tired from the ordeal, so told his niece he was going to take a nap in the coach. He never woke up.

Be glad they found some indication of the cause, and do not neglect to follow up!
 
Glad you were treated well and you are fine.  No question, like everything else, there is good and bad in every healthcare system.
 
Referencing Gary's Story..Have heard that with assorted hospitals..Not just VA but others and with some doctors.

Twice I have had people describe their pain to me and it went like this
First time:
I'm trying to get to the hospital and I do not think I can make it (He made it...With help), I have pain in my chest and it's moving out into my arms.......

Since he was driving I got him into a parking lot.. Then into an Ambulance (Cardiac Care Unit) and THEY got him to hospital

Oh, he ended his symptom list with "It can not be my heart,,,I'm only 27"......  SURPRISE!!!!  But at least he lived to be surprised (Hospitals in that area have something like a 95% success rate in cases where you arrive alive.. Some hit 97%.. I know a few folks who arrived dead and are (last I  knew) Still kicking)

The other was the man in Bed 1 while I rested in Bed 2 on the 6th Floor of Port Huron Hospital (A great Place to have a Heart attack)  Same description Pain (Getting worse) radiating to his arms... They (hospital staff) were restocking the crash cart at the time as there had been a code blue just down the hall....I summoned help (She cam in looked at me I pointed to him she nodded and summoned help next level)..When I went for my walk (I was scheduled to walk that AM before release that Evening) I was amazed at the number of staff between me and the hall.. Oh, he made it too,, ICU is just around the corner (Same floor, other side of nurses station) .
 
Im glad you went in. In the last year, Ive had 3 friends, all men between 50 and 65 go to sleep and not wake up. Heart stuff is nothing to sneeze at.

 
Oscar, really the follow up may be more important than you think...I had my annual chemical stress test (yes they do suck) and everything checked out OK. I specifically asked about my existing stents and ejection factor. No less that 2 doctors checked off with the results.......Within three weeks I had my second heart attack with stent number 7 and a chopper ride to the OR.  There are some things that can't be seen with the stress test.
 
I had a routine doctors check up at 2 pm one day and had a heart attack at 7 am the next morning. EKG and blood enzymes were normal. Diagnosis was based on my description of symptoms. Told that I would probably have to have one stint. After heart cauterization they did 4 by-passes. My wife started stress test and could not finish the test. Heart cauterization was set for the first of the next week. She was given a prescription of nitro glycerin and was told if she had chest pain to take one tablet every 5 minutes for a total of 3 doses. If she still had pain we were to call 911. Long story short...called 911 and was taken to emergency room at 1 am. EKG normal, x-rays normal and blood enzymes normal. Almost laughed at us when we insisted that it was her heart. Treated her for indigestion and sent her home at 5 am. Three days later she had a heart cauterization and was rushed into surgery...4 by-passes.
Moral of story: Must have heart muscle damage before you get a change in EKG, blood enzymes and x-ray changes. If your body is telling you that something is wrong with your heart be careful.

 
 
Oscar Mike said:
I got a comparatively clean bill of health, now if I can just figure out this cholesterol thing...dang genetics.
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Don't mess around! Stay on top of it.
I had an issue a couple months back where my breathing was labored, tremors in right hand, tingling in left arm, and I had the DW call an ambulance. I'm one of those who doesn't say anything of that nature to the DW unless I'm scared.  :-\
I was doing nothing but sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and watching the morning news on TV. After a bunch of test, and a couple of days in the hospital, everything came up fine. Cat scan of chest (recent surgery and checking for blood clots in lungs), blood work, EKG, chemical stress test, all normal. It was decided that my blood pressure was out of wack at the time and needed attention. A change to my meds was made and I'm in the process of nailing that down now. So far, so good.

Frank Hurst said:
Moral of story: Must have heart muscle damage before you get a change in EKG, blood enzymes and x-ray changes. If your body is telling you that something is wrong with your heart be careful. 
Click to expand...

My understanding also.

BTW, I had no problem with the chemical stress test. I thought the mechanical stress test was going to give me a heart attack! Had a mechanical done a few years back on doc's recommendation that left shoulder pain could suggest a heart condition. Turned up nothing. The PT prescribed was a waste of time (and money). Oh well.



 
Good news, my Primary Care Doctor does not believe it was a heart attack, but was an something else, as he read off a litany of ailments that cause chest pains. I still have to go and see the Cardiologist in a couple of weeks for confirmation, but I am very optimistic.

I got a good lecture on the benefits of exercise and a healthier diet, which I cannot argue with...I just need to get off my duff and get moving.
 
Oscar Mike said:
I got a good lecture on the benefits of exercise and a healthier diet, which I cannot argue with...I just need to get off my duff and get moving.
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Awesome news John! I will share a little story with you later today. I'm moving this morning so I have to get off my duff...
 
Kevin Means said:
REALLY glad to hear that Jon. Would like to hook up with you guys some day since we missed ya in Tucson.

Kev
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I hope to meet you folks fact-to-face soon.
 
denmarc said:
Great news! Just don't slack off with the comfort that doc doesn't think it was a heart attack. Stay with the program.

You'll be ok.
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You're right, I still have to check out what they are calling a "small anomaly", thus I see the Cardiologist on 6/3. It'll be good to put it to bed one way or the other.
 
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