Hi Folks, been away for a couple of days .............. Hope this experience may help others. I’m writing this, not for sympathy or acknowledgement, more to the point of letting you good folk know of my ‘event’ ( as the medical team call it ) ………. In hope that it may help others in a similar situation. The ‘Event ‘ Thursday morning, approx :6:15 am, 20th February 2014 As a builder, I’m driving from the Gold Coast to Brisbane to work. I’m driving on the M1 motorway and the traffic flow is just starting to increase speed back towards 100klms per hour. I get a small but sharp chest pain to my left side of my heart. Over the next couple of minutes, the chest pains start to stretch up past my neck, over my shoulder. ( I should point out that I have been diagnose with rheumatoid, osteoarthritis and sciatica arthritis and have been a long term sufferer. ) However, the pains continue to increase way past anything I’m used to and they are becoming almost constant. I’m on a four lane motorway with concrete barriers on either side and there are very few places if any in most parts. where one can stop. I’ve always thought as myself as a logical, level headed sought of person but the way I’m feeling, that theory is going out the door, fast. I have the ‘cruise-control set to 100klms ……………. I decide to turn it off immediately. If I go into cardiac arrest, I’m going to have a crash and possibly kill more people with it set on, so I quickly decide to deactivate it. I move over to the slower lanes. Do I try and pull over? Where? What we I do after that? The mind is going at a million miles an hour …………. whilst trying not to panic! I don’t want to die, not here ………… bugger that. Just let me make it to the hospital. The chest pains are really starting to thump hard and I continue to drive one handed and rub my chest at the same time. I thinking the way I’m moving around in the car, anyone driving past me must think I’m stupid or something. I’m getting closer to Brisbane City, only about 5 klms out. I don’t ring my wife, she, like me will only panic and really can’t help me right now. I ring the person whom I contract to and who I’m suppose to meet onsite today, he knows Brisbane better than most …….. that is what I need now. Someone who knows where the closest hospital is. I tell him I’m getting bad chest pains and I need the closet hospital. I’ve almost reached Brisbane and Stanley Street turn off is fast approaching ……….. He tell me the Mater Hospital is just half a kilometre down the road on the left. Silly me! I knew that. I’ve driven past it a thousand times. Shows you how you think when your stressed and panicking. So much for being that level-headed sought of guy I always thought I was. The stabbing chest pains refuse to stop and I drive straight into the emergency section but there is a boom gate with two people in the gate office. I quickly put my window down and repeat to them, “I’ve got bad chest pains, where do I go?” They say to drive just ahead to the main ambulance entry doors. I had driven into a non public area, limited to just ambulance arrivals! I pull up in front of the doors, would you believe it, a nurse just happens to be crossing the driveway and I tell her I need help. The good lady helps me out of my car and into a wheelchair. I am being completely emotional. I have tears running down my face …………….. I can’t help it! I really thought I had no chance of reaching the hospital ……….. now I’ve made it! Now picture a scene out of the movies or say, E.R. tv show. All hell breaks loose! I’m very quickly hoisted onto the bed in the emergency department. All of a sudden, doctors, nurses …………. seemly, every person possible is onto me. What’s your name? How old are you? etc. Meanwhile, needles are being inserted left, right and centre. “John, where putting a tablet under your tongue.” Drink this …….. take that ……… more questions etc, etc. Patches to reduce this, patches to increase such and such. Amongst all of this, I see one doctor at the back, calling all the shots, they are all looking at the monitors, Blood pressure 207 over 100 …………. etc, etc. I’m things aren’t sounding too convincing as yet. Everyone is still racing around me. More tablets under the tongue …….. two this time. Then I think of my lovely wife, if only she knew where I was now and what was happening …. Oh ****! Well, I’m still here I guess, still breathing so I reckon! My head starts to ach a bit, they tell me it will be the tablet under the tongue. I don’t know how long it takes but things start to simmer down. People start to move more slowly. I start to feel a little more relaxed. People start to disappear, It’s either a tv commercial break or the show is over. What happened! I’m told, that all is ok, they ask me for my wife’s phone number ( wish I was there to give her a hug when they tell where I am) They move me out of the main arena ( as I call it ) and around into the first stage recovery rooms, whilst they arrange a bed for me. Looks like I’m holidaying here for a while. After a while, a male nurse tells me I being moved up to the Coronary Care Unit. He says the rooms etc are just as good as ‘’private’ care, if not better. I neglected to mention that I don’t have private health care but now after the whole experience, I can say that everything was first class. The whole medical staff, the facilities, ( I was given a fantastic room to myself and it was big!) …………… everything was second to none. I stayed overnight and I was given all kinds of medical test, including a very thorough stress test, for which I was extremely pleased with my performance, if I do say so myself. I am now back home with my lovely wife. The doctors tell me it was not a straight up heart attack, it was all but. I was lucky …………….. I got there just in time. They say, a severe warning if you like. Footnote – It’s been just over 12 months since I gave up smoking, I have had recent blood test and had only just started a week ago, a diet for better eating habits. My blood pressure has been up and so has my cholesterol but I had already started to address this issues ……… obliviously not soon enough. Take Care! Aussie please log in to view this image
Jesus, well I'm glad it's you telling the story rather than someone on your behalf. Well done for dealing with it and for dealing with it well. A horrible experience, no doubt, a life changer I imagine. Hope you continue to recover well my friend. Look after yourself.
Wow Aussie! You've certainly been through the mill these past twelve months. That read like an episode of ER. Very dramatic but thankfully with a very successful outcome. Despite the way you describe it, your panic was actually misperceived and your actions were very level headed and calm given the circumstances. I'm so pleased that you lived to tell the tale and that you're home safely with your lovely wife. Take care mate and keep up with the healthy life choices. I think that there are quite a few of us that should do the same. Myself included. ( It might be a good idea to avoid the Rs for the foreseeable future. ) Wishing you all the best mate... Nines
Scary stuff Aussie, you're really going through the wringer lately, take it easy for a while. If that happened over here you'd have pulled up at a hospital only to find their A&E Unit had been closed to save money and it was another five miles to the nearest one...
Great to hear you are ok mate.....still looking forward to your next visit to the "big smoke"... Hope things work out for you as its been a hard 12 months (for you and yours) mate. get fit mate and hope to catch up soon Q.
Sent shivers down my spine. We never know what's around the corner. Thank you for sharing your story and thank God you've survived to tell it. Keep safe and healthy.
Many thanks to you all for your kind words and support. If my story inspires someone to have a check up or helps in some way, I'm wrapped. Yes Queens, I'll get up there again, mate. Cheers, Aussie
Wow, what a story Aussie, pleased to hear that you are ok now. Certainly sounds like to got to the hospital just in time. Best wishes.
hope you feel better soon aussie one of the boys down the pub went to see the doctor on Monday about his chest pains was taken straight to hospital and had two stents inserted that night look after yourselves boys and girl
