Today we went to the Joy of Christmas concert at the National Cathedral. Just before going I started to have chest pains. I’ve been having chest pains for about 6 weeks but thought it was a reaction to my blood pressure medications. Usually if I sit down, the pains go away. I thought once we got to the concert and I was able to sit down and calm down, the pains would go away.
They didn’t go away. When we got home from the concert I took my blood pressure and it was 194/111. That is VERY high. My husband and our friends The Dails encouraged me to go the hospital. I didn’t want to ruin our plans but I listened to them and decided to go. I drove my husband and myself to Sibley Hospital which is really close to our house. I know, odd that I would drive but I get a little stressed riding with my husband as he drives so I thought it best that I drive.
Once in the emergency room things moved fast. Within 5 minutes I was getting an EKG. I did an ECG on my Apple Watch and it showed inconclusive results. Then the EKG was done and it also showed inconclusive results. A cardiologist looked at the results and said I was in fact having a heart attack. They then told me they would be putting me on a helicopter and sending me to Suburban Hospital because they have a CATH lab to deal with the emergency.
A few minutes after that I was in the back of a helicopter. It only took about 3 minutes to get to the new hospital. They took me right into the CATH lab and put a catheter in my right wrist. They fished a wire up to my heart and found the artery that was blocked. They put a stint in and instantly the chest pain stopped. The emergency was over. I was out of danger. They then put me in a hospital bed in the cardiac ward and monitored my heart, blood pressure and blood work. I felt so much better.
I’ll be here for a few days to be monitored. I guess I’ll be talking to cardiologists and doctors for the next few days. I’m feeling so much better. I’m so glad my husband and friends convinced me it was time to go to the hospital. I love my husband! He saved me!