Beach Therapy
I don’t usually write about personal issues on my blog but I want to share this experience I had at the beginning of the week because the consequences of ignoring it could have been fatal. I haven’t been feeling great the past few weeks and even went to my doctor to complain about feeling “off.” She didn’t find anything wrong and sent me home. On Monday morning of this week I was running errands and felt a pressure on my chest, nothing alarming, but troubling. I happened to be close to the medical clinic where I go so I stopped in and asked for a blood pressure check. Within 30 minutes I was in an ambulance on my way to the ER at a large local hospital. My blood pressure was 190 / 110. I’ve haven’t seen people move so fast in a very long time. After hours of testing, being hooked up to numerous machines, lots of medication, and a trip to x-ray they determined that I didn’t have a heart attack, and instead had viral pneumonia. I’m home now, on medication, resting, and feeling better every day. It was a very scary experience and all I could think of during that ambulance ride was that I might never see my family again. We all have read that heart attacks are one of the leading causes of death in women, mainly because we don’t pay attention and get help. We shrug it off and concentrate on taking care of others. So please, please, please get immediate help if you experience any of the warning signs of heart attack or stroke. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Call 911 instead of trying to drive yourself to the hospital. You might not make it and ambulance patients get into the ER much faster than people who show up on their own. I hope my story will prompt you to immediately get help if you even think you have any of the symptoms of a heart attack. Getting help quickly makes all the difference and will probably save your life.
Information from the American Heart Association:
Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable — the image of the elephant comes to mind — but in fact they can be subtler and sometimes confusing.
You could feel so short of breath as though you ran a marathon, but you haven’t made a move. Some women experiencing a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them. Dizziness, lightheadedness or actually fainting are other symptoms to look for. Many women take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack and never call 9-1-1. But if they think about taking an aspirin for their heart attack, they should also call 9-1-1.
Heart Attack Signs in Women
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.
Glad you’re ok.p, but it must have been frightening. Thanks for the information.
Thanks, Linda. It scared me to death…almost. It’s important we pay attention to what’s going on with us and how we feel and then act on it.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
How frightening, Cathy. I am so happy to hear you went to get checked out and that you didn’t have a heart attack. Hope you are feeling better with each day.
Marigene recently posted..Another Week Closer To Autumn!
Thank you, Marigene. I am feeling much better.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
Sure glad you decided to stop and check things out and it turned out as well as it did. Before our trip I had pneumonia and had no clue.
Larry recently posted..2015 Western Trip – Day 47 – Starting Back East To Sisters, OR
Thank you, Larry. So sorry I missed you and Bev when you passed through Portland. It sounds like you enjoyed your time here and I’m especially happy that you got to visit the Beaverton Market. I think it is a very special place. Sorry to hear about your pneumonia. Hope you are OK now.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
I’m so gad you did not have a heart attack, Cathy. Please rest and take good care of yourself!
A very good friend of mine did a few years ago. She is thin, active and was in good health up to the day she began to feel ‘tingling” in her finger tips. That was her only pre symptom–a tingling that would come and go. Then one evening she woke up and felt what she called”the sun exploding in her chest” She work up her husband and told him and he told her to take an antacid. She said she began sweating profusely and called 911–thankfully she got to an ER in time and then up to surgery where they put in 3 stents. She survived, but if she waited longer she would not have! Wo man have different heart attack sympyoms than men!
Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti recently posted..Roxborough State Park
Quick action is the key to recovering from a heart attack. We need to get medical help ASAP. I’m happy that your friend recovered. Thanks for your comment, Pat.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
First of all I am sooooo glad you are okay and didn’t have a heart attack. Secondly, thanks for sharing this with us. Sharing personal stuff isn’t easy for me either. I hope every woman reads this and also that her husband reads it too. I’ve been taken to ER for heart attack symptoms several times over the years and mine always turns out to be severe heartburn. It turns out I have reflux and many of its symptoms are the same as a heart attack. So much so that I’ve had a heart cat because of the doctor’s concern. From that day forward, our health comes first and foremost and we seek professional attention whether it turns out to be something or nothing. And no, I’m not a hypercondriac.I just pay more attention now.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..La Cantina Italian Pizzeria, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
We can’t be too careful, can we? So much depends on quick treatment. I hope neither one of us has to visit the ER any time soon. Thank you for your comment, Sam. I’m doing much better.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
I’m so glad you went in immediately. Too many people say “aw, it’s nothing”. And the nothing turns out to be a big something.
I’m glad you are much better. Thanks for sharing the information. We can never be reminded enough as to what can happen to us. Life can be so fragile.
Take care,
Ramona
Thank you, Ramona. We all need to pay attention to our own health. Our life depends on it. Thanks for your comment. Have a nice weekend.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
Cathy, I am so glad that you are OK. We just arrived in Italy and was checking my Facebook page when I saw your post. Thinking of you. So glad you shared your experience with us.
Penny recently posted..Arrivederci for a Few Weeks
Thank you for your comment, Penny.How exciting to be in Italy. I’ll be looking forward to pics on FB. Have a great time.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
Wow.. how astute of you to have gotten checked Cathy..
Geesh..we never know..
glad you are on the mend..what a blessing! A gift!
Re the heart attack info….I remember Rosie O’Donnell on Dr Oz..etc..Good to know these things..
Monique recently posted..Almost Fall Sightings~ And a great weekend cake~
That’s so true, Monique. The most innocent of symptoms can turn deadly very fast. I’m feeling much better and truly feel blessed not to have more serious problems. Have a good weekend.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Warning Signs of a Heart Attack in Women and How I Ended up in the ER
I’m so glad you’ll be OK, Cathy. What a frightening experience! Heart attacks in women are not always so obvious, so you’ve done a great public service reminder with your post. I’m glad you were near medical help when your symptoms got worse. Whew.
Liz recently posted..The Halloween Project Week One #TheHalloweenProject
Oh my goodness, I am so glad you are okay!! I read somewhere that often doctors send many women away prematurely when a woman comes in feeling off, lots of the times because they think they are overly worried about nothing. I am glad you went to the nearby clinic even after your doctor didn’t find anything wrong!
Great information on this post, thank you!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness recently posted..Banana Vanilla Cake
So happy that you were near a medical center and wise enough to go there directly! Last spring Terry had that issue and did not go to the doctor….after four days he ended up in the hospital for a week and almost didn’t make it. It was a viral pneumonia, also. Nothing to mess with. Take care. And, thank you for reminding all of us about the warning signs.
Kate recently posted..Pork Tinga with Red Potatoes, Avocado and Queso Fresco – SRC
Cathy: So glad to hear that you are o.k.. Thanks so much for sharing this important information with us.
Best,
Bonnie
That must have been so frightening, Cathy! I’m glad it wasn’t a heart attack but thank you for the reminder of the symptoms. So glad you got yourself some help immediately and that it wasn’t a heart attack. Viral pneumonia is nothing to take lightly either. Glad you’re feeling better!
Susan recently posted..Homemade ‘Chunky’ Tomato Sauce