I know this isn’t necessarily Meniere’s related but I thought it was worth sharing here in the Living Room. One of my very dear best friends had a heart attack a few days ago but didn’t really know it. She had pain around her rib cage and vomiting and thought it was just GERD, indigestion or heartburn. After having an EKG she found out it actually WAS a heart attack. She’s still in the process of being evaluated and tested to see what needs to be done next so I’m praying for her complete recovery. In November of last year I lost my 52 year old brother when he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away in his sleep. He had a lot of the same symptoms and blamed them on GERD, heartburn etc. My point in posting this is to urge all of you to please not ignore the symptoms of a possible heart attack. It doesn’t always have to be a crushing pain in your chest. It can be jaw pain, back pain, shortness of breath, sweating or clamminess, nausea etc. When my Mom had her first heart attack the only pain she had was in her forearm and wrist but she hadn’t been feeling well and was always very tired for some time before that. If you experience any of the symptoms of a heart attack please don’t hesitate in getting to a hospital immediately. Better to be wrong and find out it was just something you ate that didn’t agree with you than to take the chance that it’s not. Here’s a link to the Mayo Clinic that describes the symptoms of a heart attack. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/in-depth/heart-attack-symptoms/art-20047744?pg=1
Do NOT ignore anything you think might be a heart attack. I did, and I lucked out. Had this weird thing in my chest, like something squeezing it. Woke me up a few times. Finally, told my wife I was having some problems when I took our trash cans in after a pick up. We went to the ER the next day, turns out I had a slow moving heart attack in my LAD. Got an angioplasty and a stent. A couple of years later, it happened again, and we moved fast this time. Same ER, my cardio guy left an awards dinner to head to our hospital. Another angioplasty, this time THREE coated stents in the same artery. Have been good since, but got a pacemaker a few months ago for a weird, unrelated problem. Bottom line: better safe than sorry. Always. If you are as old as I am, you will have Medicare, and no worries. If you are younger and without private health insurance, could be a big problem. But death is worse. Do what you must, and if health care bankrupts you, and yes, this is political, blame the plutocracy that controls this country. In the UK or Canada, you would not have to worry. In this land of the brave and home of the free, you do.
Thanks Lulu. Yes I had a very dear friend die in his sleep at the age of 51 in part because he could not afford health insurance, was told by in a prior DR's visit it was a combination of panic attacks and heartburn. Sad. I have a pesky hiatal hernia which presents sometime like a panic or heart attack but my Dr has not suggested looking any further than dealing with the symptoms. I am pushing it as hard as I can with the MM stuff that I cannot add this to the mix. All my bloodwork and blood pressure doesn't indictae a heart problem but for sure the stress of dealing with MM and CM and the hiatal hernia isn't helping. Holly
I actually looked this up back in June, my husband, although still in his 40's thought he was having a heart attack, it was GERD. It's scary stuff.
I've done the "George Can'tStanzya" Heart attack thing, three.....no four times. very embarrassing, but hey, I'm still here.
Thank you Vicki. I've lost so many family members and friends to heart attacks and nearly lost my Mom a couple of years ago. I feel like knowing the warning signs is so important to keep in mind especially as we get older and/or for anyone who has a history of heart disease in their family.
Brownrecluse - Thank you for driving the point home by sharing your story. Seriously....thank you so very much. I absolutely agree with you NOT to ignore anything that may seem like the warning sign of a heart attack since time is of the essence where treatment is concerned. I'm glad to hear you're doing well now with your stents and your pacemaker and I sincerely hope you never have another heart scare again. Hollyflo - I'm so very sorry about the passing of your friend. It's always sad to lose someone we love but when it's from something that in all likelihood could have been prevented with the right care and treatment, well that just makes it so much harder to grasp and make sense of. I'm sorry too that you're dealing with so many health issues of your own. Don't ever be afraid to voice your concerns to your doctor. As knowledgeable as they may be I feel like we still know our own bodies much better than they do. If something doesn't feel right it's much better to be on the safe side and get it thoroughly checked out. Bella - I'm happy to hear your husband's recent scare was nothing more than GERD. Dolfan my dear friend - I'd much rather you be embarrassed a few times than to ignore what could possibly be a potential problem. I like having you around and I want you to be around for a long, long time my friend. Besides, where else would I find someone who's willing to sing "Hello Lulu" to me?