This severely limited the blood flow and caused the sensation of being short of breath - my heart was not getting enough oxygen, even as I breathed in as much air as I could. Apparently my main artery, the one they call The Widowmaker, was 95% blocked. The angiograms are somewhat like X-Rays, imaged using the CAT Scan machine that I'm lying on, using a radioactive contrast dye that they drip into my blood vessels.Īfter the procedure, I was shown the rather beautiful, intricate traceries of the blood vessels. I'm lying there awake (they only lightly sedate the patient) and listening to the medical team as they review the images onscreen showing my heart beating. They placed my right arm in a sterile covering (a super-long glove) and proceeded to insert a catheter tube into an artery on my wrist, and snake it up to my heart. The Cath Lab is a short name for the Cardiac Catherization Laboratory, where they perform angioplasty procedures to open up cardiac arteries for people in distress like me. Gin is a real "shero" for saving my life. She was delighted to see the all female medical team, and as they wheeled me away Dr. My wife was allowed in to see me before they took me to the Cath Lab. Here I am 4 years later, at the emergency room with a heart attack. I asked if I could reduce my cholesterol through diet instead, and was told "maybe, you can try".so I took that as a go-ahead to make some small changes (such as eating oatmeal from time to time).īig mistake. The last time I had a complete physical checkup (4 years ago), I had been told my cholesterol was high and that I should start taking statin drugs to control it. I had never been told that I had heart disease, this was a surprise. Gin (who had rushed over from her nearby home) told me in a steady voice "you have serious heart disease, and we're taking you to the Cath Lab right away." It was very scary, although they treated us efficiently and quickly got me to an examination room. We walked up to the emergency room door and she announced to the nurse "My husband is having a heart attack." She is a "shero" (female hero) for getting me there safely! At the Hospital Door
My wife remained calm, although inside she was a wreck. We raced the 15 minutes to Marin General Hospital as I steadied my nerves, attempting to breathe slowly and fully. I asked her to drive me to the emergency room at the local hospital at about 2 am. She asked for more details, but there was nothing else I could really say to describe it. I said I felt bad, that something was really wrong. My blood pressure was 161 over 95 very very high. My pulse was racing at 93 beats per minute - my heart was struggling even as I rested quietly. I knew that I needed to get this checked out by a doctor. It was 1:30 am, and I felt bad in an odd sort of way, even lying down.