By J.B. Lester
The big snow was falling that Saturday night, and more was on the way. I began to have some chest discomfort around 2pm and it continued on and off for about five hours. I mentioned it to my family and my daughter, who is in the healthcare field, insisted I call my cardiologist. After all, I am 74 years old and have atrial fibrillation (Afib) and have had a heart valve replaced twice. I have had a little indigestion over the years, but this felt like more, maybe not an elephant on my chest, but different.
The snow was really coming down now and the roads were getting bad. My daughter called my doctor’s exchange and the doctor on call said to go to the emergency room. I mean, what could he say? Chest pain in a 74-year-old heart patient. The roads were really bad now. So, my family called an ambulance. With lights flashing (but no siren thankfully) they came around the corner, and I met them in the driveway out in the snow. I think they were surprised to see me there. Of course, the pain had subsided now, but the wheels of emergency healthcare were already in motion. They pumped me full of baby aspirin in the ambulance just in case it was a heart attack. I chatted with the attendant as we made our way through the snow-covered roads to the ER. Luckily a room was waiting and the tests began. X-ray, EKG and blood tests in the ER. Then I was admitted and went through more tests overnight and into the next day: echocardiogram, chemical stress test, CT and more blood tests. I had no more pain once I got to the hospital of course. Like the noise your car makes and then doesn’t make it once you get it into the shop.
I got little sleep that night. The snow continued to fall, inch after inch after inch. My wife, who came in the ambulance with me, had to take an Uber home after midnight as my daughter could not come with our young grandson at home. The staff at the hospital were great. The emergency room doctor said they would find out what was causing the pain. But in truth, they did not. Tests did indicate it was not a cardiac event. Which is great of course. But then what the heck was it?
At 74 the options are many, I guess. I went home late Sunday after a battery of tests and no sleep. I was glad to get home. I was glad to be with my family. It was a scary time. I realized how fragile we really are. My GP decided to put me on Prilosec because if it wasn’t a cardiac event, it must be a gastro event. It turns out that as we age everything weakens and the gastro passageways can leak stomach acid up into your esophagus causing chest pain. They never said exactly what caused my pain, but I have been on the medication, and it seems to be working.
Retirement isn’t supposed to be stressful, but aging can be. I do feel like my family and the doctor made the right call sending me to the ER. Better safe than sorry they say. Even in a blizzard.