Just had a heart attack • Hacker News Board

Re: Just had a heart attack

#191

Post by CmonDev » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 5:36 PM UTC

coned88 wrote: post #190

robbiep wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally yesterday I treated a patient who has had 4 presentations this year to emergency with chest pain that sounds cardiac enough, except it lasts for several hours sometimes and sometimes she can 'feel it coming on' and heD it off by relaxing. Still, it could always be a heart attack and until a through work up is done to exclude it (acutely, ECG and troponins, as outpatient, stress test), it is worth investigat…

I suffer from anxiety and panic and have for years. Just reading this post and your post makes me anxious. The reason being I have seen a Cardiologist and had stress tests but years ago. 2 of them about 9-10 years ago after so many ER visits and then another about 5-6 years ago. All were fine. EKG's have always been normal as has blood work when I did go to the ER. At my primary care doctor EKG's have also always bee…

It could be a tense ribcage muscle. If you stretch and the pain changes then it's probably a muscle.

Re: Just had a heart attack

#192

Post by CmonDev » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 5:40 PM UTC

ctdonath wrote: post #109

Mahn wrote: post #105

Ever since I started my startup nearly 3 years ago I've been experiencing what I'd describe as heart "flutters", "sneezes" or "thumps"; very short and sudden "misplaced" beats. They happen very ocassionally, perhaps once or twice a week. I've done all sorts of checks with a cardiologist, but everything checked out fine. I've since learned not to panic when they happen and just live with the little shocks, but, you kn…

At 40, I generally felt fine, but something in my heart rhythm just seemed out of sync. TL;DR - went to a cardiologist, who basically asked me "why are you still alive?" and wanted to install a pacemaker the next morning ("don't die in the meantime").

Well, what happened then?

Re: Just had a heart attack

#193

Post by CmonDev » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 5:42 PM UTC

decaysa wrote: post #24

M4v3R wrote: post #4

Can someone with some medical experience write about what are exactly the warning signs for a heart attack? While it's definitely wise to call 911 when in doubt, it's good to have own understanding first so we don't ignore the symptoms AND don't flood 911 with false problems.

For me this is a real issue. I have genetic high cholestrol (I'm on 80 mg lipitor) and I suffer from gastric reflux and excessive gas. I've been to ER twice when I thought I was having a heart attack but it was just bad gas/heartburn :( Now I'm sure to dismiss the real attack...

Are you overweight? Does your gastric reflux / gas have any associated episodic shortness of breath? Just trying to make parallels with myself.

Re: Just had a heart attack

#194

Post by CmonDev » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 5:44 PM UTC

robbiep wrote: post #16

M4v3R wrote: post #4

Can someone with some medical experience write about what are exactly the warning signs for a heart attack? While it's definitely wise to call 911 when in doubt, it's good to have own understanding first so we don't ignore the symptoms AND don't flood 911 with false problems.

Doctor here. The 'typical' signs of a heart attack are chest pain usually described as dull, heavy or tight, with radiation to the arm(s) and neck. The patient often also complains of diaphoresis (sweating) , shortness of breath and perhaps weakness. 'Typical' signs do not present in everyone: in particular diabetics are at increased risk of having 'silent' heart attacks, And chest pain that is not typical may also b…

What can you say about rapid heartbeat increase but no shortness of breath after walking up stairs?

Re: Just had a heart attack

#195

Post by coned88 » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 5:49 PM UTC

CmonDev wrote: post #191

coned88 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suffer from anxiety and panic and have for years. Just reading this post and your post makes me anxious. The reason being I have seen a Cardiologist and had stress tests but years ago. 2 of them about 9-10 years ago after so many ER visits and then another about 5-6 years ago. All were fine. EKG's have always been normal as has blood work when I did go to the ER. At my primary care doctor EKG's have also always bee…

It could be a tense ribcage muscle. If you stretch and the pain changes then it's probably a muscle.

It is that at times. But sometimes not.

Re: Just had a heart attack

#196

Post by DEinspanjer » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 6:25 PM UTC

pdabbadabba wrote: post #117

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #88

You're quite lucky that you could afford that hospital trip. In the US, it would typically go like "My doctor made some tests and he said that it doesn't look like a heart attack but something is wrong with one of the lines on my ECG. He asked me if its ok to call the ambulance for doing more checks at the hospital. I said no, I can't afford that. So I died four weeks later." This isn't an exaggeration. Many people l…

This is an exaggeration, and it's an unfortunate one, since it distracts from the truth of what you're saying. As many have pointed out, a person who chose to be taken to the hospital would be taken to the hospital and treated whether they could pay for it or not. The result of this would be a serious amount of debt, but likely could be paid down with a monthly payment. The worst case scenario is bankruptcy, which su…

Part of the reason I believe people think they won't be treated is because that is very much the perception given to them by the front office staff of most hospitals and clinics. I'm not sure if this is what you are referring to when you say "the fault of a healthcare system that sends all the wrong signals", but I hope it is, and I feel it deserves a stronger highlight as the root of the problem.

The gentleman up-thread mentioned that when he went to visit his mother in ICU, he had to actively dodge the front desk person who wanted to discuss payment with him rather than letting him spend the last few minutes of his mother's life in her presence.

In the 90s, when I drove myself to the hospital suffering from appendicitis and I collapsed in the ambulance driveway trying to walk into the ER, since I was still lucid, albeit in pain, they felt it was more important to wheel me in to the billing booth and secure payment by taking all my available credit card information than to send me straight back to the examination room. They sounded quite pleasant and convincing that they were doing everything they could to get me seen right away, and they were very helpful in that they could just take the cards and write down the information after I was sent back, I just had to scrawl my signature on the release forms to get it started. It took me a decade to pay off that debt while avoiding bankruptcy and almost another decade to get my credit rating back up to a level that I could apply for some small bit of credit without fear of getting nasty looks from the person processing the application as a deadbeat.

While rationally, anyone would agree that either outcome is better than dying young, our society has become twisted in on itself in such a way that it is very easy to miss being rational when looking at the huge inconvenience and stress involved in incurring that cost versus the irrational hope that it is something small and it will pass on its own.

Re: Just had a heart attack

#197

Post by DEinspanjer » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 6:34 PM UTC

davidw wrote: post #157

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #88

You're quite lucky that you could afford that hospital trip. In the US, it would typically go like "My doctor made some tests and he said that it doesn't look like a heart attack but something is wrong with one of the lines on my ECG. He asked me if its ok to call the ambulance for doing more checks at the hospital. I said no, I can't afford that. So I died four weeks later." This isn't an exaggeration. Many people l…

Couldn't this whole thread just be about wishing 'mindcrime' a speedy recovery and healthy future, rather than wading into politics?

Fair enough.

@mindcrime -- I am so happy to hear that you got fast treatment and that you seem to be doing alright. I hope that you bounce back quickly and that you are able to look back on this as a brief dip in an otherwise rich and rewarding life.

Re: Just had a heart attack

#198

Post by DEinspanjer » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 6:45 PM UTC

krrrh wrote: post #119

noisy_boy wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This procedure is called Angiography and I had this done for my dad after he was suffering with lack of stamina and heavy breathing even with mild exertion. The doctors found 5 blockages which wasn't surprising since he used to be a smoker and a foodie. Multiple stents were put (couple of blockages were so bad that the couple of wires used to make way for the stent bent and couldn't penetrate but thankfully they were…

I had no idea angiography could be an elective procedure with no symptoms present. Thanks for sharing, something to think about.

I agree, something to think about, but the very first hit on Google for "elective angiography" was an article discussing whether it is over-used due to the dangers including significant radiation. :/

Where are my darn nano-mites!?

Re: Just had a heart attack

#199

Post by lotsofmangos » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 6:46 PM UTC

pjlegato wrote: post #180

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #88

You're quite lucky that you could afford that hospital trip. In the US, it would typically go like "My doctor made some tests and he said that it doesn't look like a heart attack but something is wrong with one of the lines on my ECG. He asked me if its ok to call the ambulance for doing more checks at the hospital. I said no, I can't afford that. So I died four weeks later." This isn't an exaggeration. Many people l…

About 16%[1][2] of Americans don't have health insurance. While the situation you describe is tragic and too common, it is a gross exaggeration to say it's "typical." Someone unfamiliar with the United States would read what you wrote and assume that this is the usual situation, when in fact it is relatively rare. Should something be done to help that 16%? Yes, of course. Is it common? No. [1] http://www.gallup.com/p…

It is often typical for those with health insurance. Back in 2009, 75% of the families bankrupted by medical bills in the US had health insurance.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/06/04/us-healthcare-bank...

Re: Just had a heart attack

#200

Post by mailshanx » Mon, Nov 03, 2014, 6:59 PM UTC

runewell wrote: post #162

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #88

You're quite lucky that you could afford that hospital trip. In the US, it would typically go like "My doctor made some tests and he said that it doesn't look like a heart attack but something is wrong with one of the lines on my ECG. He asked me if its ok to call the ambulance for doing more checks at the hospital. I said no, I can't afford that. So I died four weeks later." This isn't an exaggeration. Many people l…

My mother was a nurse for 20 years. She was extremely good at her job and worked in the ICU unit of Vanderbilt Hospital. One day she had a severe headache at home and once it subsided she sent me an email detailing five possible causes. Every item on the list was trivial except the fifth item which said "small aneurysm bleed". I, along with the rest of the family, asked her to go to the hospital but she refused becau…

How fucked up is that? I teared a little as i read your story. I can't imagine a mother not getting help for the sake of a measly 5000$. What kind of a society is the US if it lets its people die because they can't cough up a $ 5k medical fee? I had a very visceral reaction as i read your story.

May your mother rest in peace. tears in my eyes