Mr Whippy
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 01:52 PM |
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Heart attack
Hi, if your bored might want to read this...
I'm sitting here at home not able to work (for a few weeks) so I thought I'd mention what happened to me as in my case things worked out for
the better.
For context I'm 52, quite healthy, eat mostly healthy things go for loads of walks with dog, cycle, don't drink & don't smoke.
Probably about 5kg overweight which is quite hard to shift at my age. But on the whole probably better than the norm. I did have sky high blood
pressure a few years ago but that's been under control for years. So yeah that's me.
Note 1 - I had a sore chest which I'd put down to driving a bus for 4 hours that the power steering was low, but paracetamol had worked but
the night before yeah it was worse and I struggled to sleep. It felt like being prodded by a finger in the centre of my chest.
Three weeks ago I was just nearing the end of my shift driving the bus when I suddenly starting feeling light headed so I stopped the bus and called
out to the passengers that I did not feel well, and not a single passenger bothered to check on me (what a surprise), for like 5 minutes. By then this
dizziness had passed and as I only had a street to go I drove to the terminus and swapped with the next driver.
Note 2 - when the dizziness stopped, my forehead was drenched in sweat, that's not normal...
Then I walked for 30 mins in the rain to get back to my car and drove home. However on my way home I pass the hospital and literally told myself I was
going to go to A&E as I was starting think something was wrong with my heart. I then waited about an hour to be seen, gradually getting more
tired, some people were looking at me with worried faces and at one point I considered just lying on the floor as I thought I might just fall out my
seat. But eventually I got called in (I'd told them about my chest pain, almost fainting and sweating) so they gave me an ECG. That's when
the nurse came back saying I was having a heart attack.
Note 3 - you can be having a heart attack and still walk 30 mins in the rain to your car!
After that things moved really fast and pow I had a stent fitted, blood flow restored, feeling just fine, a week in hospital getting over fed on great
food. Now back home still feeling just fine going for long walks with the dog, cycle rides and chopping firewood. Hopefully a few weeks from now I
will be signed off as fit to return to work and put this behind me.
So after all this was there any moral to the story?? Well I have learnt not to shrug chest pains off and reach for the pain killers, that just cos my
blood pressure is fine that does not mean there's nothing else wrong. I've also made some big food changes that will hopefully get that
weight off. No more Costa coffee, no more milk, only having brown bread, swapped chips for rice and pasta etc. Oh well maybe this might have been
interesting to some and hopefully your not recognising some of those symptoms but keep alert.
Bye
[Edited on 1/12/25 by Mr Whippy]
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Slater
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 02:23 PM |
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Sorry to hear that Mr Whippy, but sounds like your body has given you a warning there, although it sounds like you weren't doing much wrong in
the first place. Health is No 1 priority, so just make the adjustments you mentioned and live long...
Why do they call Port Harcourt "The Garden City"?...... Becauase they can't spell Stramash.
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gremlin1234
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 02:40 PM |
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take it easy,
get well soon.
I remember once taking my father to A&E, they said "no fault found", but before leaving, his speech started slurring, then lips turned
blue, a loud shout of HELP at 4 in the morning inside A&E quickly had a defibrillator, which after a couple of try's did its job.
they said it wasn't a heart attack as such, and they didn't know!
experts from London teaching hospitals were consulted, and said we have seen this before, but virtually all post mortem.
they fitted an ICD (implanted defibrillator),
he survived another 20 years, and we as a family helped with a lot of research.
hence I am a great proponent of public defibrillators. there are several near here, one at the pub, one outside a church, and one at the small
shopping centre.
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roadrunner
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 05:27 PM |
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It's a good job you listened to your body Mr Whippy and all worked out well.
I'm a couple of years older than you and very fit and active, but things like this can strike at any time.
Look after yourself.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 07:50 PM |
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Thanks guys, appreciated.
Oh and yes the defibrillators are brilliant and I'd recommend anyone learn how they work, it's not difficult at all as they are automated.
All the first aid courses I've been on with work covered them.
[Edited on 1/12/25 by Mr Whippy]
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jacko
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 08:10 PM |
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Hi. As you may know I worked at a bus depot for 31 years and one thing I noticed was there was quite a few drivers that had hart attacks I put it
down to sitting for hours eating at all daft times and stressed days
I am glad you are on the mend and go steady
Graham
555
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jacko
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| posted on 1/12/25 at 08:11 PM |
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Double post
[Edited on 1/12/25 by jacko]
555
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JC
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 06:12 AM |
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Wow, thanks for sharing that.
As someone of a similar age who also spends most of his work time sat in one place for hours at a time, it’s a salutory lesson.
Hopefully you’ve had a warning and will now have a long, healthy and enjoyable time.
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russbost
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 08:29 AM |
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Good to hear you're OK & on the mend now, & thanks for sharing, I think the bulk of peeps on here are similar age or older than yourself,
so probably very relevant. If I can add anything, guys, if you're over 50 get a PSA blood test done to check for Prostate cancer - I lost 2 very
good friends this year, both having battled this horrible disease for 8 years or more. You don't get symptoms, you feel fine, but if they
don't catch it very early before it spreads out of the prostate, it is always terminal - they can control it & slow it down up to a point,
but they can't stop it. They don't do the finger up the bum check anymore, so you don't need to die of embarrassment!
Mr Whippy, you mentioned driving a bus, how much grief will they give you to get your licence back for PSV? A mate of mine was a London cabby, had a
heart attack at 57, stent fitted, passed all the treadmill tests etc., but they never gave him his licence back, he retired!
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headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 08:32 AM |
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similar thang happened to me, started with a backache, of to physio who sent me to A&E, next thing i know it,s dark outside and i am in the back
of an ambulance with pretty flashing lights, couple of days later, i was woken up and doc says "we can either cut your right leg off or you will
be dead by morning, 10 mins to make your mind up"....when you get to a certain age, dont do the man thing and ignore it ! 
oh and get well soon mate, take it easy.
[Edited on 2/12/25 by theconrodkid]
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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Sanzomat
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 08:54 AM |
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Glad you came through that. Sounds remarkably similar (in some respects) to a good friend of mine (also 52 at the time) who had a similar episode
while doing a track day at Llandow a couple of years ago. He felt a bit odd (as you've described) during a session so came back to the paddock
where he struggled to climb out of the car. The track medic thought it was heart attack and an ambulance was called - he was blue lighted to the
nearest hospital, stented the same day, and released home that evening. He had six weeks off work to recover and then several months of physio,
treadmills, tests etc. He was deemed fit and was then back to normal. He's probably done 20 track days since and doesn't seem any slower! A
few lifestyle changes have followed although he was pretty fit and healthy before.
[Edited on 2/12/25 by Sanzomat]
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 09:52 AM |
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Mate, I feel for you. I had sort of similar back in 1999, the morning of my sons 10th birthday. I was first one up (as usual), down stairs, make my
packed lunch to take to work, then I reached up to get a cup out of a cupboard. POW. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and gripped my
heart with a glove covered in needles. I ended up propped on the counter top by my elbows, arms crossed in front of me holding onto my shoulders. At
that point my 10 year old son came up behid me full of joy for his birthday, ALL I could do was lift my index finger, left hand and sort of wiggle it
back to his cheery "Morning Daddy". After about 10 mins I went over to an armchair and sat down and rested, feeling completely buggered. The
rest of the family came down and the wife asked if I was OK?. I said I don't feel right and that I would be driving up to the doctors as soon as
the were NEARLY open. I was the first person there, I walked in, told the receptionist what had happened and just like that the Doctors reception area
became a hive of action, I was put on a bed and ECGs were done. they said I needed to go to hospital so I childishly said "Ok my Cars outside
I'll drive there!" But Nope an Ambulance was already on its way. It Turned out in my case to be a Bi-Latteral Pulmonary Embolism that over
stressed my lungs and heart. Bang 2 weeks in hospital on blood thinners then 6 months off work.
Look After yourselves, you only get one shot at this life.
And Mr Whippy, mate, follow the doctors orders.
[Edited on 2/12/25 by jollygreengiant]
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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JAG
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 11:04 AM |
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Get well soon Mr Whippy 
Looking after your health becomes a full time job as we get older.
I'm 58 - no idea how that happened 
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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nick205
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 11:29 AM |
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Thanks for sharing Mr W!
Hope you make a good recovery.
First Aid and de-fibs ought to be part of the national curriculum in schools IMHO.
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pewe
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 12:08 PM |
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So they didn't tell you to give up the deep fried Mars bars then?
Seriously glad you're OK.
We all need to live life to the full and do the bucket list items as you never know what's around the next corner.
Stay well folks and have a Happy Christmas.
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gremlin1234
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 12:51 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nick205
First Aid and de-fibs ought to be part of the national curriculum in schools IMHO.
I agree, but knowing where defibrillators are is important
- call 999, they will give the location and any access code, but even faster if you know where the local ones are.
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nick205
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| posted on 2/12/25 at 01:25 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
First Aid and de-fibs ought to be part of the national curriculum in schools IMHO.
I agree, but knowing where defibrillators are is important
- call 999, they will give the location and any access code, but even faster if you know where the local ones are.
Good point.
One outside our corner shop - 500 metres
One outside our village hall - 1,500 metres
One at work
There's more and more appearing.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 3/12/25 at 04:36 PM |
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Wow... glad you're all sorted!
I had a similar scare a couple of years ago - immense chest pains, couldn't breathe, couldn't move, shivering and shaking. Rang 999, which
was not a good experience (East Anglia Ambulance Service has a terrible record). My wife rang 999 again, didn't get much reassurance, rang our
GP who tried his best to speed things along but without success. In the end my (normally quite meek) wife said "Get in the car, I'm taking
you to A&E".
When I arrived I was immediately put on an ECG, tons of blood tests, all sorts of investigations. After a while they decided that I wasn't
having a heart attack so everything calmed down a bit, had a couple of X-rays and more blood tests, and finally a doctor came out and told me that I
had a very severe chest infection and prescribed some powerful antibiotics. She was extremely emphatic that I did the right thing to go to A&E,
that I wasn't wasting their time, and that the symptoms could easily been those of a heart attack. I don't think she was very impressed
with the ambulance service's response, although she couldn't come straight out and say so - but the implication was strong in the way she
spoke.
I would emphasis that the service I got in A&E was brilliant - everything I could wish for.
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