Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I had to Google heart attack symptoms just in case I was having one

On Monday I was suddenly hit with a terrible pain in my right arm while sitting at my computer in my office. The pain went from the right shoulder to the elbow and stopped me from moving my arm in any upward movement. I was working away, and trying to get my arm right and it was awful.

There was a certain sense of familiarity with it but not enough to trigger a memory, at least not at that time.
My first thought was the probability of a heart attack, and I needed some information. I did not want it to be a heart attack (like who would?)
I was on the phone at that time and I decided that while I was talking I would Google heart attack symptoms just in case this was one. It was unclear, but it seemed mostly  that the left arm would have been problematic but the right  was safe enough. My wife had provided me with a bottle of low dose aspirin as a heart attack preventative, and it seemed like a good time to take one.
I had no idea where they were and for sure they were not with me. That pain became unbearable, but I managed to complete my work and get my coat on. I had to go downtown to pick up some paintings a little later, so I decided to go home and get some medicine and see what I could do.
I arrived at home, driving with my left hand as I couldn’t really use my right hand very well. In the house, I found muscle relaxers which I had for my earlier back problem and after much looking, found the aspirins. I took everything and continued to do so every four hours. I went to bed for a while, and read, and it began to feel better. I spoke to my wife who called in to hear messages and found me at home and I scared her to death. She wanted to come home and I wanted to go out. As things got better I left the house and got gas for the car and went out to lunch. I called her back and assured her it was no heart attack and I was fine and not home.
I went downtown and recovered the paintings and returned to the office. After a bit, I felt lousy so I went home again about 4:00.
I finally realized the pain was familiar, and it related to a rotator cuff accident I had a year and a half ago when I fell on the ice. It had returned although I seemed to be doing nothing more than typing.

After explaining this to my wife  she reminded me I had been mowing our lawn on Sunday, and out wonderful battery run electric motor weighs 76 pounds, and it’s like dragging a bucket of stones around. That was what caused the problem, and the typing must have just hit the muscle in the right place.
This morning, after breakfast, the pain simply disappeared? Who knows? I think the peanut butter I had at breakfast was the cure!

2 comments:

  1. I think I've googled heart attack symptoms a dozen times. Anytime my acid reflux acts up I'm having a heart attack:) :) Glad your feeling better.

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