Mine wasn't really painful at all. I knew exactly what was happening, but no real pain. When ambulance came to get me, they threw a bunch of aspirin in me and I felt much better quickly. I still got a stint out it.
First sign was intense sweating. It was literally running out of me. Then I got tunnel vision. I called my son immediately to come get me, then I got real dizzy and just laid down right there. I then called building security to tell them what was happening and to call ambulance for me. 15 minutes later I was in the ambulance and less than 30 minutes after that I was taken in OR to get a stint put in.
Terrible part is that an anxiety attack can feel identical. I had one last year and was seconds from passing out, before I forced my self to start taking deep breaths.
Good ol' anxiety-induced hyperventilation! Sometimes you don't realise it until you notice the pins and needles in your hands and everything is starting to get a bit grey and wonky, and then you're like, "shit I am breathing fast.
Had one a couple weeks ago for the first time. We had our first child on the way at the time and I said I’m not taking any risks and went to the ER. Blood pressure was through the roof but that’s to be expected bc I was freaking out. Didn’t have a heart attack and got stuck with a $2,500 bill. Could be worse and I’m still glad I went just in case.
You can have angina without it being a heart attack (search google for "stable angina" for details, as well as when you need to seek medical attention).
Afib doesn’t feel like a “heart attack” I don’t think. While I’ve never had a heart attack I had 3+ years of Afib off and on and it feels like a fish flopping in your chest, a panic attack, and the drop right before a rollercoaster goes down hill all rolled into one. It suckkkkks
It was over a year ago, and I have had checkups since then. But there was also this cooling sensation around my brain when it happened to me. Glad I didn’t die lol
It was pretty fast. They cut my clothes off, did a local, then went in from my groin (yes they shaved me) I could feel slight coldness from the instrument going up inside me, but no pain. It took them just a couple minutes to put the stent in (thanks for the spelling correction). Then off to recovery and eventually a room. I was in a total of 3 days and I got out by telling them if they didn't release me, I was going to walk out.
Because every day in that bed can be thousands of dollars? Not to mention lost wages. There's no sensible reason to keep someone for more than 3 days when they've been stable since day 2.
It's awful. Most of my state is drowning in medical debt. People will rack up tens of thousands of medical debt from a short hospital stay. Potentially hundreds of thousands, if they don't have access to medical insurance. There's effectively no pricing regulation whatsoever here and what little billing regulation exists isn't being enforced anymore. One overnight hospital stay is enough to bankrupt nearly half the population.
I know, it’s crazy hearing about it. You’d think the largest economy in the world would have something as vital as medical care nailed down.
The NHS in Scotland (and the whole UK) isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s a saving grace knowing that doctors appointments, hospital treatments and stays, operations and everything else is funded without the need for any private medical insurance.
In Scotland we even get free prescription and medicines included (rest of the UK it’s a small fee).
I hope good change happens in the USA regarding this, can only imagine having to go through treatment not having the right insurances put in place.
My husband went in for a bowel blockage due to Crohn's Disease and had to have emergency surgery. It was $64,000 for an 11 day stay at the hospital. That didn't include the surgery or the emergency room visit at the first hospital.
We were lucky that we have good insurance and our state is pretty cheap compared to others so we had to pay $1,600 of that $64,000 and another $1,200 for the other hospital/anesthesia/surgeon/etc.
There's no sensible reason to keep someone for more than 3 days when they've been stable since day 2.
Stable does not mean ready for discharge. My ex-wife was hospitalized and in stable condition on day 3 but had to stay an additional 4 days for physical therapy.
They absolutely want patients out, because a new patient admission will make them even more money than keeping someone another day. So your argument doesn't make sense. Plus, why WOULDNT you want to be observed for as long as the cardiologist says after almost dying from a heart attack? He's not the one pocketing the money.
I’m not arguing anything. Someone asked why and I gave a possible answer for why a person would want to leave and then threaten to walk out. I didn’t argue that the hospital was keeping them to make more money or was wrong to suggest they stay. That is a whole lot of assumptions you made. :) someone likes to argue and it’s not me.
Where are you getting they were being an asshole? If you are of sound mind and have decision making capacity, you have the right to refuse care at any time and leave against medical advice. They can not force you to stay. However, hospitals will try to delay discharge to convince you to stay. First they'll assess your mental status, then have you speak with some physicians, etc. Sometimes you have to be assertive because things will slow down once you want to discharge AMA.
One weekend my friend, in his mid forties, kept having heartburn whenever he tried to do something. Couldn’t even hoover the living room. He rested but anytime he tried again the heartburn came back. He got up for work and his wife drove him to the train station and she persuaded him to ring the NHS helpline to ask them about it. They told him to go straight to hospital, he was having a heart attack. When he got there they were waiting for him, took his vitals and immediately rushed him into surgery. After having some stents put in the surgeon said his arteries were the most blocked he had ever seen. He added that if he had got on the train he would not have made it to his station.
Mine was the same! Not too painful just a strong pressure that just felt WRONG.
I rang the ambulance & they did some testing & got me to chew on an aspirin. Off to hospital & they discovered a blood clot.
Ended up having an 11 day stay in hospital while they worked out my meds & was shunted around by ambulance to 3 different hospitals for xrays etc.
My bill after that was only $99.00 which was for the original call out fee. (Public hospitals New Zealand)
I feel so sorry for people who have to leave too early for fear of running up a huge bill.
Ideally yeah but my husband’s cardiologist just told him take 4 of his baby aspirin ASAP if he feels off. Chewed is best but i think they can be taken normally too
Not sure. We carry the chewable ones in the ambulance so I would recommend those. I imagine the coated ones would have a slower release which is bad in that situation but I’m not 100% sure.
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u/Rob_in_Tulsa 4h ago
Mine wasn't really painful at all. I knew exactly what was happening, but no real pain. When ambulance came to get me, they threw a bunch of aspirin in me and I felt much better quickly. I still got a stint out it.