Two Mondays back I was at work delivering a load of building materials for a large builders merchants. My 1st delivery was typical. Heavy lifting and nobody on site who can help. My final item was a large heavy fire door. I never really worried about it having to lift stuff but this I moaned about with no reaction from my customer. Anyway I lifted it off my lorry on my own and within seconds I felt pain in my chest. I felt awful. I was sweating and started feeling really ill. I carried on and left that site to go to my next delivery. Along the way I felt worse having pain in my chest which by now was making me feel nauseous. My next drop was about 25 minutes down the road and when I got there a fellow worker was there already delivering with a grab lorry. The property was at the end of a long drive and no matter what I couldn't right next to the property. I wasn't too worried as I had decided once I had finished my load I was going to go home, I felt that rough. That was it, now I was just focused on getting the job done and going home. I had 4 sheets of plaster board to deliver, nothing too heavy, just awkward sometimes if it's windy. So I carried one board on my own. As I walked up the drive I had to stop to like catch my breathe but my focus was clear get done and go home. My customer saw that I was struggling and offered to help me unload. Walking back to the lorry for the next board I felt light headed and stopped to support myself against the wall. The second board we got off the lorry and within seconds I had to lean against the cab of my lorry. Board in hand I said to my customer I just need to catch my breathe. We carried on and halfway there I came over with that same feeling. My chest was so uncomfortable and painful. We managed to get going again and put the board down. Great only two more to go.
As we walked back to get the next board, halfway there I felt I wasn't able to stand up anymore. It was a strange feeling as I was confused knowing that I had to control what was happening somehow to not hit my head on the uneven ground which had big lumps of concrete poking up everywhere. I fell to the ground amazingly controlling my fall as I grabbed at my chest. Laying there all I could think of was controlling my breathing. My customer shouted my work mate who was busy with his lorry and then rang 999. His name was Richard and he was great constantly talking to the woman on the phone and trying to keep me warm. I was so cold and after a while thoughts of my two sons and wife were my sole fear. I have too much I want to do in my life with my family. I kept going over my body like a scanner, pain in my chest was easing along with my breathing. The chest pain had gone from a 9 to 10 down to a 4 to 5 by now.
Being a stubborn 50 year old I had to sit myself up after what seemed like forever. I couldn't at 1st as I felt I had absolutely no strength especially in my left arm. I just couldn't move at 1st. Sat up Richard wrapped my with loads of blankets and stayed with me until the paramedic arrived.
The paramedic was excellent and got me into the customers house where she set me up on her ECG, put the oxygen monitor on my finger and monitored my blood pressure. She noticed how I was focused on controlling my breathing and chatted about it. I have been an active martial arts practitioner and teacher for over 30 years. No doubt about it, my efforts over the years had helped me survive. Nothing was being found that was too serious so it was extremely unlikely that I had suffered a heart attack. So what was it? The more she explored the more she talked to me about my family history Angina came into the picture. The ambulance drivers arrived and agreed with her and the decision was made to take me to the nearest A&E, Kings Lynn. I live in Norwich so I was shocked I would have to go there but knew I had no choice. Priority now was to find out 100% what happened to me.
At Kings Lynn we sat in the ambulance for hours as the que of ambulances was huge. The guys were great, they talked to me all the time. As time passed everyone got hungry and two gents from the hospital relieved them so they could have a dinner break.
Blood tests were taken and more ECGs were done on me. Blood pressure was checked regularly and no changes anywhere.
I finally got in the hallway in the hospital and spent another 2 hours there until being properly seen. Cutting an already long story short the decision was made by a consultant that what had happened was an attack of Angina. My mother and father had both had heart problems and it was now something I have and not paying attention to the warning signs caused what had happened. I now have chest tightness everyday but it isn't all day. I am careful what I eat, lowering my cholesterol by changing my what I considered to be a good diet to a low cholesterol diet. I ensure I am more active for example walking at least a half an hour everyday. Basically my life has changed and I need to figure out how I can change my career. I have to respect that I can no longer do the heavy lifting and before long there is a possibility that I might lose my HGV licence. It hasn't happened yet but I have to prepare by acting now. Not an easy task. I have two appointments coming within the next 3 to 5 weeks at Papworth in Cambridge. Hopefully more answers will come my way and more clarity will come too. I need to learn what exercise I can do to keep fit, what work can I do and what food must I avoid. I am learning something everyday and that is the only way forward.
It isn't the end of the world what has happened. It's a wake up call that we must pay attention to. We need to find a way of controlling our situation. Knowledge and understanding helps so much.
To those of you who can help with advise please comment. For those of you who feel lost with what has happened to them. Learn, find answers to your fears and don't give in. We all want normal lives. We can all do it.
Angina?
Microvascular Angina Confirmed
Life with Angina
Angina?
