I'll never forget angina, nor the unexpectedness of its visitation.

[bluerose76]

In 1993 at the age of 57 I had an acute and prolonged onset of pain in my chest, unlike anything I had felt before, and quite impossible to ignore, while I was attending a meeting. Doctors were reluctant to diagnose it as anything to do with my heart. Diagnosed it as a muscular spasm. Later that year in South Africa I saw a cardiologist who gave me a very thorough examination and took details of my history. He gave me an ECG and was in no doubt on reading the trace-out, that I had in fact suffered a heart attack.

I sold my squash racquet and lived life more slowly. In 1994 I was appointed to a teaching post on the Island of Jersey. Nothing more alarming happened during the next five years. I retired at 63 in 1999. Took up hill-walking. In 2002 during a Sunday walk near Worcester I felt a painful pulling sensation on the one side of my lower jaw. Decided it was either tooth ache or ear-ache. Have since ben told it was an ominous indication of a coronary problem.

Two nights later I woke to feel a crushing sensation, as though a wall had fallen on my chest. Tried my GTN spray with no noticeable effect. Phoned Evesham Hospital and was collected by ambulance around midnight, and admitted to Worcester hospital. I was confined to bed for the initial few days and recovered sufficiently to walk about and chat to others. After a week I was discharged and stayed with friends in Stratford-upon-Avon. The next night I again felt the crushing sensation in my chest. I was collected at around midnight and taken by ambulance to Warwick hospital. There was now no doubt that I was suffering from a coronary obstruction.

I was sent to Walsgrave hospital in Coventry, given an angiogram and entered on the waiting list for a triple coronary bypass graft. I had the operation in May 2002 and except for a TIA in April 2003 (after a day in the Cape mountains with athletic friends) I have been well and able to enjoy moderately strenuous activities until quite recently when, with the onset of later years, I have found long walks at a sustained good pace less enjoyable.

I have had 17 years of fulfilled intellectual and physical life since the coronary bypass. My enthusiastic gratitude to the surgeon who performed the operation is undimmed. All blood tests that are regularly checked from me show minimal cholesterol and no cause for concern. I am on a statin, a blood-pressure control tablet (olmesartan), an anticoagulant (apixaban). My pulse rate is slow, ranging from 51-60 beats per minute at rest. So beta-blockers aren't for me. I do keep my GTN spray handy. I have learned to be aware of what my body is telling me about tiredness, and to pace myself sensibly.

I am still puzzled about why the UK doctors seemed so reluctant to suspect that I was suffering from angina and a coronary and heart problem in 1993. Perhaps mine was an a-typical presentation. Even after the troponin enzyme was identified in my blood sample, one hospital GP assured me that any heart problem was very unlikely.

My recommendation to anyone who is surprised by intense chest pain is to rest comfortably, relax and inhale and exhale deeply, slowly and regularly. I found that this deep slow breathing reduced the pain. Always carry a GTN spray if you have been prescribed one.

[Hidden]

Very interesting post, almost fascinating but that's probably not a very good word. I must say I too am very puzzled as to why they failed to diagnose you from your description, maybe things have moved on a lot since then. I only had 3 episodes of Angina over 2 days, not on the pain scale of yours from your description, and have to say, compared to other posts I have read on here, I was dealt with very swiftly with almost an assumption as to what the problem was likely to be. It was made very clear to me by the consultant that I saw initially that I would not be allowed home from hospital until they had done every possible test to determine what the problem was. In the end I was diagnosed with 2 blockages in my LAD, one at 96%, the Angiogram showed that there was hardly any blood reaching certain parts of my heart. A lady I know later told me that my Angiogram results including the location and extent of the blockage were almost identical (from post-mortem) to her late husband, who sadly had a heart attack and died. I feel massively that I have been given a second life, of which I am trying to make the utmost of by diet and exercise along with some lifestyle changes. I was told in Rehab that it was probably the fact that I had previously exercised by running and cycling that had prevented a HA or worse, however I had ceased these activities at age 55 (5 years prior to event), and wonder what might have been the case if I had carried on with them.

Anyway what I really wanted to comment on was you very good advice regarding keeping calm and trying to breath slowly should Angina symptoms strike. I had never had any such symptoms, the first Angina bout came totally out of the blue, but I knew immediately that something was very wrong. I managed to sit on the edge of the sofa, just breathing as slowly as possible and trying to relax and calm myself. I felt that if I even moved or tried to do anything, something bad was going to happen. I just sat there for maybe 30 mins and waited until I felt just better enough to go and get my mobile (next room) and ring my wife who only works 5 minutes away from home. I still felt as though I was sitting on an unexploded bomb, like some sort of feeling of impending doom, as I have heard said by others. I since feel that if I had panicked or done anything other than just sit and relax and breath as you have said things might have been different. I cannot put into words the very weird mental feeling I had, along with the physical symptoms, which were all in my right arm/jaw/back but which mostly felt like indigestion.

So if I ever come across anyone who might be having the same problem, I would try my best to keep them as calm as possible while getting help. I also always carry a 300mg Asprin tablet with me, as my wife was advised on the first and subsequent occasions by the 999 service to get me to chew one.

[bluerose76 in reply to Hidden]

Hi There lateguitarist,

Glad my suggestion/s were helpful in some way. Amazing how clearly I can recall much of the detail around my admission to hospital on that first night. Can remember a sense of helplessness in the knowledge that my hold on life had suddenly become precarious, that many things I planned to do were suddenly no longer certain or even likely. The shock of that sequence of events in the late hours made me feel sudden urges to become tearful. Quite suddenly I was no longer in control of my life. How can this have happened? Had I now quite suddenly become an invalid who would have to totter uncertainly through what remained of my life? Had I lost my independence? Would people I met smile tolerantly at me and whisper to each other, 'Poor man....must be terrible to have to rely on someone else to help do the simplest things......help him sit down and stand up.....take him slowly out of the room of visiting friends because he was obviously getting tired.'

The nurses were wonderful. Their kindness and cheerfulness the next morning restored my strength of spirit.

[Rob6868]

Fantastic post

Very intresting. It sounds so similar to my journey that started in 2018