The beginning of my epiphany...

Okay, so it was Wednesday, September 30, 2009. A typical day, just like any other day for me. I went to work, came home, ate dinner, and plopped myself on the couch. It was almost 8:00 p.m. and I had been lying on the couch watching TV for about an hour. I jumped up to put some clothes from the washer into the dryer and as I stood in the laundry room I started feeling what I thought was heartburn. Hmmm...I don't get heartburn! What is this? I tried to lie down on the couch, hoping to make the burning stop, but it didn't. When I started feeling the burning go down both my arms and up my jaw I decided there was a problem. I went into my bedroom and told Joe and Joey, who were playing chess at the time, that I wanted to go to the hospital because I felt weird. Joe said, "Really?" I then tried to walk into my closet to change from my PJs, but as I did I started to feel short of breath and a slight bit of panic set in. I started to walk back into the living room and as I did I told Joey that he needed to call 911. The burning wouldn't go away and I started to feel short of breath, so I lied down on the couch and waited for the EMTs. I knew I was having a heart attack. Thank goodness the fire station is right up the street and it seemed like only minutes before I had 10 or more fireman and EMTs in my living. I tried to answer their questions, but I have to admit, I was having a hard time thinking. They did an EKG right there on the couch and told me they wanted to take me to Riverside Community. They wanted to know if it was okay if they took me there. I asked them why I couldn't go to my hospital, CRMC, and they said it was because what they think I needed to have done couldn't be done at my hospital at this time. I was like...yes, take me wherever! Fix me! They gave me nitroglycerin in my living room and two more times on the ambulance ride to Riverside Community. By the time I made it to the ER I was feeling a little bit better. The pain down my arms and up my jaw had dissipated, but I could still feel a pain in my heart. Before Joe and Joey made it to the ER Dr. Bokhari, who is now my awesome Cardiologist, had already checked in with me in the ER and told me he wanted to do an angiogram to see what was going on. Of course I agreed to that! I couldn't believe I needed an angiogram, a study where they shoot contrast into the arteries of the heart to see if there are any blockages. I was completely familiar with the procedure because many years ago when we did this type of procedure at my hospital I used to transcribe the reports. We are in the process of doing this procedure again at my hospital, but our cath lab has just reopened and we are not licensed to do everything just yet. Joe and Joey showed up in the ER just as they were getting ready to take me to the cath lab. Is this really happening?