A lot of my readers have asked me to tell the full story of my heart attack–so here it is.
At the age of 37, I thought I was in great health. I had run regularly from the age of 12, worked as a weight trainer at the New York University gym and practiced karate. Although I never thought I was invincible, I had no idea that I would have a heart attack. My family had always had a history of cancer so I figured that if I got sick, this would be my fate (hopefully later on down the line). However, one day I finished working out in the gym and was driving home with my husband when I became short of breath. It was an awful feeling–I felt like I was smothering to death and going to pass out. My husband called 911 and was told to get me to the nearest hospital which he did.
Despite the fact that I was short of breath and shaking like a leaf, the doctor decided I was allergic to something in the gym and gave me a shot of benadryl. Actually, I later learned that shortness of breath and a sense of impending doom or death were signs (especially in women) of heart problems. I felt ok once I left the hospital and even for a week or two later. I was on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina when I again got short of breath and could not walk. I was so dizzy, scared and light-headed that I spent the day in bed until finally that night, I went to an emergency room. I told the doctors about the allergy reaction that the last emergency room thought I had and they tried some breathing treatments for asthma.
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Yeah, busy doctors who don’t listen to the complaints of the patient, or jump to conclusions based on little but a hunch or assume that every complaint is hypochondria. They really go wrong when they refuse to take a serious second look when symptoms don’t go away or the quick fix prescribed does nothing to relieve them.
On the other hand just reading this makes one nervous about every time one feels a little under the weather or out of breath !
This entry was placed because the story needs to be told. I first caught it at “Instapundit” as “hubby” linked to his wife. I thank Glenn for that as I perused Helen’s story last night and bookmarked it.
It’s a good one and every female in the world needs to pick up and pay attention. Read it, digest it and act on it if you are like Helen. On a personal level I had no idea women were being treated as second class citizens by doctors because heart problems were a “man problem”. Helen straightened me out and her entry is a must read for all women.
Don’t miss her story. It’s important.
It goes without saying that it could save a life.
Anybody that has been to the doctor lately has likely seen how busy they are. Their nurses continually herd patients into one examination room or the next in a constant stream. The doctors have to get in and get out of they start to fall behind. Go ahead and just try and sit and have a conversation with your doctor for about 60 seconds at the end of the visit. Before they’re hardly finished with the business at hand they’re up and walking out the door heading for examination room #2. That’s just how busy they are and that’s reality.
Doctors are definitely a last resort in Ontario. The best service you will get is at the private clinics that offer physiotherapy, massage therapy, etc. The service is generally fast and efficient; the equipment is usually good. Moreover, if you don’t like the one you have, just switch! If they could have MD’s they’d be perfect. Most problems don’t require doctors anyway – there is a chance that Ontarians simply overuse doctors and emergency rooms. Part of this could be because it is “free” (re: invisible cost)
Half of the doctors out there graduated in the bottom half of their class.