So after my previous health issue where my doctor told me to not change my diet but just take these pills to control my gout “for life”, I was feeling pretty good. Little did I know that I’d be fighting for my life about a year later.
Before I get into this, I want to address the people that respond to vegans talking about “we’re all going to die so I’m going to die eating steak and bacon”. This particular argument upsets me the most because it’s easy for every to say that until you’re on a stretcher on your way in for a (hopefully) life-saving procedure and have to look into the faces of your family in tears hoping that you’re going to make it. No one really knows what that’s like until you’ve had to go through it. For many by that time, it’s too late.
So the widowmaker heart attack is getting a lot of press recently because it is the type of heart attack that Kevin Smith (of Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob fame) suffered recently. His story is very similar to what I went through. I was having a particularly stressful evening at my retail job. I had just gotten off the phone with a customer suffering a rather complicated situation. After hanging up from the 30+ minute phone call, I found myself sweating heavily. I felt my breathing was a little shallow, almost as if I had gas. I knew I didn’t feel right, but I did not have any of the tell tale signs of pain in my left arm or any actual pain in my chest. It was just, discomfort. I couple of my employees told me that I was probably having an anxiety attack from the phone call and having never suffered one before, I figured they were right. I tried to get comfortable but I couldn’t so after about 5 minutes I went to sit in my car with the windows open to try to “catch my breath”.
At this point, I called my wife to tell her that I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me but I didn’t feel right and that I was sitting in my car. I told her it was probably nothing to worry about but I just wanted to give her a heads up in case I needed her to pick me up when I was off. My wife, knowing that a phone call like this from me was unusual, told me that she would be coming by to get me with the kids so my daughter could drive my car home. I made arrangements to leave work early and my family arrived about 20 minutes later.
Upon their arrival, I again reassured my wife that there was nothing to worry about, I was just dealing with some stress at work and I probably was having an anxiety attack and just needed to get home to relax. She offered to drive me to urgent care, but of course I explained that that was ridiculous considering what was going on would pass. She drove me home where I tried to lay down and get comfortable. I couldn’t. I went to lay on the floor (as if that were any different) and it did not help. I asked my daughter to go to the store to get me a clear soda to see if I could “burp” out whatever was making me uncomfortable. Nothing worked. My wife told me to get up and she was bringing me to the hospital. I again argued that I just needed to get some air, so I asked her to drive me around with the windows down to see if it would help. She said, “I’ll drive you to the hospital with the windows down.”
We got in the car and made the trip down to St Joseph’s Medical Center in Orange, Ca. They are about 20 minutes away but they are a trusted hospital (and covered by my insurance). We walked in and told the front desk I was having trouble breathing. They brought me in immediately and hooked up a bunch of wires to my chest. Next thing I knew, they were wheeling me into a small room with “Code Blue” going out on the speakers in the ER.
No one told me what was going on but I was given a tablet to put under my tongue while putting an oxygen mask on my face. My wife was brought to my bedside but I found out later that at this time, she also had not been told what was going on. There were about 6-8 doctor’s and nurses, hooking me up to things taking blood pressure, watching the different monitors etc. After a few minutes, I noticed I was feeling a little better. One of the doctors asked me if I was starting to catch my breath I affirmed and then he explained what was going on.
“You are suffering from a severe heart attack. We’ve given you some nitroglycerine to help stabilize you.” We are prepping a cath lab for you so that we can get in and open the blockage.” I said ok and looked over at my wife who now finally understood what was going on. She took my hand and then they ushered her away to get some paperwork going. Within 5 minutes I was being wheeled out of the room toward the cath lab. At this point it had been at least 2 hours since my first symptoms hit. My stubbornness had put my life at further risk, but I did not know it yet.
Before they rolled me into the catheterization lab, my wife and kids were brought into the hallway to see me. I would find out later that it was to say their goodbyes, just in case. The look in their faces were heart-wrenching. This is why that particular “you could get hit by a bus” argument for doing what you want upsets me the most. It is by far the most selfish of arguments. Making a lifestyle choice that benefits your health, other species and the environment is a choice you can make to extend your life for your loved ones and the lives of countless others. Getting hit by a bus is a random event, dying from a preventable disease like coronary heart disease is not.
Now a “widowmaker” heart attack is called this for an obvious reason, most people who suffer one, do not survive. It is caused by a complete blockage of the Left Anterior Descending artery. The main artery that supplies blood to the front and largest portion of the heart. Mortality rates increase dramatically the longer the blockage remains. Remember that I did not make it to the hospital for about 2 hours from when my symptoms started.
The procedure start with them feeding a catheter through the groin area through the large system of arteries up to where the blockage is. I remember feeling it as the procedure started but I quickly knocked out. Kevin Smith says he was awake for the whole procedure. I couldn’t imagine that but he also only had to deal with one stent being put in. When I was done, there were 3 stents being use to hold the artery open. My cardiologist, Dr Michael Chan saved my life. He explained how he had to fight to get through the blockage which he actually showed me a bit of in a petrie dish. It was pretty gross. It basically looked like congealed bacon fat but in the long narrow shape of an artery. I was so overwhelmingly tired as I come to as the procedure was ending. I was rolled into recovery and woke up to my family by my side.
In my next blog, I will talk about the recovery, the medical dietary recommendations and the one thing my cardiologist told me that put me on the road from perceived omnivore, to veganism.
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