MY EXPERIENCE WITH ANGINA

BY: DAN HUMPFREE (AKA CEILI SCOTT)

• THIS AFTERNOON I WENT OUT FOR A NICE DINNER AT THE KEG WITH MY WIFE PAM. IT WAS

OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY AND LIKE ALWAYS I GOT THE T BONE STEAK WITH EXTRA BBQ

SAUCE.  AFTER THAT WE WENT HOME AND I HAD A SMOKE. THEN I FELT A LITTLE BIT OF

PAIN IN THE CENTRE OF MY CHEST AND BACK. I THOUGHT IT WAS HEARTBURN FROM THE

BBQ SAUCE, AND IT WOULD BE GONE THE NEXT MORNING.

• THAT MORNING I WOKE UP AND TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS STILL HURTING, I HAD NO CLUE

WHAT WAS GOING ON SO MY WIFE TOLD ME I SHOULD GO SEE OUR DOCTOR THE NEXT

DAY. I CALLED THE OFFICE AND BOOKED AN APPOINTMENT AT THE CLINIQUE FOR 10:00AM

TOMORROW.

POST 1:

POST 2:• THE NEXT DAY IT JUST GOT WORSE AND WORSE I STARTED TO FEEL A HURT DOWN MY LEFT ARM

AND IN MY THROAT. AT EXACTLY 9:59 I GOT TO THE OFFICE AND THEY CALLED OUT “DAN HUMPFREE, DAN HUMPFREE?” I REPLYED “YES YES THATS ME” AND THE NURSE SHOWED ME INTO THE SMALL QUAINT ROOM. I SEATED MYSELF ON THE LITTLE BED WITH THE CRUNCH OF THE PAPER ON IT THE DOCTOR WALKED IN “HELLO MR.HUMPFREE WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?” I EXPLAIN TO HIM ABOUT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS IVE BEEN HAVING OVER THE LAST 2 DAYS. HE MUST OF WRITTEN EVERY WORD DOWN THAT I SAID..AFTER I FINISHED EXPLAINING HE STOPPED WRITING. HE EXPLAINS TO ME HOW I COULD HAVE A POSSIBILITY OF HAVING ANGINA AND HOW I WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK IN THE NEXT 2 DAYS FOR TESTING.

POST 3:• IT IS 2:00AM AND I CAN'T SLEEP, MY ANXIETY IS VERY HIGH BECAUSE TODAY IS THE DAY I GO BACK TO MY DOCTOR

TO DO MY TESTS. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. I DECIDED BECAUSE I CAN’T SLEEP I GET OUT OF BED  AND GO INTO THE COMPUTER ROOM ACROSS THE HALL FROM MINE AND PAMS ROOM. I LOOK UP “WHAT KIND OF TEST DO THEY TAKE FOR PEOPLE WITH POSSIBLE ANGINA?” IT CAME UP WITH A PAGE SHOWED UP WITH GIANT LETTERS ON THE TOP SAYING: NIH (NATIONAL BLOOD, LUNG AND HEART INSTITUTE) I READ DOWN THE PAGE FOR A BIT AND IT CAME UP WITH STUFF LIKE THIS:YOUR DOCTOR ALSO MAY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SYMPTOMS, SUCH AS:

• WHAT BRINGS ON THE PAIN OR DISCOMFORT AND WHAT RELIEVES IT?

• WHAT DOES THE PAIN OR DISCOMFORT FEEL LIKE (FOR EXAMPLE, HEAVINESS OR TIGHTNESS)?

• ST WHILE HEART TESTS ARE DONE. IF YOU CAN’T EXERCISE, YOU MAY BE GIVEN MEDICINE TO MAKE YOUR HEART WORK HARD AND BEAT FAST.

• WHEN YOUR HEART IS WORKING HARD AND BEATING FAST, IT NEEDS MORE BLOOD AND OXYGEN. PLAQUE-NARROWED ARTERIES CAN'T SUPPLY ENOUGH OXYGEN-RICH BLOOD TO MEET YOUR HEART'S NEEDS.

POST 3 PART 2:• HOW OFTEN DOES THE PAIN OCCUR?

• WHERE DO YOU FEEL THE PAIN OR DISCOMFORT?

• HOW SEVERE IS THE PAIN OR DISCOMFORT?

• HOW LONG DOES THE PAIN OR DISCOMFORT LAST?

• DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND PROCEDURES

• IF YOUR DOCTOR THINKS THAT YOU HAVE UNSTABLE ANGINA OR THAT YOUR ANGINA IS RELATED TO A SERIOUS HEART CONDITION, HE OR SHE MAY RECOMMEND ONE OR MORE TESTS.

• EKG (ELECTROCARDIOGRAM)

POST 3 PART 3• DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND PROCEDURES

• IF YOUR DOCTOR THINKS THAT YOU HAVE UNSTABLE ANGINA OR THAT YOUR ANGINA IS RELATED TO A SERIOUS HEART CONDITION, HE OR SHE MAY RECOMMEND ONE OR MORE TESTS.

• EKG (ELECTROCARDIOGRAM)

• AN EKG IS A SIMPLE, PAINLESS TEST THAT DETECTS AND RECORDS THE HEART’S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY. THE TEST SHOWS HOW FAST THE HEART IS BEATING AND ITS RHYTHM (STEADY OR IRREGULAR). AN EKG ALSO RECORDS THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF ELECTRICAL SIGNALS AS THEY PASS THROUGH THE HEART.

• AN EKG CAN SHOW SIGNS OF HEART DAMAGE DUE TO CHD AND SIGNS OF A PREVIOUS OR CURRENT HEART ATTACK. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANGINA HAVE NORMAL EKGS.

POST 3 PART 4• STRESS TESTING

• DURING STRESS TESTING, YOU EXERCISE TO MAKE YOUR HEART WORK HARD AND BEAT FAST WHILE HEART TESTS ARE DONE. IF YOU CAN’T EXERCISE, YOU MAY BE GIVEN MEDICINE TO MAKE YOUR HEART WORK HARD AND BEAT FAST.

• WHEN YOUR HEART IS WORKING HARD AND BEATING FAST, IT NEEDS MORE BLOOD AND OXYGEN. PLAQUE-NARROWED ARTERIES CAN'T SUPPLY ENOUGH OXYGEN-RICH BLOOD TO MEET YOUR HEART'S NEEDS.

• A STRESS TEST CAN SHOW POSSIBLE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHD, SUCH AS:

• ABNORMAL CHANGES IN YOUR HEART RATE OR BLOOD PRESSURE

• SHORTNESS OF BREATH OR CHEST PAIN

• ABNORMAL CHANGES IN YOUR HEART RHYTHM OR YOUR HEART'S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY

• AS PART OF SOME STRESS TESTS, PICTURES ARE TAKEN OF YOUR HEART WHILE YOU EXERCISE AND WHILE YOU REST. THESE IMAGING STRESS TESTS CAN SHOW HOW WELL BLOOD IS FLOWING IN VARIOUS PARTS OF YOUR HEART. THEY ALSO CAN SHOW HOW WELL YOUR HEART PUMPS BLOOD WHEN IT BEATS.

POST 4:• TODAY IS THE DAY I GO TO SEE DOCTOR CUTTEDUM. I GOT THERE AT 10:10 BECAUSE MY APPOINTMENT WAS AT 10:15. HE

DID THE NORMAL STUFF THEY WOULD DO AT A CHECK UP, TOOK MY BLOOD PRESSURE, LOOKED DOWN MY THROAT, AND WEIGHED ME. THEN HE ASKED ME TO RUN ON THE SPOT AND I GOT VERY WORN OUT EXTREMELY FAST THEN HE GAVE ME A PILL TO TAKE TO RAISE MY HEART RATE AND HE TOLD ME I HAVE SOME STRESS PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT BE CAUSING ANGINA. THEN HE STARTED ASKING ME QUESTIONS LIKE: “WHERE DO YOU FEEL THE PAIN?” I REPLY “UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CHEST AND BACK. ALSO DOWN MY THROAT AND IN MY LEFT ARM.” HE ANSWERED WITH A “MMMMMHMMM? THEN SAID THAT I HAVE THE BASIC SIGNS OF ANGINA. I DIDNT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT. WAS I GOING TO LIVE OR DIE? WHAT WILL I HAVE TO GIVE UP BECAUSE OF THIS? ALL THESE QUESTIONS SWARMED THROUGH MY BRAIN AND HONESTLY I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO THINK AT THAT POINT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TEST RESULTS WOULD BE IN TOMORROW AND THEY WOULD GIVE ME A CALL. I STARTED UP MY CAR AND DROVE BACK TO MY HOUSE. ITS 12:30ISH WHEN I GET HOME. I SEE PAM STANDING IN THE DRIVE WAY, LIKE SHE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME. I DROVE IN AS SHE BACKED UP. SHE ASKED HOW IT WAS AND ASKED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH MY HEAD. I DIDNT KNOW ALL OF THE ANSWERS BUT THIS WAS STRESSING ME OUT QUITE ALOT. WE HAD A PRETTY QUIET DINNER AND I KNEW WHAT WE WERE BOTH THINKING OF. I WENT TO BED EARLY AROUND 10:00 AND FELL ASLEEP AROUND 10:45.

POST 5:• TODAY WAS THE DAY I WOULD GET THE TEST RESULTS BACK FROM DR.CUTTEDUM I WOKE UP AT

10:00 BY A LOUD RING OF THE PHONE I WAS THINKING IT WAS GOING TO BE THE DOCTOR OFFICE. I PICKED UP AND SAID DAN HUMPFREE AND THIS ROBOTIC VOICE STARTED TALKING ABOUT VOTING AND I WAS STILL TIRED SO I WASNT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION SO I JUST HUNG UP. THE PHONE RANG AGAIN AROUND 11:00 AM AND THIS TIME I WAS SURE IT WAS THEM AND TO MY LUCK IT WAS. THEY CONFIRMED THAT I DID HAVE ANGINA BUT YOU CAN LIVE THROUGH IT. THAT I JUST HAVE TO WATCH WHAT IM EATING TO KEEP MY CHOLESTEROL LEVEL DOWN AND KEEP MY STRESS LEVEL AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS PRETTY STANDARD AND I CAN DO THAT EASILY. I TOLD PAM WITH A SIGH OF RELIEF AND WE BOTH FELT BETTER.

POST 6:• ITS BEEN 3 MONTHS NOW THAT IVE HAD ANGINA AND I HAVE TO SAY ITS NOT

AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. IM LOSING WEIGHT FROM EATING HEALTHY AND OVERALL IM DOING REALLY GOOD. MY WIFE AND I HAVE A MUCH BETTER LIFE NOW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. MY MOOD HAS BEEN SO BETTER THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. I HAVE TO SAY I’M LOVING IT. ANGINA OR NO ANGINA THIS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MADE A BIG IMPACT ON MY LIFE.

LIFE IS REALLY GOOD