Signs of a Heart Attack
What if today was your last day to live?
This is the thought that runs through Lew Patton’s mind after two life-threatening heart attacks at the age of 56. Patent is alive to ponder this question thanks to the Chest Pain Center team at Arlington Memorial Hospital.
“Life is precious and should be treated as such. In my younger days, I couldn’t care less about diet and exercise. I thought bullets would bounce off my chest. Not so anymore.” Patton is now passionate about eating right, not smoking, and exercising more to stay healthy.
Excellent Care
Patton was at work in Waxahachie and noticed some pain in his chest. The pain wasn’t severe, so Patton continued to work even though he also had some pressure and tightening in his chest.
After work that day, he drove all the way home. “A heart attack was the last thing I expected,” says Patton. An inconclusive stress test a couple of months before had led Patton to think that all was well.
Patton got home and the pain became much worse-to the point he passed out on the floor. His girlfriend drove him to the emergency department at Arlington Memorial Hospital. The pain was so severe Patton was writing “I’m in pain” in order to communicate with the staff.
“The team at Arlington Memorial Hospital was seamless,” he says. “They did an EKG and told me I was having a heart attack-my second heart attack of the day!” The team took them straight to the cath lab so the blocked artery could be repaired.
“I’ve never been that scared-I could have died,” he continues, “but Arlington Memorial Hospital emergency department team eased my fears with her calm attitudes and planning.”
Be Aware of the Signs
Patton’s heart catheterization showed one side of the heart was damaged and not pumping correctly because of the heart attack. “The permanent heart damage could have been prevented if the patient would have presented when his symptoms started. That is why we stress the importance of recognizing the symptoms of heart attack and calling 911 for prompt treatment,” says Hoyt Frenzel, M.D., FACEP, medical director of Arlington Memorial hospitals emergency services and codirector of Arlington Memorial Hospital’s accredited Chest Pain Center.
“When I woke up and recovery I was already feeling better,” says Patton. “If the Arlington Memorial Hospital team hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here.”
Arlington Memorial Hospital and You
Fall Winter 2008
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