drifter
Well-known Member
From time to time I have provided an COPD update on my condition. A few days ago I had another exacerbation. It started out as others have with fever and chills and some breathing difficulties. I put off calling my doctor for antibiotics because on an occasion on two I have gotten along without them and I didn't want to be accused of crying wolf as it were.
A day passed and my condition wasn't any worse. I carried out the trash. A few days earlier when I carried out the trash I had what I thought was angina pains and they began to occur more often. When they didn't disappear or became a nuisance, I would take a nitro pill and the pain would vanish. The next day after my trash had been been emptied I went out and pulled our recycle barrel back in place. It occurred to me maybe I should rest before going after my trash barrel. I didn't stop. My thing was I'd better get while I still could.
I walk to the street and pulled the barrel to its place. Suddenly I was out of air. Walking to my nearby front door I couldn't breath. I somehow made it to my kitchen table. I lay my head on the table, hyperventilating, thinking breath in through the nose, blow out through pursed lips. It took several minutes before I was breathing so I could feel air in my lungs. My lungs burned, my chest hurt and wouldn't go away.
I called my health provider who had come out rather recently to do blood work. I told her I was hurting, had never had pain like this with an exacerbation and I needed help, antibiotics and a pain medication. They would overnight it to me but but it would be late Friday when I got it.
By Monday my breathing was more shallow. I was severely winded merely walking to the bathroom. I was more out of breath at rest. I have a small house and getting around in it was almost more than I could accomplish.
My healthcare provider called, telling Ann to get me to the hospital, stop by the ECHO unit for a full cardiac work up. Net result, somewhere during the past few days I had suffered my second heart attack.
I got good care. They did an angiogram. I have two blockage areas and we're going to try to unblock with medication. They could have used stints but at my age and physical condition this procedure was considered to be more dangerous. I participated in this decision.
I was back home last night feeling weak and diminished but glad to be home. My weight at 181.0 lb.
A day passed and my condition wasn't any worse. I carried out the trash. A few days earlier when I carried out the trash I had what I thought was angina pains and they began to occur more often. When they didn't disappear or became a nuisance, I would take a nitro pill and the pain would vanish. The next day after my trash had been been emptied I went out and pulled our recycle barrel back in place. It occurred to me maybe I should rest before going after my trash barrel. I didn't stop. My thing was I'd better get while I still could.
I walk to the street and pulled the barrel to its place. Suddenly I was out of air. Walking to my nearby front door I couldn't breath. I somehow made it to my kitchen table. I lay my head on the table, hyperventilating, thinking breath in through the nose, blow out through pursed lips. It took several minutes before I was breathing so I could feel air in my lungs. My lungs burned, my chest hurt and wouldn't go away.
I called my health provider who had come out rather recently to do blood work. I told her I was hurting, had never had pain like this with an exacerbation and I needed help, antibiotics and a pain medication. They would overnight it to me but but it would be late Friday when I got it.
By Monday my breathing was more shallow. I was severely winded merely walking to the bathroom. I was more out of breath at rest. I have a small house and getting around in it was almost more than I could accomplish.
My healthcare provider called, telling Ann to get me to the hospital, stop by the ECHO unit for a full cardiac work up. Net result, somewhere during the past few days I had suffered my second heart attack.
I got good care. They did an angiogram. I have two blockage areas and we're going to try to unblock with medication. They could have used stints but at my age and physical condition this procedure was considered to be more dangerous. I participated in this decision.
I was back home last night feeling weak and diminished but glad to be home. My weight at 181.0 lb.
