In the hospital...

[Jim in Idaho]

I spent last week out in the mountains, prospecting. Got home Friday night. Had chest pains early Sunday morning, and after stalling around for several hours, went to the ER.
Ended up getting two stents installed. No major heart damage. Am now in the ICU, recovering. I got lucky, and didn't have a major attack while out in the back country. When I think of the distances I walked, and the elevations I climbed, it amazes me I hd no indications of heart trouble.
Jim

 

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[RichieRich]

UGH, glad you are OK

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

Yes , guys, I got lucky...just dumb luck it didn't happen miles from the truck. Even a heart stress test might not have shown the problem, but I should have got one before heading out the first time last spring. I'm doing fine now, and I really appreciate the kind thoughts. If you're nearing 70, get tested before any heavy exertion, especially after a lengthy layoff. It's a PITA, but might save your life. The hospital is going to turn me loose tomorrow. :-)
Jim

 

[Rail Dawg]

Get better soon Jim!

We invested in a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) that is registered with NOAA.

If things turn south you activate this thing and it will get the cavalry on it's way. It communicates via satellite and gives your exact location when set off.

We are so remote that if we did something stupid like roll the truck or drop a fat rock on our heads at least we can get help to lift it off of us lol.

 

[delnorter]

Glad your alright Jim. Good job getting thr twinge checked out. Hope you’re out prospecting and finding soon.

Mike

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I hear you, Dawg, but if you have fatal heart attack, all that's good for is hauling your body out....LOL
Jim

 

[Mad Machinist]

Glad your ok brother.

 

[DiamondDan]

What an ordeal! Glad you're pulling through, Jim. Take care out there!

 

[N-Lionberger]

I also have a PLB, I broke my leg taking my dredge out of a canyon by myself and became stuck in a storm a couple years ago it made me think about things.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Well, guys, I'm back home and feeling fine. Doc said I can immediately resume mountain prospecting. His opinion of what saved me was being in excellent physical condition, and that all the hard labor I did all my life in concrete construction had probably caused my heart to develop alternate pathways for bloodflow, so even with a couple of bad blockages the muscle still got enough oxygen to prevent much muscle damage. He was still amazed at what I'd done last week, without showing any symptoms.
Jim

 

[mytimetoshine]

Close call indeed. Glad you are on the mend. Sending good vibes your way for a speedy recovery.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Glad to hear you're OK!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

So we alll get chest pains...some that increase when we breath deep or stretch our chest. Some last a day.
We all get the feeling of a skipped heartbeat that is usually just an extra beat.

What was it that prompted you to take that plunge to calling for help?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

So we alll get chest pains...some that increase when we breath deep or stretch our chest. Some last a day.
We all get the feeling of a skipped heartbeat that is usually just an extra beat.

What was it that prompted you to take that plunge to calling for help?

Initially, the pain was lower in my chest, and about the center...maybe slightly to left of center. Exactly where you'd usually feel heartburn. So, I took a couple of Gaviscon tablets, and it seemed to help, but only a little. An hour or so later I took another. Same result. An hour later I drank a half cup of water with a half teaspoon of baking soda mixed in. Result was a little reduction in the pain. Repeated that an hour later. Then the pain, while not extreme, started getting to be more of a burning sensation across my left chest, with minor ache in my left shoulder...still a pretty mild pain overall...I thought it might just be a little muscle soreness from lugging the backpack. But, last November I lost my youngest brother because he didn't recognize his heart attack symptoms, and died the next day from heart failure, so, I finally decided, after 9 hours of this pain, that I better head to the ER. Even they didn't think my problem was heart. EKG showed nothing. The blood tests are what showed the heart involvement.
The big deal is heartburn will usually go away fairly quickly if treated at home. So, my advice is if you have PERSISTENT pain in your chest, even if fairly mild, and you're in your 60's, or older...go get checked. I had zero symptoms of heart trouble while out in the mountains....ZERO. If I hadn't eaten that pizza and ice cream, I'd probably have had a major heart attack while prospecting, at some point in the future, and since I usually am alone, it would have resulted in my death. It's likely the heartburn brought on the chest pain from the heart problem.
My advice, also, is to get a stress test now and then. They're cheap, and will probably show any potential problems. But, in my case, probably wouldn't have shown the problem. But, the doc said my case is really unusual. From what the nurse told me in the ICU I was the talk of the staff for a couple of days...LOL They couldn't believe I was walking around like nothing was wrong...no shortness of breath, no undue fatigue, nothing. Just dumb luck. Don't count on it.
Oh yeah...I've had the PVC's all my life. Skipped, or irregular rhythm for a few seconds. Typically, that's not a big deal. The frequency of occurrence of mine has declined as I've gotten older.
Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I just thought of something else that probably helped save me....WALKING. I've walked over 500 miles/year for several years. Just walking Heidi twice/day I cover 39 miles/month. Takes me 15 minutes twice a day. That's over 450 miles/year right there. It's great exercise.
Jim

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Thanks for the info and I’m sorry to hear about your brother.
It sounds like he may have contributed importantly in an odd way.

I have a family friend who had a heart attack and they patched him up.
He said he felt 110% the next day. Doctors told him to continue taking walks and ease back into work.

 

[devldog]

Jim, sorry to hear about your heart episode. You weren't out in the woods alone. Someone was up above and watching over you. So glad you listened to your body and went to the hospital. Like said, if you had gone to bed you may not have been here to post about this incident. A lot of prayers going out for you for a speedy recovery and you can add me to this list as well. I'm glad you didn't suffer any damage. Take care of yourself and you will be out and at em' and better than ever before you know it.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Get well soon sir!

 

[angelito1]

Godspeed to you, mate...........

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Thought I'd show you guys where I was Thursday. It's a wonder I didn't have the "Big One" up there. I did the same Tuesday, and Friday.
This is what it looks like zoomed-in. Pickup is tiny white spot in about the center....way down in the valley. I was about 7,800' when taking the pic, and halfway back to the truck from where I'd been. I was carrying a 15lb pack + the detector and digging tool.

Last pic shows the canyon on up above me...that's where I'd been...about a mile up there on the left. Peaks are up near 12.000'.

Jim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Thanks for the info and I’m sorry to hear about your brother.
It sounds like he may have contributed importantly in an odd way.

I have a family friend who had a heart attack and they patched him up.
He said he felt 110% the next day. Doctors told him to continue taking walks and ease back into work.

Yeah, I think brother Mike may have been watching over me last week. Sure miss him, and always will.
Jim