Not a heart attack, thank god

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
18,431
Location
Castle Rock, CO
Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
Well, that was a crazy series of events that left me without an organ unexpectedly. TL;DR: went from thinking I had an ulcer, to calling 911 for a possible heart attack, to emergency Gall Bladder removal to ready to go home within a 24 hour period.

The full story:

I got home from work Friday and had a bit of nausea. Nothing crazy just thought maybe I was still kicking the end of my cold Brianna (my wife) ordered pizza for dinner and I did not have an appetite so I passed and relaxed on the couch for a bit.

Then I got an insatiable hunger that hit so I ate way more pizza than I should have. After a few hours, I got that "ugh, you ate too much" feeling and started taking antacids to preemptively fight the acid war I knew I was going to have later.

Brianna went to bed and I logged in to work to get some stuff caught up on. Work has been kicking my ass lately and I have a new hire starting Tuesday so I wanted to make sure I was ready for him. At about 1am, I decided it was time for bed.

I woke up with a start at about 2:30am, feeling intense acid pain in my chest so I grabbed about 4 tums and tried to go back to sleep to no avail or relief. So I went downstairs and took a Pepcid as a means to break out the big guns.

Within an hour, the pain became unbearable so I crawled into a fetal position and started researching "ulcer relief," but really found nothing.

At about 4:00, I caved and woke up Brianna,telling her I needed to go to the hospital. Almost immediately I collapsed in pain bedside and decided to call 911 as I couldn't tolerate it anymore.

Paramedics arrive and from my description they lock onto a potential heart attack. Take my blood pressure and it is 235 over 185. My normal blood pressure is like 110 over 65, so I started to get concerned. They sprayed nitroglycerin under my tongue and had me chew up 4 aspirin while they put the EKG on me. EKG showed "not clearly a heart attack, but something is wrong so we need to get you to the hospital now."

On the way to the hospital in the ambulance I got a shot of Morphine and an IV was placed. I was given another huff of Nitroglycerin and my blood pressure finally dropped to 165 over 120, better but still high. My pain intensified further.

Once we got to the hospital, doctor does sone tests but I'm heavily drugged so I don't know what. I passed out from being exhausted and stressed.

When I woke up, doctor explained that a CT scan revealed a diseased Gall Bladder with a massive Gall Stone. I needed to get my Gall Bladder removed ASAP so they transferred me to floor 4, emergency surgery.

Within a few hours, I was prepped and sedated for an emergency laparoscopic gall bladder removal.

And now, about 12 hours later I feel like a million dollars and am ready to take on the world again, but 4 ounces lighter. Doctor has removed my food restriction and I'll probably get released in a few hours.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0100.JPG
    IMG_0100.JPG
    133.4 KB · Views: 480
Last edited:
Glad they found and fixed it. Similar symptoms and same outcome for me, but spread over 5 months. Watch out for shoulder pain from the CO2 they pump you up with. Take your pain meds and don't rush back to work. Good day to stay home and watch football.
 
that sum serious chit! Should have had them take out 'all the stones' while in there!
Fight on, Nick.
 
Wow. Great to hear the pros found and fixed the problem with just a "borescope" and signed you off as once again airworthy.
Go easy. It's a looong way to the finish line.
 
I'll bet that tummy Is gonna itch when growing that fur back in!


Just take it easy man. Glad it wasn't the cardiac event!
 
Sounds like a long night. I am glad you feel better.
 
Glad you're better and sought help. My wife had that (gallbladder), and even one of my dogs (that was $$$). Take it easy and rest up. Watch the Packers blow out the Cowboys like I will today! :D
 
Last edited:
Dang, glad the doctors found the right organ to remove.
And glad you're better and alive to tell the story. Nice job on the small incisions.
Now the important question: can you log it? :D
 
BigBadLou said:
Dang, glad the doctors found the right organ to remove.
And glad you're better and alive to tell the story. Nice job on the small incisions.
Now the important question: can you log it? :D
Click to expand...
I am sure he was flying high for a few hours.
 
Margy spent two days including a cardiac cath before they figured out there was nothing wrong with her heart. A week later the gall bladder had to come out.
 
Very similar to my story. Those "acid attacks" were probably passing small stones for years. The Big One for me was also after eating a meal very high in fat. When the agony had me in a fetal position ignoring my month old screaming baby I knew I needed to run this by a doctor. But this was back in 1990 and the laparoscopic was still considered experimental. The surgeon offered it to me, said he had done 2 humans and 12 pigs. Good enough for me. I had a newborn, I didn't want the big incision. Recovery uneventful except for fighting the insurance company that didn't want to pay.

Glad you're doing well. If you have digestive issues from lack of a gallbladder, get some Ox Bile.
 
Glad to hear all is well. I had a BTDT as well, except my pain exhibited under my left shoulder blade. Doc also first thought heart attack and ruled that out with EKG as well.
Diseased gall bladder and too many stones to count, is how the surgeon described it to my wife after laparoscopic removal (and why can't they just call it "gall-bladder-echtomy" instead of making me look up how to spell and how to pronounce "Cholecystectomy"?)
 
I'm thinking you may have basis for a malpractice suit looking at that shave job on your belly. ;) Glad you are feeling better.
 
gkainz said:
Glad to hear all is well. I had a BTDT as well, except my pain exhibited under my left shoulder blade. Doc also first thought heart attack and ruled that out with EKG as well.
Diseased gall bladder and too many stones to count, is how the surgeon described it to my wife after laparoscopic removal (and why can't they just call it "gall-bladder-echtomy" instead of making me look up how to spell and how to pronounce "Cholecystectomy"?)
Click to expand...
This has explained alot. I guess I will get mine removed now. It was recommended 2 years ago.
 
Be prepared for your digestion to be a little....different. Those high fat meals? They had, for me and for lack of a better term, consequences. YMMV. I have learned over the years to be careful what/how I eat. I don't have any issues if I'm doing a keto diet, but high fat mixed with simple carbs - like pizza - is not good.
 
about the only difference I've noticed over the last 10 years post gall bladder is ... better be close to a rest room within 10 minutes of finishing breakfast. Doesn't seem to matter what food, what time, etc ... and only breakfast. No painful ... just urgent.
 
Right now I am really wishing I had a decent laxative. My kingdom for just a little poop nugget or something.

Holy crap
 
Glad to hear you are ok, that sounded pretty scary.
 
I have felt your pain. I writhed on the floor for hours when I had my last gall bladder attack because I couldn't get off the floor to call 911. The attack passed in what seemed like years, but was probably just a few hours; but I still felt sick-ish for another two days afterwards.

The surgeon who removed it was an old client-turned-friend of mine. He said it looked like a sweat sock full of marbles. It took him about two hours to do the surgery because it had adhesed, but he didn't want to open me up. I think I kissed him for that. Or maybe it was the orderly. I was still a little loopy.

Glad to hear you're okay. Be careful with fatty foods for... well, basically forever. They will pass much more quickly than the gall bladder attack did if you overdo them.

Rich
 
Old thread, but I was searching because the same thing happened to me!

The OP's post is almost identical to my situation.

I have a question on where this goes on my first medical application? In the stomach, liver, intestinal section?

Thanks!
 
Glad everything went well,hope you have a quick recovery.
 
Glad you're better. Drink plenty of water and, yeah, if you need help...go with the ol' faithful. Prune juice. It ain't bad and worked a treat for me when nothing else would.
Had mine removed a longtime ago too. Very painful event.

15 years later and now it's the only thing not hurting!
 
Ya ever herd that term "...coursing through your veins?" Well, it was not until my first ever shot of Morphine did I understand what that really means...what a weird sensation!
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top