Everyone tonight's post is going to be completely off subject, but it will be a very important post nonetheless. Yesterday afternoon I endured a second round of chest pains which extended to my left arm in the past three days. It was then that I immediately decided to go to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. I was very scared as I drove to Strong since I lost both my parents to heart attacks (my Mom's heart attack was brought on complications from diabetes which she passed away from six days later in January, 2010), as well as my grandfather and great-grandfather on my Dad's side of the family. I was scared that this was a heart attack that was on the brink of occurring. I know you're wondering why I chose to drive instead of calling an ambulance and here's the reason why. When my Dad was found slumped over after his heart attack, my Mom called 911 and their questioning took so long that it could've very well made a difference. I didn't want to go through that spiel as well as the cost of ambulances taking people to the hospital.
Once I arrived at Strong Memeorial, I feared that there was a good chance that I may not make it out alive. My blood pressure reading of 172/102 further heightened that fear for me. I kept thinking about how I would have fallen very short in my life had it all come to an end yesterday. The pain began to subside and I waited until a staff member called me in to get some X-rays. It turns out that the person was a childhood friend of mine Morgan. He noticed that I was wearing a New York Mets shirt and he started to talk about the Mets in an attempt to put me at ease. We are Mets fans and this to me was the turning point yesterday. I began to start to relax and began to believe that I was going to make it out alive.
I was then put on a bed in the emergency department where I was wait and after the results of the EKG I was sent to the Observation area where blood work was done as well as other examinations in which that it was discovered that I had an irregular heartbeat and high cholesterol but not a heart attack. I left Strong Memorial at 2:40 this afternoon and began to make good on a vow that I made while I was there to change a lot of things in my life. These thigs range from eating better, handling stress better to staying in touch with my friends better and to stop beating myself up over the little mistakes and to live more.
I decided to write this post to tell everyone that life is precious and no matter how bad things may get that they will always get better provided you never give up. I was going through a lot of stress recently and the events of the past two days have become a wake up call for me. Never ignore the symptoms of anything, this can be costly. Take your health very seriously (I chose not to live on a good cholestoroal diet which was recommended after my Dad passed away. Too many changes in a short period of time was too much for me to handle. Look where it got me). Change from a type a to type b personality since it will be less stressful in the long term and I mean much less stressful. Know what your limitations are and be realistic about them. The constant on the go lifestyle helped land me at Strong Memorial for a 24 hour period. Don't let the little things rattle you even though they may seem like a big deal at the time. Basically what I am saying is to relax and spend time with your family and friends. Have fun in life, but be responsible at the same time.
Tom
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