"When is A Heart Attack a Heart Attack?"

According to the flyer the Southern Health Dandenong
Hospital, in David st, Dandenong, gave me, when the
following happens:-
ONE or More of the common symptoms-
1. Discomfort or pain in the center of the chest,
often described as a heaviness a tightness or pressure,
commonly describred "it was like an elephenat sat on my
chest" "like a belt being pulled tight around my chest"
or "very bad indigestion."
2. Discomfort in upper body in
arm (s)
shoulder (s)
neck
jaw
back
You may have a choking feeling in your throat. Your
arms may feel heavy and useless.
3. Other signs
shortness of breath
nauseous
cold sweat
dizzy or light headed.

I woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday 30th June. I stayed in bed
doing email and playing computer games till 8.45 a.m.
I got up then and ran my shower and while waiting for
the hot water I went to the toilet for a number 2. As I
got off the toilet a searing pain shot through the front
of my head as if someone had stabbed it with a knife.
I instantley called out and tears sprung to my eyes. I
keep moaning I couldn't stop and I was thinking there is
SOMETHING terribly WRONG!!!

I think I had the quickest shower ever, I had to as I
missed one on Friday.

As I came out to get dress, pain still bad now 9 out of
10, Kirsten came into the room and wished me good morning.
I explained I needed her to help me as I had a searing
pain in the head, and I was going to the hospital after
I dropped her off at netball.

The hospital would be about 6 kms from my house. The net
ball court about 1 km, on the way to the hospital. Kirsten
got out of the car and said what about her gear which was
in the car as she was spending the night with Charmaine,in
a girl's sleep over. I said I woulkd drop it off after I
finished at the hospital.

I had turned on to the highway about 4 kms from the hospital
when more pain srtuck, this time it was as if someone had
sat on my chest. I had pain on the left side as if someome
was squashing my heart. I though great now I've bought on a
panic atatck thinking I could have a brain bleed.

Got to the hospital and they took me straight through it
was 9.25 a.m. Did urine test, everything O.K. The ECG was
'normal' blood pressure was 167 over 103!! The highest it
has ever been. When I was pregnant with Kathleen towards the
end of the nine months it went to 130 over 95. I told them
high blood pressure is NOT one of my problems usually it is
about 120-125 over 80-90.

They did two blood tests and the nurse tried twice to get it
but the venins rolled away as usual so the doctor did it
on the back of the right hand and it keeps getting caught
on everything as I am right handed and boy does that hurt
about a 1 to 2, like the pain when ever they take my blood
pressure and the band is so tight I think it is going to
sever my arm!!

The results from the protein test came back about 11 a.m.
and it turns out that a particular heart enzyme was high.
This occurs when there is damage to heart muscle.

They did another ECG about 1 p.m. and this one showed there
were changes, now not the nurse nor the GP were talking
'heart attack', but the doctor was hedging with there is
a possibility that there has been a 'heart episode.'

The doctor said the blood test needed to be repeated which
it was at 3 p.m. She said that if the result was that
there was a fall or about the same amount of the enzyme
then I could go home. The result came back just after 4
p.m. Meg was there and the nurse said "The doctor will
discuss the result with you." Turns out the result was
higher.

The heart specialist came around and said "Well it looks
like you had a heart attack" Finally a straight answer!!

He said they were orgainising for me to be send to Melbourne
to have a coronary angiogram done, as they were not done
locally. They tried to get me into Monash where the procedure
is done but there were no beds available so I was sent to
Southern Health.

I left Tralagon Hospital just after 11 p.m. and was here just
after 1 a.m. Sunday.

The cardic doctor came around to see me about 9 a.m. Sunday
and he said he was conservative "You have had a heart event."

So as I asked at the beginning
"When is a Herat Attack a Heart Attack??"