A personal story :
This one is about my experience during a heart attack around Sep 12, 2026. 

I am a writer, not a doctor :
I am an observer, not a medically trained Advice Nurse. My experience must not be read as a guide for your personal health care. Your primary care physician knows you best and can keep you healthy, with your cooperation. 

My heart is working well :
I am working with my medical team to improve its function in the future.

During the heart attack :
I felt older than the 80 years I have. 

After the operation :
I started feeling younger and smarter. 

Smarter? :
A little bit too late, I am told. 

I am not an exception :
This experience has taught me that if I follow the rules of eating tons of ice cream and mountains of potato chips, the rule of a heart attack will one day pay a visit. 

And it did! :
During late Summer, in early September of 2026, I woke up and stood up. I walked a few steps and felt pressure above my elbows in the back of my arms. 

My chest felt like I'd just finished a long race. My legs were tired, and I noticed a momentary soreness on both sides of my jaw. I had a headache. 

Alarm Bells! :
They did not ring loudly, and I ignored everything, thinking it was nothing to worry about. 

Dummy Me! :
A heart attack? ~ No way! ~ I'm as fit as a fiddle! 

Wrong! :
By 4:00 pm, the bells started ringing louder with more intensity. Time for action 

Urgent Care! :
Rosalinda drove me to an urgent care center close to our home. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but next time, I'm calling 911 first. I'm going first class, not economy.

Urgent care did routine tests and sent me to the nearest hospital for more tests. I waited for hours for test results. After seeing the results, they sent me to a second hospital via ambulance. 

Still Calm :
Around 1:00 am, I arrived at a bigger hospital, and they got to work. I felt like a VIP. They did more tests and asked me lots of questions. 

My Answers :
I don't have shortness of breath, but every so often I need to take a deep breath. 

I don't have any stomach pain. 

(In the past, I have had pain in my brain because my stomach looks like a pot belly stove.)

Yes, I do feel pain in the middle of my chest, like a bad case of heartburn. 

To The Room  :
After taking more tests, they decided to keep me and found a room on the 3rd floor.

Time passed slowly. Every two hours, they checked my blood pressure and took more blood samples.

They saw my troponin rising. It is a protein found inside heart muscle cells. It shows up in blood tests when heart muscle starts dying. Zero troponin levels indicate a fully functioning heart. 

When troponin rises, trouble is coming around the mountain.

10:00 am :
The clock on the wall saw it all. I am lying under a white sheet. I looked at the clock while I lay on the operating table. I remember arriving around 1:00 am, and I am thinking, "That was quick. There is no turning back now."

The room was white, with a tall ceiling that I stared at, waiting for what would happen next. A giant grey TV screen hung above my left, and I sensed the doctor on my right. I heard different voices around the operating room as they prepared for action. 

I just remembered :
In Britain, an operating room is called an operating theatre, or simply theatre. In my eyes, I was the star attraction during this scene. 

But wait! The doctor would determine this scene's success. I am a stage extra who will be paying the bill. 

Once Again :
Before the doctor started, he leaned over and explained once more the steps needed to implant two stents in two different arteries inside my heart. When I heard them the first time, I was ready to go. 

Step one :
We will insert a catheter through your right or left wrist. 

Step two :
If I encounter problems, we will use the right or left groin. 

Step three :
If I encounter problems, we will open the chest to insert the stents. 

OH BOY! :
The third choice did not register when I first heard it. Now I need to start worrying. 

I knew that I should have pulled all the weeds last Thursday. That is the first thing I will do when I get back home.

Conscious Sedation :
I was under local anesthesia that kept my body still and my eyes and ears fully functioning. 

My eyes saw A giant white room with a big screen TV to my left, and I sensed that the doctor was close by. 

My ears heard Letters and numbers spoken, with a response of the same letters and numbers. 

The doctor would speak, "I need ABC123." A voice would respond, "ABC123." Next, I heard the doctor describe the steps he was taking. 

11:00 am :
I was finished in under an hour.

I had two brand-new stents, and I was ready to roll off the table and onto the gurney heading for the recovery room. 

Recovery :
While in the recovery room, I could see the doctor through the door in the distance, typing notes in the log file. 

REALLY? ~ No! :
I couldn't see his screen. But I was sure he wasn't tapping the like button for his favorite influencer. 

For two more hours, two nurses watched me carefully. The play ended in the best possible way. 

Road Trip :
I was returned to my room for more observation and was discharged with a new list of medications.

FINALLY :
The play ended in the best possible way, and I am here to stay for the remainder of my time.

And for those weeds in the backyard that I forgot to pull last Thursday? They need a second chance to experience a full life, like the second chance I just got.