. . . On a Sunday morning, just a few weeks ago, I awoke with my chest feeling so tight and my jaw and teeth hurting so badly, I hardly recognized myself. The feeling of distress passed in about 30 minutes but I was so tired from it that I skipped Mass and just rested. When Don came home, I had already been called by Sr. Sharon.
It was Sr. Sharon who informed me that I had experienced the classic symptoms of a warning sign for heart attacks in women. Later my daughter-in-law confirmed it. With that I decided to call and make an appointment with my doctor. That call on Monday morning had me in his office Monday afternoon.
A thorough physical, lots of questions, and one EKG later, I was referred to the Stern Cardiovascular Clinic in Germantown just outside of Memphis, TN. Dr. Gubin, who for 17 years running, has been acknowledged as the #1 heart doctor in Tennessee as now MY doctor.
Normally there would have been a report on all the tests I had by now but lucky me, a week before my episode, their system had been hacked. It's "functional" now but according to Aubry, Dr. Gubin's secretary, who I just spoke to, they are limping along. She did tell she received my earlier message and she sent the information to Lee Miles, RN, who is Dr. Gubin's lead nurse.
So no information yet beyond the sketchiest of details and, for the time being, I'm feeling fine. I DO carry Nitro tablets with me and if I feel the tight squeezing sensation again to take the tablet and follow instructions. After 2 doses five minutes apart from each other and 10 minutes, if there is no relief, get to ER and call Dr. Jordan. I have his direct number.
I feel I am in very good hands and am grateful to have access to such a fine local doctor and such an excellent cardiovascular clinic. In a rural area, this is a lot more than I would have expected.
