Good luck, and congrats on making it through the woods. Sounds like you are in good hands which makes all the difference.
You are right on the money about calling 911. As men we tend to be slow making the call, and don't want to seem like whiners. I always think of the line from The Edge - "Most people in the wilderness, they die of shame".
Had emergency surgery for aortic dissection myself in february (mentioned it on caffeine thread here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8520241). I felt for a moment like someone grabbed my heart, then agonizing back pain took over, and some nausea. But no more chest pain. I really just assumed I hurt my back working out, because I do easily it once a season (though I'm getting older, but am acting younger)
I sort of ruled out heart issues because I did cpr in real life a few days earlier (I'm a fireman with FDNY (though now probably looking at forced retirement)). And took my CFR (EMS-lite) refresher a week before that. Thought it would be a total coincidence it's my heart.
Even though it takes time to heal, 8 months later I have mostly "healed from the healing process", and you will get there in time. In some weird way it is one of the best things to have happened to me too, kind of plants your feet on the ground in the way few things can.
The major post surgery things I had were:
- Chills waking me up at night
- Nerve damage from my shoulder being mis-positioned at some point
- The pericardium being partially removed during surgery lets me hear my heart much more intimately than I'd like to
But all these are way better now. Still have a lot of insomnia still.
You are right on the money about calling 911. As men we tend to be slow making the call, and don't want to seem like whiners. I always think of the line from The Edge - "Most people in the wilderness, they die of shame".
Had emergency surgery for aortic dissection myself in february (mentioned it on caffeine thread here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8520241). I felt for a moment like someone grabbed my heart, then agonizing back pain took over, and some nausea. But no more chest pain. I really just assumed I hurt my back working out, because I do easily it once a season (though I'm getting older, but am acting younger)
I sort of ruled out heart issues because I did cpr in real life a few days earlier (I'm a fireman with FDNY (though now probably looking at forced retirement)). And took my CFR (EMS-lite) refresher a week before that. Thought it would be a total coincidence it's my heart.
Even though it takes time to heal, 8 months later I have mostly "healed from the healing process", and you will get there in time. In some weird way it is one of the best things to have happened to me too, kind of plants your feet on the ground in the way few things can.
The major post surgery things I had were:
- Chills waking me up at night
- Nerve damage from my shoulder being mis-positioned at some point
- The pericardium being partially removed during surgery lets me hear my heart much more intimately than I'd like to
But all these are way better now. Still have a lot of insomnia still.