My chest is home to my apocalypse
 

Over two years ago I started getting pains. Just mild ones, but that time of my life was particularly stressful. They’d suck the life out of me. I’d have to stop and take time out, waiting for that sensation to pass, for something to pass. Even if it was me.
The most heart-breaking moment was having to stop and watch my children walk away, unaware of what was going on… because I didn’t tell them.
I was 30 years old at the time. That sort of thing isn’t SUPPOSED to happen when you’re 30, for fuck’s sake!
But life changed, it got better, and all that went away. I didn’t think anything more of it. After all, it was just some anxiety, something that was a symptom of other things happening. Nothing meaningful.
Until about two months ago. It came back. It’s back and it’s here. And I’m terribly, terribly frightened of it. This time it isn’t pain; it’s pressure. Tightness in the chest. An ache in my left arm and tingling in my fingers.
I’m 32 years old now. This sort of thing isn’t SUPPOSED to be happening.


And I'm too scared to see a doctor in case I'm told what I don't want to hear. How dumb is that?

don't smoke any big joints

you'll be paranoid for a year.


seriously....go get tested. they can tell if you're about to pop. poeple DO die at 32 of heart attacks..people also get panic attacks from stress and THINK it's all over. science is your friend. take the time. do it tomorrow.

ElBandito ...
Get your arse to a doctor NOW! I mean, either today or tomorrow. SOON. Seriously!
Pain and tightness in the chest and tingling in the left arm ... I did a first aid course a while back and those symptoms say "urgent attention required" very clearly to me.
Make an appointment today. It might be nothing serious, and wouldn't it be nice to hear that? If it is something serious, there are things that can be done.
Best of luck, and let us know what the doc says. If you browse the archives here, you'll find quite a few people getting a lot of support through various health crises.
Take care of yourself.

I knew someone who died of a heart attack at age 34.

I should go. God knows that I know I should.

But I feel like I'm standing in the shadow of a huge 'what if' sign. :/ It's the same on the other side too; what if I don't.

I've not even told my partner about it. She's blissfully unaware. It seems easier to put it all here. Heh, talk about a cop out, eh?

would you rather drive to the doctor or ride to the ER? make sure you always have clean underwear on. srsly....don't find yourself sitting up all night waiting next to the phone just in case you don't make it through till morning...cuz that sux.

You can either sit on an exam table, or you can lay on a morgue slab.

Your choice.

Heart attacks know no age limit.

Graveyards are full of people who said "It'll never happen to me."

And they're surrounded by the people who said "It might be happening to me but I don't want to know for sure".
GO. TO. A. DOCTOR.

NOW.

Doctor.....now!

Seriously mate. Chances are it's stress related panic attacks....but just in case, get your arse to a doctors because if it's something more serious you want it dealing with before it becomes critical. It could be hypertension. It could be something and nothing. It could be something that suddenly robs your children of their father.

Please. Get a check up. The scariest things are the things you can come up with in your own head. Even if it's something genuinely serious, that doesn't mean it won't be treatable. Get to a doctor.

My brother had a heart attack at 19. He died from heart problems at 40.

The bad news is that despite your fears, you will be examined soon.

The good news is you get to choose your examiner; will it be by a doctor or a coroner?

As a father, you owe it to your children to make an appointment right now. Not in five minutes. Right NOW. Do it. I'm serious. They deserve to have their dad around as they grow up. Make the damn appointment. Now.

I agree with glatt. As a parent it is your responsibilty to take care of yourself, so that you can take care of those you brought into this world. (I'm assuming here) What kind of message are you sending to them by ignoring this? Not to mention the deceit against your partner. Would you want her to do the same to you?

See a doctor now. There is no other option.

Okay guys I think we've been pretty unanimous and insistent about this. Belligerent, even, and I think rightly so.
Maybe we should give Bandito a chance to make his appointment and report back to us.

Bandito, from one n00b to another ... people ARE going to follow this up and you'd do well to have something to tell ... start with telling us when your appointment is, and then after that, tell us the results.

I will add my support to those saying you need to see the doctor.
Whatever the problem is, there will be something you can do about it.

My Dad was rushed into hospital earlier this year - yes he is significantly older than you - and it turned out he'd been having pains for quite a while and hadn't wanted to make a fuss. Even that day he had had severe pains and tried to walk it off - eventually his lips turned blue and Mum realised there was something he wasn't telling her.

It all ended happily - he had a shunt put in - but more to the point it was something that he suffered with and worried about needlessly, and Mum was furious when she found out.

Don't suffer alone - please get checked out.

I hate to tell you this and you are going to hate to hear it, I see people drop dead from MI's (myocardial infarctions, aka heart attacks) on a regular basis, and there is a percentage that are in their 30's and 40's. The longer you wait the more the potential damage to the muscle in the heart. Every episode of chest pain you describe is most likely angina, referred pain from a portion of your heart experiencing a lack of oxygen which could be due to any number of things. If you continue to wait the damage may be irreversible. The pain is a warning sign for you to stop slow down and seek medical attention. Your failure to seek help is a death wish at the worst and a life of disability and pain at the least. SEEK HELP NOW!