The thing about the discomfort in my arm and hand was that it was not really  painful, I was never short of breath or experienced  palpitations etc…

We were not overly busy or stressed with an overwhelming workload, it was basically a normal day at the pharmacy.  But everything changed at about 1pm.   We always have two pharmacists in the store at a time.  My partner Rochelle was  on duty with me that day and was having lunch in the back room.  I was starting to have another “feeling” and this time it was bad, really bad.  It was so bad to the point that my chest was heavy and I had more discomfort and it was radiating up my arm.  My chest felt like there was a weight applying pressure to it.  I was trying to wait to see if I could make it until Rochelle  got back from lunch, but I just couldn’t stand it anymore.  I left the sales floor and walked into the lunch room and told her that I didn’t feel well, I was having chest pains and  I was going to the hospital.

You can imagine the look of surprise on her face, me the  “I never get sick” guy saying he is on is way to the hospital.   I didn’t give her much chance to respond because I was on my way out the door to the hospital.    She managed to ask me if I wanted someone to drive me but I refused.  I didn’t want to wait that long.  I wanted to go - NOW.  Thankfully Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio is about one mile from my pharmacy.  I jumped in my Jeep and carefully but quickly drove over to the emergency room.

If you have ever had the unfortunate experience of going to the ER for yourself or a loved one you always dread the wait. Wall to wall people there looking and feeling miserable.  That is the scene you expect in an ER right? There was not a soul in the ER waiting room. I was so relieved.   I walked up to the check in window, and by this time I was very uncomfortable and a little on edge.  I had pulled out my driver’s license to avoid having to say my personal information and simply informed the nurse that I was having major chest pains, my entire right arm was numb and I needed to be seen immediately.  She looked at me and asked my age with a rather surprised expression.

I only had to wait for a few minutes before I was back in a room on a bed getting vitals taken and plugged into heart monitors and other machines.

To be  continued…

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