A doctor friend of mine told me once that when a 50-ish man starts feeling really bad, you should first suspect a heart attack. There aren't a lot of other things that suddenly strike a man of that age.
The symptoms of a heart attack are highly variable. So don't expect complaints of the classic "elephant sitting on my chest" sensation.
My husband had a heart attack 2 years ago. He sat up in bed at 11 at night. He said "I feel lousy". WHen I pressed him for more details, he told me his shoulder hurt.
I got him to the hospital (which is near our house) in about 45 seconds. I knew he was having a heart attack, and I told the nurse to get him hooked up right away. He was indeed having a heart attack, and the doctors watched the whole thing on the monitor. They kept Gerry comfortable with drugs, so he was actually able to talk and joke through the whole experience. It was bizarre.
Take my advice: 50-year old men don't complain about a cold or flu. When they start complaining about feeling bad, it is probably serious. |