For the last week she complained of excruciating pain in her left arm as well as pain in her left shoulder blade.
On Saturday she drove to Home Depot where she purchased a 40 lb bag of lime and two bags of beauty bark. She placed all three bags in her car and drove home.
On Sunday, in addition to routine chores, she spent a portion of the day spreading lime on the grass and laying beauty bark in the flower beds.
On Monday morning she felt acute pain in her left arm and between her left shoulder blade. No matter how she tried to ease the pain, nothing worked; as a result she drove herself to the Urgent Care Clinic where she was examined by her former physician. He treated her for muscle spasms and neuropathy, wrote a prescription for vicodin and ibuprofen, and then sent her home. Later that night the pain intensified, and she found herself pacing the floor all night long.
On Tuesday morning she followed up with her primary care physician who treated her for muscle spasms. She was instructed to take ibuprofen and was also given a prescription for muscle relaxers; again, she was sent home. Once the meds took effect the pain was not as intense and she felt some relief.
On Wednesday she felt numbness in two fingers of her left hand. She considered going back to the clinic, but decided to wait it out.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday she still did not feel quite 100%. The pain had subdued a tad bit, but her fingers were still numb, and all that week she had been lying around feeling lethargic, which was unusual for her.
On Sunday she took more ibuprofen and headed to church. Later that evening she told her twin sister she felt mild chest pains, and although she took more ibuprofen, she believed the pains in her chest was related to the ibuprofen. About an hour later she felt a sharp, wrenching pain in the right side of her breast and in her left arm. The pain was so intense she called her twin sister and asked her to call 911. She was rushed to the nearest hospital where she immediately underwent surgery for a major heart attack! A few days later she was transferred to another hospital for a second surgery. Her two daughters, her son, her sister and sister-in-law had been by her side since the first day she was admitted to the hospital, and miraculously Mom pulled through both surgeries with flying colors.
On Friday she was discharged from the hospital, and by the grace of God she’s in her right mind, she’s alert and she’s doing excellent, thanks to everyone’s prayers. There is power in prayer. Hallelujah!
In reading the article cited below “I found it interesting that women may not experience crushing chest pain but may experience “atypical” symptoms such as pain between the shoulder blades, heartburn, nausea, or sudden light-headedness and sweating which may result in them delaying seeking treatment. These symptoms are known as the “silent heart attack.” It appears this type of heart attack is more common in women, people with diabetics, and people older than 65.
All week Mom had been suffering with arm pain and shoulder blade pain, nonetheless, since the pain was not centered in her chest area no one suspected a heart attack, not even the doctor. It seems symptoms of a heart attack not only include chest pain, but also shoulder blade pain, arm pain, neck pain, back pain, jaw pain, and beneath your breastbone pain. If you experience pain traveling up and down your arm and numbness in your fingers, but not in your chest, it’s probably safe to check with your doctor. Also, heart attacks may vary from person to person, and from heart attack to heart attack. Therefore, it’s important to recognize the symptoms that may indicate a heart attack is in progress. The “silent heart attack” is a huge eye opener, and we all should educate ourselves on the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
The article cited below How to Detect a Heart Attack by Dr. George Jacob covers Angina Pain, Typical Symptoms, The Silent Heart Attack, Early Signals of Heart Attack and Other Symptoms of Heart Attack. Included also are illustrations that clearly show visible areas of angina pain, heart attack pain, areas of pain in your left shoulder, your neck, your jaws, down your back, beneath your breastbone, and in your arms.
