The thing that was a big part of my day today

Some of you should really be hearing this from me directly (sorry, Sis), but I'm tired as shit and just want to get this said.  So here goes:

I had a heart attack.  Quite a good one actually:  100% blockage of the left anterior descending artery.  I think the medical term for this artery is "one of the important ones".

Regular readers will recall that I'm really not terribly old.  And because I'm an outlier the doctors are a little worried and will be looking for root cause.

[Outside my predilection for eating four donuts in a single sitting(*), using bacon grease as cooking fat(*) and eating, pretty much weekly a "Ranch Benedict"(*).  Certain long-time friends of the condo might recall referring to this as a "lipitor lunch".  Still cracks me up.]

Anyway, an upside of being a relative spring chicken in cardiac intensive care is that my recovery is coming well along.  Nobody is ever out of the woods, but I'm feeling good -- and if I may say so -- looking good.  Must get one of these gowns for the office.  Fetching.

Even if you really want to see how awesome I look, please resist.  No visitors please.  I'll be home Friday or at the wekend.  No skiing for a couple of weeks. Pout.

So, for for the morbidly interested, here's what happened:

• Had a good, aggressive ski day yesterday.  Lots of work.  Stopped and had a smothered burrito(*) and a beer(+) on the way home.
• Woke up for work this morning and felt fine.  I have been tired lately, but also sleeping poorly.  So, no symptoms, not even in retrospect.
• 8:20, Got on the bike, after a few hundred yards, started feeling really bad.
• Lungs hurt & Chest tight.  My whole upper body is sore.

• I explain the first b/c I've just pulled a bunch of 30 degree air into my lungs.  I've overdressed and that can happen.
• I explain the the latter b/c I've had a hard ski day.  One can get sore while skiing.  It's a thing.
• Note that I do not dismiss a heart attack.  It never crosses my mind.
• At about the half way point, I'm still hurting, but the pain has changed some.  So I ask myself: what does left arm pain and a compressed chest mean?
• Yeah, NOW it dawns on me.  Still, I am not convinced.  No symptoms.  I'm 40.

• I ride for a little bit more.
• Then I start to panic.
• I'm sweating, I have nausea and my fingers are prickly.  And new places hurt.
• I tell myself this is b/c of the panic.  Yes.  I do.

• I am still riding.  Convinced that if it is a real problem, I'm best dropping on the street, and not on this empty bike path.  It's cold this morning, and not many people.
• Everything still hurts.  Especially my friction' arm.
• I get to OMSI and stop and rest.  Yes folks, I biked four miles while having a heart attack. Equal parts hard and stupid. Well, maybe not equal parts.
• The chest pain goes away after about 10 min.
• I ride to work. The arm hurts like a bitch, but I change and get coffee and a banana.

• I start my day.  Can't focus.  Arm hurts.
• I call Christie.  She tells me to call Sellwood Medical.  They tell me to have an aspirin and go to the ER now.
• Christie comes and gets me and we head to OHSU.

• 10:30, walk into the ED.  No chest pain.
• 10:50, in surgery.

I got a stent.

(*) This will have to change.
(+) This is not have to change. One can hope.