Heart Attack: RV Trips Don’t Always Go As Planned

Above, yours truly being loaded onto an air ambulance helicopter. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky

The following article in RV Travel I definitely can relate to.

Eight years ago this coming July I experienced a heart attack while at a car show and rally in Wells, Nevada. We were in a restaurant in town having lunch when it struck. Thankfully, a friend I was with, along with the restaurant's staff, jumped into action and got the paramedics there within minutes. 

I ended up being flown to Twin Falls, Idaho to have two stents placed in a coronary artery. I am now on medication and am currently doing fine. Along with the meds I take daily, I also shed pounds. 

RV Travel posted the following article by Gail Marsh two years ago, but it is well worth a review. It is on having a heart attack while on an RV trip (as I was when I had mine). 

It begins with:

I’ve learned so much over the past couple of weeks. We were only four hours into our long trek to Florida when my worst nightmare unexpectedly became a reality. While parked at the fueling lanes at a Love’s Truck Stop, my husband, Keith, began to experience pain in his left arm. The pain quickly escalated and persisted, so we called 911. After a quick trip to the local emergency room, where they determined he had a heart attack, Keith was transferred to a larger hospital nearby, where doctors inserted a stent into his heart. Thankfully, he’s doing very well, and the doctors expect a full and speedy recovery. Experiencing a heart attack while RVing on the road taught me several things. Here’s what I learned.

To read the full article, go here. 

New Injection Could Help Reverse Damage

Above, yours truly in a Twin Falls, Idaho hospital after two stents were installed.

Eight years ago, when I had my heart attack (or something very close to it) in Wells, Nevada. It was due to fast action by a friend that got paramedics to me that prevented any heart muscle damage. All I needed were two stents to remedy a coronary artery blockage in Twin Falls, Idaho.

I recovered so well that I was able to go on a cruise to Cuba and do some river rafting in Jackson, Wyoming the following year. I also shed some weight as well.

Above, river rafting the Snake River near Jackson, Wyoming in 2019. Photo by Floatographs

My Lexiscan (and other exams) last summer showed no new blockages. Whew!

Meantime, Fox News posted a story on a new therapy that may repair cardiac muscle damage following a heart attack. I was sent the article by my "honorary sister" Diane.

The article starts with:

Scientists have developed a new therapy designed to repair cardiac damage after a heart attack.

The study, led by researchers at Columbia University and published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, explored a two-step strategy that uses skeletal muscle to produce a healing molecule that activates when it reaches an injured heart.

Unlike many organs, the adult human heart has a limited ability to repair itself after a heart attack, the researchers noted.

 To read more, go here.

Poll: Have You Ever Been Transported By Ambulance?

Above, the air ambulance that transported me to the hospital in Twin Falls. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky

Having a medical emergency at anytime has be one of the scariest things that can happen to anyone, whether they are at home or somewhere on the road.

It happened to me once seven years ago in Wells, Nevada. I had an arterial blockage (that I was unaware of) that caused a heart attack. Fortunately, I was lucky to have the episode when and where I did. I had to be airlifted to Twin Falls, Idaho and had to stents put into the artery. I was treated quickly enough to avoid any heart muscle damage.

RV Travel has a poll question, "Have you ever been transported by ambulance for a medical emergency?"

It begins with:

The late afternoon sun filtered through the windshield as Sharon and Mark pulled into a quiet campground just outside Sedona. They’d spent the last few days winding through desert roads, soaking in red rock views and open skies. Life on the road had its share of surprises, of course—flat tires, last-minute detours—but they hadn’t expected this one.

It started with a strange pressure in Mark’s chest. At first, he brushed it off as indigestion from the diner pie they’d split earlier. But within minutes, he was pale and sweating, his breathing ragged. Sharon didn’t hesitate. She called 911, her voice steady despite the panic bubbling beneath. Within what felt like moments, an ambulance arrived, its siren slicing through the stillness of the campground.

To read and take part in the poll, go here. 

Stress Testing

A friend is heading to the hospital for a cardiac stress test. This is all new to him and he's a bit uneasy.

I told him not to worry about it as it is only a test. I am doing a stress test in Albuquerque next week (a lexiscan) so I know what he's facing. 

It is better to find out what one's heart and artery condition is in during a test than to find out during a heart attack or any other cardiac episode. 

I have to go to Albuquerque for mine. So I'll be camping in the motorhome the night before. I may also stay the night after the test, depending upon how I am feeling. 

The worst part is no food, especially anything with caffeine, for 12 hours before the test. I will probably pig out 15 hours before so I won't be as hungry during the 12 hours before and during. Being a little underweight does have its advantages.

I'll have to take my regular meds with water only. 

Shoveling Snow and Heart Attacks

Above, yours truly with the snow shovel last November.

This is the season for snow shoveling. As such, people with a history of heart problems should get someone else to do it, according to an article in HealthDay.

This also includes people who have had an angioplasty and bypass surgery.

I had an angioplasty back in July 2018 to have two stents installed. I shoveled snow several times this past month, most recently as yesterday. I try to confine my snow shoveling to just the walkways.

The article starts with:

MONDAY, Jan. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Snowstorms are blanketing the United States, prompting countless Americans to pick up snow shovels and clear walkways and driveways.

Shoveling snow is more than a chore, however -- it can be a health hazard.

The exertion of shoveling snow increases a person’s risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest, warns the American Heart Association.

Snow shoveling has a prominent place among physical activities that place extra stress on the heart, especially for folks who aren’t used to regular exercise, the AHA says.

"Shoveling a little snow off your sidewalk may not seem like hard work. However, the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as or even more demanding on the heart than taking a treadmill stress test, according to research we’ve conducted,” said Barry Franklin, director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Corewell Health East William Beaumont University Hospital, in Royal Oak, Mich.

Shoveling snow is mostly arm work, which is more taxing and demanding on the heart than leg work, Franklin explained.

 On people with a history of bypass surgery or angioplasty, the article states:

Snow removal is especially concerning for people who already have heart risks, such as couch potatoes, the obese, smokers, diabetics and survivors of previous heart attacks or strokes, Franklin said.

“People with these characteristics and those who have had bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty simply should not be shoveling snow in any conditions,” Franklin said.

“We often see events in people who are usually sedentary, they work at a computer all day or get little or no exercise,” he added. “Then once or twice a year they go out and try to shovel the driveway after a heavy snowfall and that unexpected exertion can unfortunately lead to tragedy.”

Franklin recommends that people with risk factors for heart disease get someone else to handle snow removal for them.

To read the full article, go here. 

Five and Six Years Ago Today

Above, a few hours after the stents were put in. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Today marks five years since I had a near-heart attack from an arterial blockage that required two stents.

The episode took place at Bella's Restaurant and Espresso in Wells, Nevada where four of us were about to have lunch. It hit just after our food was delivered. We were in Wells for the annual Wells Fun Run car rally. Needless to say, I missed the car show.

I had to be airlifted via helicopter to Twin Falls, Idaho to the Magic Valley Medical Center. Since then, I have been feeling fine.

This day also marks six years since my cousin Ralph was found deceased from a heart attack. My phone number was apparently the only one on his cell phone and the L.A. County Sheriff called me with the news. My roommate Jessica and I were at the Northridge In-N-Out Burger when I got the call. It was up to me to notify his sister Rosemarie. 

I think of my cousin Ralph often. He and I used to hit record stores for vintage records in the months preceding his passing. Fun times. 

Is Hospital Overnight RV Camping Allowed?

Above, the RV camping area at St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Can you camp overnight in a hospital parking lot?

That is the topic of an article in RV Life and one we had to face five years ago in Twin Falls, Idaho.

While in Wells, Nevada for the Wells Fun Run car show and rally, I had my little heart attack and had to be flown by helicopter to the St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center to have two stents put into a coronary artery.

My friend Mitch drove my motorhome up to Twin Falls. Fortunately, the medical center has an RV camping area with electrical hook-ups. He stayed there for two nights until I was released from the hospital. Other hospitals may not have RV camping areas. So what can one do in a similar scenario?

RV Life begins with:

Can you camp overnight in a hospital parking lot? Typically, hospitals are fine with you parking your RV in their parking lot, particularly if you have a loved one in the hospital or are visiting someone.

These lots are usually pretty big, and there probably won’t be many other vehicles overnight. However, if you are just passing through, it might be best to find somewhere else to drop your jacks.

In either scenario, it’s always a good idea to get permission before you unhitch your trailer or set up camp. Find out where the administration area of the hospital is located and ask someone there for the OK. There may be someone at an information desk or kiosk that can help. Of course, that may have to be done during office hours, which could pose a problem for a later evening stop.

To read more, go here. 

Lisa Marie's Cardiac Episode

Hearing the news of the cardiac episode of Lisa Marie Presley made me think back on my own episode four and a half years ago in Wells, Nevada.

I didn't go into cardiac arrest, but my pulse rate was down to 24. Bad enough, I'd say.

Thankfully, I was lucky it happened where and when it did. I was immediately treated by paramedics and flown by helicopter to Twin Falls, Idaho and had two stents put into a coronary artery the medical team found to be partially blocked.

Above, Lisa Marie Presley in 2006.

The latest news on Lisa Marie Presley comes from People magazine's website:

Priscilla Presley is asking that fans keep her daughter Lisa Marie Presley in their prayers after she was rushed to the hospital Thursday.

"My beloved daughter Lisa Marie was rushed to the hospital. She is now receiving the best care. Please keep her and our family in your prayers," Priscilla, 77, said in a statement to PEOPLE.

She continued, "We feel the prayers from around the world and ask for privacy at this time."

EMTs responded to the singer's home in Calabasas, California on Thursday for a possible cardiac arrest, just two days after Presley attended the 2023 Golden Globes with mom Priscilla and Elvis star Austin Butler, PEOPLE confirmed.

After having "been there, done that" myself, my thoughts and prayers that Lisa Marie makes a full recovery as I did. She was lucky to have been at a place where there were people to take action when it occurred. That makes a big difference.

To read more, go here. 

UPDATE (1613 hrs.):

TMZ reported:

Lisa Marie Presley is in the Intensive Care Unit, on life support with a temporary pacemaker after suffering cardiac arrest ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say Lisa Marie is in an induced coma and in critical condition.

Bob Saget: When and Where Stricken Makes A Big Difference

Tinseltown is shocked over the report of comedian/actor Bob Saget being found dead in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida. 

According to police, there were no indications of foul play or drugs at the scene. This leads me to think that Saget died suddenly of natural causes, such as from a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, blood clot or anything else that could cause sudden death.

Prior to this, Saget seemed to be a healthy 65-year-old man. But appearances, especially at that age, can be deceiving. It is likely that Saget had no idea that something was critically wrong with him. Who knows what goes on inside one's body. I can only go by my own experience three and a half years ago. 

Back then, I had no health issues and was an active 64-year-old. But while attending the Wells Fun Run car show and rally in Wells, Nevada, I was stricken by a heart attack at a restaurant. Luckily, I was with friends at the time and fast action saved my life. I ended up getting two stents in a coronary artery that became blocked. Perhaps this is what happened to Saget. Unfortunately for him (I am speculating), he was stricken while alone and possibly asleep (if he was found in bed). Had he been with people, he quite possibly could have been saved as I was. We won't know until the Orlando medical examiner completes the autopsy on Saget's body. 

It is weird how so many celebrities have died in hotel rooms due to various causes. Janis Joplin, John Belushi, Don Drysdale and William Holden come immediately to mind. 

It all boils down to when and where one is stricken. It can, and does, happen to anyone. In my case, I consider myself very lucky.

Caring Friends' Reaction To A Photo I Posted Following My Heart Attack

Armand Vaquer added a new photo to the album: Odds & Ends 11 — at Stardust Ranch.

J82Sulfiocy 29,5o8 2e0c1dc8  · Ely, NV  · 

14Mitch Geriminsky, Roger A Wyatt and 12 others

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16 Comments

• Dale Van Horn

  Armond,you just had heart problems,that place might tear you up.!!,but what fun!!

  

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• Larry Bach

  Never seen a cardiac hospital like that before.

  

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  Lee Pecue

  What's that they say. Going out with a bang !

  

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• Jerry Moore

  i need to visit

  

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• Les Geriminsky

  I want that prescription.

  

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• Djamal Versteeg

  Talk about a whole lotta shaking going..lol

  

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• Don Theobald

  Some good stints they put in.

  

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  Glenn Thornhill

  Yeah, just where did they place those stents?

  

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• Tina Verhagen

  Dr's orders? I wonder who you are seeing....

  

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    Lee Pecue

    Dr. Howiefelter

    

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  • Tina Verhagen

    Lee Pecue ....he must be one who gets you up right away..no bed rest

    

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  • Robert McArthur

    Tina Verhagen I had two long hospital stays in 2009-10. One for four months. You are constantly awakened for medicine, blood drawings, exams, ad nausea (no pun intended.) One morning around 2 a.m.a very kind nurse awakened me to change my IV. I said "again?" She smiled and said, "Mr. McArthur, here at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center we guarantee you rest -- not sleep."

    

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  • Tina Verhagen

    They did a fine job...you are still here...and, I assume, are better....thankfully.

    

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    Glenn Thornhill

    Robert McArthur

    Agree. A hospital is no place to be if you need sleep. 

    

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• Arthur Hausmann

  Getting “lucky” today ???

  

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• Don LaDaga

  LOL........!

  

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