Our Survivor
Lorie Olesiak
December 7th started out as a good day. I had the day off and spent the day washing clothes and getting things done around the house. We had dinner and I had just settled in to watch some TV alone. I could watch whatever I wanted, it was a good night. Then my upper back started to hurt, between my shoulder blades. I had hurt my back at work a year earlier so it was not uncommon to have back pain. But this pain would not stop. I was trying to rub the knotted muscles out but I was beginning to get irritated that this back injury was going to plague me for the rest of my life. Then I broke out into a cold sweat. “My Heart I thought, No way. I am 50 years old. I am not overweight, it can’t be.” I am a Registered Nurse and know the symptoms but I was in denial. I did however decide I better chew a couple aspirin just in case. I then called my 16 year old daughter, and told her to come home. I know 911 would have been a better choice. She came home and told me I needed to go to the Hospital. I told her I was fine and needed to sleep. She then called my husband who came home and forced me to go to the Emergency Room. I was still sure this couldn’t be my heart, I was only 50.
I was brought back into the ER and a EKG was done right away. I remember looking up at the ER Doctor as he told me “You have a blockage. You are going to the cath lab.” I am only 50 I thought, it can’t be, it’s my back, I remember thinking. It was a blockage, a Heart attack. I want people to know that my pain was not typical since it was in my back. I never had chest pain, jaw pain, or pain in my arms. I had a little chest heaviness when I got to the ER but NO pain. Please don’t make my mistake. Call 911 and get to the emergency room right away. You only have one heart, and you need that heart to live.
Lorie Olesiak
