Heart Diease and the Strength Athlete

Are you like me and always say "I train so hard and heavy that there is no way any plaque could build up in my arteries are you kidding me.....I'd blow it right out"?  Yeah....really.... well I'm lucky to be here today to tell you my story but will you listen? That's the bigger question.  

See, 5 weeks ago after hitting one of my favorite training sessions, heavy cleans, pulls and squats (what else) and then for some 'cardio' work I did 120kg sandbag carries.  I came home, ate dinner and enjoyed a nice evening with Sally then it hit me....it seemed like a rhino sitting on my chest and that bastard would not get off!!!  Let's backtrack a bit, I have noticed more than a few times this same feeling and chalked it up to 'damn I need to do get in better shape and drop some weight...wait a second remember I train hard and heavy I don't need to get in better shape....I'm strong'!! Well the fact is I even looked up heart attack symptoms on Google a few times and would do it again this night of June 6th but HEY I only had 1 of the symptoms so maybe it was just indigestion, so off to Valero went Sally to get me a soda, well that didn't work maybe a cold shower will do the trick...no that didn't work either....well maybe I ate like crap, again with the indigestion so I'll just try to throw up....nope not that either.  This would go on for about 2 hours....what a dumbass!!!  All the while I know it's a heart attack I'm having I just won't admit it...that happens to other people....old people and I'm NOT old people!!  Denial almost killed me!! 

So, after dealing with enough Sally loaded me up in the car to take me to a 24 hour 'Doc in the Box' becasue she was dening I was having a heart attack too!!! Well the doctor took 1 look at the EKG and confirmed I was in the middle of an acute heart attack and I was going accross the street to the hospital via an amblance. WHAT!! No I'm not old people this can't be happening I want to go to the USA vs Scotland rugby game I don't have time for this crap!!  

We came into the Emergency Room of Memorial Hermann at Memorial City and BAM the doctors and nurses were on me in a second, before I could think I was hooked up to a EKG, had an IV in, blood drawn, clothes off and stupid hosptial gown on!!  Then I met Dr. Morris who would now become my Cardiologist, who told me he knew right where the blockage was and not to worry he'd take care of me and with a quick kiss and an I love you to Sally I was headed to the Catherter Lab. The guys there are awesome