So my heart was racing so fast I called 911

Greetings,

I am writing this entry from a hospital bed. I had a life changing experience yesterday while driving to work. I am a customer education specialist for one of the top three wireless carriers.

As I was driving to work yesterday, just as a piece of background, I work with a group of very talented people. However I grew up in the Midwest and have never lost the Midwesterner work ethic. I have always been of the belief and habit that if the work day starts at 8am, you should arrive at 7:30am to the office.

Well yesterday was no exception, except for my health condition. You see during my drive to the office from home was as usual as can be.

Until 7:15am, my heart started beating rapidly, like I was nervous or was building up speed during a race. I continued to drive and the more I drove the faster my heart beat. I was not excited about anything or nervous about any of the projects I was doing. In fact, the calmer I was had no effect on the beating of my heart. At this point, if I looked at my chest, you could see my shirt moving up and down in the location above and to the right of my shirt pocket. So my heart was beating so fast and hard that it was pushing my t-shirt and dress shirt.

So by 7:30, I was getting a little nervous and just wish it would stop. I began to sweat a lot and by 7:30 am my undershirt was soaked. I started to become very lightheaded, but I knew I had to keep drive and get to the office. If I pulled over and I passed out or something no one would know where I was.

When I arrived at the office my lightheadedness got worse, because now I was standing and walking carrying my two briefcases (computer bags and my lunch bag). Ok so you are wondering able what is in the lunch. My lunch was a turkey sandwich with brown mustard no cheese and the bread is whole grain wheat also an apple, a handful of almonds and two 16 oz bottles of water.

Now back to the story, so by the time I arrived at my desk, about 20 feet from the front door, I was breathing very heavy that I was have problems getting enough air. I was probably hyperventilating but I did not know that!

I collapsed in my chair and I could not keep my balance when I stood up. I was concerned that this may be a heart attack although I was not in pain ... My heart was beating out of my chest but it was not pain but more pressure like a really bad indigestion.

If next part will sound like a very Geek moment but a Geek I am. I took my laptop out of the bag and snapped it in the docking station. After it booted, I launched IE and google.com to search for symptoms of a heart attack. I received a lot of sites. I selected one of the sites and the symptom it gave me was pain in chest, on the left arm and other sites stated pain on the right arm. At it point I was feel worse my vision was blurring like I was going in to shock. You may be wondering where all the other people who work in this office are. Well no one was in yet. It is about 7:48am or so.

I sat there for what I believe was several moments but it was probably only a few moments and I made a decision that I knew I could not take back... I picked up my desk phone and dialed...911.

When the 911 operator answered and said that I need an ambulance through the heavy breathing. The operator said something that I never heard on the any 48 hours or Dateline Show....Please Hold! When the new operator came on the line she stated that she sees that I am at south highland drive. I was shocked.. Not that she know where I was calling from, remember I work for a wireless carrier. What shocked me was that was not my address and was an old office the company does not have and is an empty building now. But it was 15 to 20 minutes from my real location.

I told the 911 operator the address she has is incorrect. She says that is the address supplied by the phone company. I give her the correct address and I tell her if she can not dispatch to a dispatch to a different address I will call back from my cell phone. She tells me that she has dispatched an ambulance and rescue to my location of Cameron and to be at the door to flag the ambulance since there is no name on the building.........