On Feb 8 I was shoveling snow at work to clear out a spot near a swing for a special ed kid that needed it for his well being. (autism issues) There was about a foot (30 cm for my international friends) of heavy wet snow that needed to be removed in this area. I had about a day to complete this task.

I went out there and was going to work on it a bit at a time but seemed to be making good headway. I got about half of it done and seemed kinda winded and was feeling pressure in my chest. Instead of stopping like I should have I just wanted to get it done and not have to go back so I pushed on through and finished the job. I shouldn't have done that.

When I went back in the building I was all out of breath and quite tired. I told the AP that I wanted to sit down for a few minutes. That's when the pain started. It felt like someone stuck a knife in my chest. Very sharp pain in the center of my chest that was getting worse.

I took a Nitroglycerine pill and the pain subsided by about 75% but I still felt like crap and wanted to go home. My boss told me to go to the ER but I didn't want to. She said that I could only leave work with my wife (who she knew would take me) or in an ambulance. I left with my wife.

When we got home I called my DR and they said to call Cardiology so I did. They told me to go directly to the ER so I did.

They checked me out and scheduled me for a heart catheterization the next day. They also did an Echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart). They determined that I had a 70% blockage of the Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD) so they put in a stent to open up the vessel.

After that they told me that I was lucky that I stopped when I did and took Nitroglycerine as it kept me from having a heart attack. They also told me that my snow shoveling days were over. If I do it again I could have a full heart attack and possibly a cardiac arrest.

I listened to them. I also have to be on a low sodium diet. I am now looking at new things to eat.

I feel that this is a very scary thing to go through but it's something that I can do. The alternative (having a heart attack) is not something that I want to do.

Wish me luck.