RV7AV8R
Well Known Member
I recently experienced a heart attck but not in flight. However, the experience has taught me something that may help my fellow 60+ yr old pilots in the future. My symptoms were classic; chest ache, left arm ache, and lower jaw ache accompanied by shortness of breath. I had seen on TV an add for fast acting aspirin crystals that disolve in you mouth and quickly go into the blood stream and happened to have a newly purchased box of these. They are Bayer Quick Release Crystals in a tiny pouch the size of a stick of gum. I took one and drove to the ER. I know I should not have driven, but I did. By the time I got there (20 min) all pain and symptoms were gone. I went in anyway feeling like a big wimp. A few hours latter I was recovering in the CCU from multiple Bypass surgery. I was told while I had partial blockages there was no permanent cardiac muscle damage luckily. I think the reason I was lucky was the fast acting aspirin that I took. Aspirin can slow the progress of a thrombus growth.
I recommend we all keep one of these little "gum stick" sized packages of aspirin in your airplane all the time. If you feel the symptoms, take it and find a place to land (obviously). Perhaps an MD can comment, but I think this is a good idea.
I recommend we all keep one of these little "gum stick" sized packages of aspirin in your airplane all the time. If you feel the symptoms, take it and find a place to land (obviously). Perhaps an MD can comment, but I think this is a good idea.