He was watching TV. It was about 10:45 p.m. All of a sudden, he felt something in his chest. It was a fullness that he had never felt before. The feeling was dull and painless. But it quickly became a very strong "chest ache." His chest felt full, sort of like his belly1 did after Thanksgiving dinners. He could feel a little bit of sharpness in the area of his heart. Then he felt a tiny electric current go down his left arm and into his left hand. His hand felt numb2.
He couldn't believe it. I'm having a heart attack, he thought. No, it couldn't be. He was perfectly3 healthy, or at least he was the last time he saw his doctor. When was that—one year, or two years, ago? Well, it didn't matter. Your doctor could give you a clean bill of health on Monday and you could drop dead on Wednesday. But he had great genes—no one in his family had ever died of a heart attack. In fact, no one in his family had ever died of anything at his age.
He kept hoping the sensation4 would just disappear. But the feeling of fullness remained—yet without the slightest bit of pain.
He checked his front door. It was locked. That would be a problem if he called 911; would they break the door down, or do they have master keys to most buildings? His windows were open; they could just remove a screen. Should he call 911—no, the ambulance alone would be at least $500. The emergency room bill would be in the thousands. And what about the embarrassment5 if this was a false alarm? Should he call his brother, who would come over and—and what? He was getting confused. He turned down the TV. He didn't want it blasting6 away at his dead body in the middle of the night.
His computer was on. Maybe he should email someone. What would the email say—"I think I'm dying7 of a heart attack"? Wait a minute, he thought. He was about to die, and he was going to email someone who might not open his email for days?! He turned off the computer. Should he leave the dining table lamp on, or turn it off? He didn't know whether to sit in the chair at the dining table, or go lie down in bed. Should he be sitting down or lying down when he died? Did it matter? He decided8 to sit in the chair and wait for his death.
He used to teach CPR, and he knew he had the symptoms of a heart attack. Victims usually describe a feeling of fullness. Students always used to ask what the "fullness" felt like, but he couldn't tell them. Now he knew exactly what it felt like.
So, this is how it's going to happen, he thought, as he sat in the chair looking at the TV, waiting to die. He didn't particularly like the thought of dying at this time, but he accepted it. He was 60 years old. You live, you die. Would he just quietly become unconscious? Or would his heart "explode," causing him to yell9 out in pain?
And then the fullness in his chest simply disappeared. The numbness10 in his hand went away, too. He waited, just to be sure. He was okay! From start to finish, perhaps three minutes had passed. Thank You, he said quietly.
Tomorrow he should see a doctor and a lawyer, he thought. And next time, he shouldn't worry about the cost of an ambulance ride or a hospital stay. He couldn't believe that when he thought his very life was on the line, he had cheaped out.
