Was it really a heart attack

[Engr. ZAFAR CHAUHDRY]

I am male 46, an engineer by profession, smoker (02 packs/day for last 20 plus years). On 28-05-2000, at about 1930, while shopping, had an argument with a vendor,lost my temper and I was very angry, at the same moment, I felt such as a gageous thing has struck in the centre of my chest and started sweating. I  drove home myself, took some water and Coke, thinking it as gastric trouble, took a shower and after about half an hour went to the hospital, where the BP was found to be 190 (had no previous problem) and after ECG,doctors started the procedure for a heart attack (about 2100 hr).I became stable by about midnight, stayed in CCU for three days and in the hospital for a total of 05 days.

The doctors diagnosed it as MI Inferior and are giving me routine medication along with cholestrol lowering drugs (Total lipid being 1300 initially and TRG 387), which after four weeks when checked were Cholestrol = normal and TRG 269.

I  am due for a ECHO and ETT in the last week of July. The doctors say I am lucky that I reported in time and there is hardly any damage done to the heart. In the last six weeks I had been on rest and low fat diet, have left smoking comletely and by the Grace of  God have had no problem, except for some gastric/digestion problems .

I have a gut feeling that it was not a MI (no previous family history).Can it be possible and if yes, how can that be verified.
Please let me know

1. What is a MI Inferior/how can it be verified  
2. Do I need any further treatment or medication is enough
3. After how long can I resume normal routine work
4. Will the medication life long or for certain period
5. Is is possible that the clot is still there or it was  dissolved.

Thank you for bearing with me, but please help me and I will appreciate comments from others as well.Sorry for being so descriptive, but I need help.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Yes, it sounds like a reasonably good story for a heart attack and for the time being you should consider that you had a heart attack. There are blood tests that can diagnose it definitively if they are performed at the time of hospital admission.
1. The echo will determine if there was enough damage done to cause lasting damage to the heart.
2. If the stress test is abnormal, you would need a cardiac catheterization.
3. I would wait for a normal stress test before resuming work.
4. The medication would be lifelong.
5. The clot is at least partially dissolved, though it may not be fully dissoved. In addition, there may be a severe blockage underneath any clot that was present.

[Beverly C.]

Zafar, if the hospital was not sure that you actually had an MI they would not have put you through the steps you described and would not have kept you in the hospital that long.  You must be in threat of death for hospitals to keep you nowdays.  Why would you question the fact it was a heart attack? They did a "cardio-lite study" on me to verify the damage from the MI.
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