Over the past 5 years I have had some episodes where once again they concerned me enough to go back to the doctor and cardiologist. On my last visit to the cardiologist in October/November 2023 to ease my mind he said let’s get the full check done so I am happy.

After my scan the results really eased my mind, less than 10% coronary artery disease with no other issues, I was started on Metoprolol and a statin, the statin was to stabilise the small amount of plaque , cardiologist said this can break off and is more dangerous than when there is a lot more plaque. So off I went really happy with the results and the ectopics were settling with the metoprolol.

About 4 months down the track Around February 20 and over about 5 days (the exact sequence I am still not 100% sure of). It began with a pain in my shoulder blade, then whilst at work waiting in car for a meeting on what I think was Tuesday of that week I was feeling uncomfortable to the point I was right outside a swimming centre and my thoughts went to where I could get help if needed. The pain was a banded chest pain. The pain eased I went to the meeting and then went home to continue working before heading to another meeting.

Either the next day or the following day, (Thursday) 3am in the morning I am awoken with pain in my shoulders really bad, I let my wife know and blame it on a side effect from the statin and state I am not taking that anymore and after some time get back to sleep. (Looking back I feel this is when the SCAD occurred if not before).

Now we move forward to Sunday the 25th of February 25, it was a lazy Sunday at home, we had plans for dinner at my wife’s parents about 6pm. Come 5pm I started feeling uncomfortable my wife who is a nurse picked up on it and said you have that pain again don’t you? And yes I did.

We headed to dinner, my wife’s parents both have heart issues and a Blood Pressure monitor, my blood pressure was quite high, we all were having some general conversation about my father in law’s heart attack and it was mentioned if you are worried you can always go up to the hospital. I ate dinner and I just decided to go to the hospital, I had a slight bit of pain down my arm but not a lot. On arrival ecg was done didn’t show anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until the blood test and the troponin level of 18000 came back that I was told I had had a heart attack. Yes 18000, the doctors were gobsmacked. That was around 8pm, and I didn’t have my angiogram for another 24 hours where the cardiologist first comment whilst looking at the screen was that’s a SCAD. There was some conjecture the next morning off for the same scan I had done 4 months earlier to confirm SCAD, it was quite advantageous that I had, had the cardiac CT earlier to compare to.

The last appointment with my cardiologist after being scanned for FMD ( negative) I was told we don’t not what caused it and really just go back to what you were doing before.”