I Had My First Heart Attack At 18

At a theme park of all places

It was 1986, and I went to King’s Island with a boyfriend. It was a Friday, the theme park was crowded. I told him not to go on a weekend, because the lines for everything were long. He insisted we go on Friday.

It was mid-summer and hot as hell. We waited in long lines all day and didn’t get to do much, as the lines were so long. Between the heat and waiting in long lines and all the walking, I was not feeling too good.

I told him I wasn’t feeling too good and needed to sit down and rest for a few minutes, several times. But, he wouldn’t listen, he wanted to ride as many rides as possible.

Later that evening, an hour before closing, the crowds had slowed down, making it faster to get on the rides. So he decided to ride the beast, then we would run around the corner and ride the racer.

We had done this countless times in a row. The last time we ran around the corner to ride the racer again, I could feel my chest getting tight. I was having a hard time catching my breath. I thought it was from all the running back and forth.

As I was riding the racer that last time, I started having pains in my chest. It felt like a knife going through my heart from the front and out my back. I got off the racer and made it outside the exit and sat on the bench.

It had started to mist rain. He was mad as hell, because I sat down. He wanted to ride the beast one last time before the rain got heavier, and they shut it down. Besides, it was near closing time. Everyone was making their way to the front of the park to watch the fire works before leaving.

I could not get up at that moment, so I sent him to ride it one last time. Just come and get me when you’re done, I told him.

I had never had a heart attack before, so I didn’t know what was going on. My chest felt like someone parked a Mack truck on it, still having chest pains and couldn’t catch my breath. Then I started having pains down my left arm and neck, and the left side of my jaw was hurting.

He came back after he was done, by then it was raining hard. We walked up to the front as they were setting off the fire works. We hopped on a lift that took us to our truck, and we left for home.

I still remember how hard it was to walk from the back of the park to get to our truck to leave. I thought, for sure, I wasn’t going to make it, but I did.

Falling asleep when we got in the truck, I slept all the way home. When I got home, I went to bed and slept for two days. I woke up on the third day, I couldn’t believe I had slept for two days. I had to call my job and save it, because I hadn’t been to work for two days.

Since I was short on cash from spending it at the theme park, I went to donate blood plasma for some extra cash. When I got there, they took my blood pressure and other vitals. They have a doctor there for new donors to see before they donate for the first time.

They took me into the doctor’s office. He checked me out, asked me some questions. I told him what had happened at the theme park. He wanted to call an ambulance right then.

I refused because my car was in their parking lot, and I didn’t want my boyfriend driving it. The doctor didn’t want me driving. I told him I would let my bf drive, lying through my teeth.

I had a 1974 Chevy Impala, I wasn’t letting anyone drive my baby.

I walked out of the doctor’s office to get my bf and go to the hospital, but they had already taken him back to donate. I went to my car and fell asleep until he was done.

When he was finally done, I drove myself to the hospital. They told me I had had a heart attack and put me in the hospital for five days. No more roller coasters for me.

I knew I had a congenital heart defect and a heart murmur from birth, but it had never caused me any problems. I went to the theme park every year with my adopted mom, aunt and cousins, rode the rides, and never had an issue.

My adopted mom, or any doctor, had never told me that riding the rides was a risk for me. Besides, I was 18 years old and thought I was invincible.

I am not invincible, even when I feel like I am. I do know I am strong-willed and hard-headed. I’ve made it through some tough situations. Determination will take you a long way. I don’t take the big risks unless it’s a have to situation.

It’s always best to listen to your heart, whether it’s physically or emotionally.

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