Burning Pain Through My Chest
16 March 2006
My name is Roger Taylor, I live in the small town of Elkins, WV. I am Program Director and an on air announcer for a local radio station, WDNE. On March 20, 2004 I suffered an Aortic Dissection while alone at work, I was 44 years old.
I had a sudden burning pain through my chest and began to sweat profusely. I had never experienced anything like this and thought I must be having a heart attack. I picked up the phone and called the local emergency squad. They arrived minutes later and I was able to walk out side and climb into the back of the ambulance when they opened the doors. I remember talking to the EMS guys and them working on me on the way to the hospital, which is only a few minutes away.
Strangely enough the last thing I remembered was being pulled from the ambulance and rolling through the doors of the emergency room. I found out later from first hand accounts and emergency room records that I was conscience and talking to the doctors, but I have no memory of it. I guess this is a good thing, as my pain level was apparently a 10. Since my pain was not abating, the ER doctor called for a CAT scan. They found a dissection from my aortic valve to the abdomen.
They started calling Medical Centers around the state and beyond to find a place to send me. This was on a Saturday morning, so that might have made it a little more difficult. A surgeon at West Virginia University Hospital agreed to take me. This was a trip of about 100 miles and they did not want to send me by ambulance. It was a windy day and using the helicopter was questionable. They did not want to attempt a landing at the hospital pad because of the wind, so I was transported to the local airport by ambulance and put on the helicopter there.
I went straight into surgery, doctors replaced my aortic valve with a mechanical one and a section of my aorta with a dacron graft. From the time I arrived at the local ER to time I awoke in ICU was 4 or 5 days. I remember waking up in a drug induced haze and unable to move. The figures around me were blurry and I recall actually thinking I had been abducted by aliens. You can have some strange hallucinations when coming out of that anesthesia.
I remember the first time I met my surgeon, in trying to explain my situation he said: "Your aorta shredded". Two words you do not want to hear together. It's strange, but at first I had no memory of anything that happened. Only after a friend jogged my memory, could I detail what happened up to the ER, from there it's a blank.
After 9 days I was transported to a rehab hospital where for various reasons, I spent over a month. My wife has Multiple Sclerosis and could not help with my rehabilitation, she actually spent the time I was away in a local nursing home.
After about a month, I started going into work. Half days for a while, then back to full time. I've had several CAT scans over the last two years and my doctor says there are no problems. My abdominal aorta is dissected, but shows no sign of aneurysm. I take blood thinners and other meds to control my blood pressure.
I remember asking the surgeon about four months afterward what he thought my chances were going into surgery. He said I'd have given you 10%, so I know how fortunate I am to be alive. I have read a lot of stories about people who have suffered kidney failure or a stroke on the operating table. I feel like I came out relatively unscathed.
I suffered some nerve damage in my right hand (something to do with how they position your arms on the table) and my left thigh is still numb (apparently from the incision for the heart-lung machine). I feel good most of the time, but I still worry that any pain might be something serious.
I wish all the survivors the very best and am always happy to hear from you.
Discussion, comments, or questions: Roger Taylor
© Copyright 2006 Roger Taylor
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