Dennis Stilwell was a really fun guest for my last two shows, podcasts 34 and 35, and I’ve had a lot of positive comments about those shows. Thanks again, Dennis.
If you’re interested, you can find more info about his heart attack here. Dr. Mark Hosko is the guy who immediately diagnosed the heart attack and called 911. Since then, they’ve become good friends (in fact, they’re out hiking together today). Dennis asked me to include some things to watch for so if you or your hiking partners are ever in his situation, you’ll be able to pull through like he did.
I want to share with you some suggestions regarding heart health and how to recognize a heart attack before to find yourself in this kind of trouble. As described in my story, here is a list of symptoms that I experienced:
1. A sudden and unexpected fatigue and/or shortness of breath.
2. Nausea
3. Dizziness
4. Strange sensations to the upper chest and neckHere is a list of symptoms to look for as described on the American Heart Association’s website:
1. Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
2. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness
This is important stuff to know and can save a life.
If you listened to last fifteen mintues of our hour-long conversation, you heard Dennis describe a few of his favorite hikes in different areas of Oregon and Washington. Here’s a list of each of them with a link to that hike on NWHiker.
Columbia River Gorge
Mt Hood National Forest
- Elk Cove
- Cooper Spur
- Olallie Lake Basin (bottom right)
- Tomlike Mt
- Bull of the Woods (bottom left)
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- Mt Whittier
- Goat Rocks
- Ridge of Wonders
- Jumbo Peak
- Indian Heaven (top left)
Central Oregon Cascades
