Yes sorry @Rachel05 - I forgot to thank you but thank you too! X
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Very impressed with the way SFers have shown so much support for David. Hope you get well soon David. Not the same without you
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I’m so looking forward to @David_Spardo being back home & able to regale us with what will be, I’m sure, many amusing stories of his recent experience.
Santé David!
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Just seen this and best wishes for a full recovery David.
Wow, as brief as I can be with so much to do, I must thank everyone, and in particular to @toryroo and @Rachel05 for your concern and advice.
I am back at home but with lots to do today to catch up will be brief in putting the record a little straight.
The earliest pain across the top of my chest was about 10 days ago while I was walking uphill in the forest with the dogs. I was a little breathless which I put down to the hill (10%) and my asthma so sat on a log for a few minutes 'till it passed.
Then around 6 days later it happened again and kept coming back from time to time. I consulted Dr. Google ( 
) because I was convinced it was trapped wind and he recommended occasional gentle rubbing of the stomach and drinking tepid water. Magic, it worked straight away and I was stupidly happy with myself each time I had a loud and satisfying burp. 
By Saturday night, after a meal out with friends, it happened again but was worse and I had a bad night though managed to sleep through most of it. Sunday night was different, got no sleep at all and the relief was only to sit up and double forward pressuring my stomach. More satisfying burps, but relief was only temporary and at 6am on Monday in absolute agony and sweats I rang 15. She started to talk to me in English when noticing my accent so I replied in English only to be told to speak French. 
As she ordered the Pompiers a doctor came on and got the full sp before saying the ambulance will be there in 10 minutes.
It was and included the son of my lovely neighbour who I embarrassed while being wired up, by telling everyone that I knew him before he was born after Marie-Paule had pointed to her bump and telling me ‘c’est Kevin dedans’. 
He drove me to Perigueux, a nightmare 45 minutes, not because of him but because of evil speedbumps and the fact that the wagon might be red and flashing blue but basically it is just a tranny van and I felt every crashing bump with my back and insides.
Once in everything went smoothly and within a couple of hours or so I was on the operating table with the screen which looks inside me so the bloke in the mask knows where to go, pressed up against my head, and was moving around at will because it wanted to see everything. Beforehand I was told they were going in through my right wrist and indeed they did but then somebody started shaving my inner thighs and I though uh oh, why. Short answer is the stents were fed in some where there and then both all the way up to the heart. 2 hours later yer man said all done and I was whisked away, but the main thing was never another suspicion of pain anywhere.
There is more of course, lots of friendly nurses and later increasing liberty and 3 days later I was released.
Today I am making a rdv with my doc who will have all the info and forward advice, a sad reunion with Christine the angel of all the aides with Fran who became a great friend and is now back at home after many health issues in various hospitals but whose husband became a good friend of mine, died the very day that she at last returned home. I got the news in a brief text from her and the surrounding nurses saw my shock and immediately rallied round to stroke and comfort me, it was very touching. Only one name amongst them was the student nurse who was immediate help and that was only because I asked ‘because an old bloke can hardly go round staring at ladies’ chests’ in order to read each badges. Why do they insist on putting them there? 
More later, and thanks again to all for the concern. 
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A huge welcome back to the forum @David_Spardo , we are so relieved that you are OK, and thank you for the blow-by-blow account!
Condolences to Christine on the loss of her husband, and to you for the loss of your friend.
And of course a slap on the wrist for not taking notice of the warning signs - but all’s well that ends well…
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Welcome back David.
Take it easy David, yes things to do but at a steady pace, your big heart has to take things easy. Glad you are home and getting better
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Pleased you came through this so smoothly. So sad about Christine’s husband, I hope she was actually with him.
But take it gently - even just 3 days flat on your back needs to be recovered from.
(I feel for you as one of my ambulance journeys was equally awful as bounced my gallstones all over the place, and i had to hang on desperately to my sick basin. However on the outward journey they placed a weighted blanket over me that made a huge difference. I wish I had had the wit to ask on return journey! )
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Lovely to have you back home and on line. As others have said, take care and don’t do too much - your body has taken a big shock. And sorry to hear your news about Christine’s husband - your world has become part of our world too. The internet can be an amazing place.
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Lovely to have you back xxx
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Welcome back!
Exactly. They should be tatooed on their foreheads if that’s where we are supposed to look.
Welcome back David.
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Good news, … Wecan all breath again.
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Plausible deniability surely
Good to see you well.
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Glad to see you back, David. Take care of yourself during your recovery.
My condolences for the loss of your friend.
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Welcome back.
Very sad for Christine.
When you’ve had a rest for about three days, please update us on another important matter. How’s Jules, and how did the dog care arrangements go in your absence.
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Once again thank you all for such kind words but I am sorry that such wise words have fallen mainly on stoney ground. First stop the bank for some more pocket money, then to the doc’s to make a rdv (next Wednesday pm), then to Christine where I was the more emotional of the 2 of us but also to the vet’s. On the way to Nontron I saw a friend in the street and stopped to say hello and he asked if I was off to collect the ashes. Of course, one of the many messages I got in the hospital was that the ashes of dear little Galys, who died 3 weeks ago are ready for collection. So I collected those before my reunion with Jules. He was said to have made many canine friends there during his holiday and he looks very fit on it. He will soon have more space to run around in but I will relate the latest on that in a different thread because I made it home yesterday in time for the rdv with the Geomet so-called Expert (spit) and if any calmness was needed to follow my recent experience it was not brought to the fore then.
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@David_Spardo I’m so pleased you are well and home again.
A bittersweet thread, shows that we can come together at times of anxiety 
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Welcome back David. Glad all went well for you. Take it easy. Condolences to your friend.
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