He was watching TV. It was about 10:45 .m. All of a sudden, he felt something in chest. It was a fullness that he had felt before. The feeling was dull and painless. it quickly became a very strong “chest ache.” chest felt full, sort of like his belly after Thanksgiving dinners. He could feel a little of sharpness in the area of his heart. he felt a tiny electric current go down left arm and into his left hand. His felt numb.

He couldn’t believe it. I’m having heart attack, he thought. No, it couldn’t be. was perfectly healthy, or at least he was last time he saw his doctor. When was —one year, or two years, ago? Well, it didn’t . Your doctor could give you a clean bill health on Monday and you could drop dead Wednesday. But he had great genes—no one in family had ever died of a heart attack. fact, no one in his family had ever of anything at his age.

He kept hoping sensation would just disappear. But the feeling of remained—yet without the slightest bit of pain.

He his front door. It was locked. That would a problem if he called 911; would they the door down, or do they have master to most buildings? His windows were open; they just remove a screen. Should he call 911—no, ambulance alone would be at least $500. The room bill would be in the thousands. And about the embarrassment if this was a false ? Should he call his brother, who would come and—and what? He was getting confused. He turned the TV. He didn’t want it blasting away his dead body in the middle of the .