English Original
He was watching TV around 10:45 p.m. when he suddenly felt an unfamiliar fullness in his chest. The dull, painless sensation quickly intensified into a strong ache, reminiscent of an overfull belly after Thanksgiving. A sharp twinge near his heart was followed by a tiny electric current shooting down his left arm, leaving his hand numb.
"I'm having a heart attack," he thought in disbelief. He considered himself perfectly healthy and came from a family with no history of heart disease. He hoped the sensation would vanish, but the persistent fullness remained.
His mind raced with practical concerns. His locked front door might hinder paramedics. The cost of an ambulance and emergency room care deterred him, as did the potential embarrassment of a false alarm. He considered calling his brother but felt confused about what help that would bring. He turned down the TV, not wanting it blaring at his potential demise.
He thought about sending an email but dismissed the idea as absurd given the urgency. He debated whether to sit or lie down, finally deciding to sit in a chair and wait. As a former CPR instructor, he recognized the classic symptom of "fullness" he had never been able to fully describe to his students—now he knew it firsthand.
Resigned to his fate at 60, he sat waiting, wondering if death would come quietly or painfully. Then, as abruptly as it began, the chest fullness and hand numbness disappeared. The entire episode lasted about three minutes. Grateful, he resolved to see a doctor and a lawyer the next day, vowing never to prioritize cost over his life again.
中文翻译
晚上10点45分左右，他正在看电视，突然感到胸口有一种陌生的饱胀感。这种沉闷、无痛的感觉迅速加剧，变成一种强烈的疼痛，让人想起感恩节大餐后撑胀的肚子。心脏附近一阵尖锐的刺痛之后，一股微弱的电流感窜下他的左臂，左手随之麻木。
“我心脏病发作了，”他难以置信地想。他自认为非常健康，而且家族没有心脏病史。他希望这种感觉会消失，但持续的饱胀感依然存在。
他的脑海里充斥着各种实际顾虑。锁着的正门可能会妨碍医护人员。救护车和急诊室的高昂费用让他望而却步，假警报可能带来的尴尬也让他犹豫。他想过给哥哥打电话，但又困惑于这能带来什么帮助。他调低了电视音量，不想让它在自己可能离世时还大声吵闹。
他想过发电子邮件，但考虑到紧迫性，又觉得这个想法很荒谬。他纠结于是坐着还是躺下，最终决定坐在椅子上等待。作为一名前心肺复苏术讲师，他认出了这个他曾无法向学生完全描述的典型“饱胀”症状——现在他亲身体会到了。
60岁的他听天由命地坐着等待，思索死亡会悄然降临还是痛苦而至。接着，就像开始那样突然，胸口的饱胀感和手部的麻木感消失了。整个事件持续了大约三分钟。他心怀感激，决定第二天就去看医生和律师，并发誓再也不会在生命攸关的时刻计较费用。