We are like veterans of a war…
Even though Ben was about 30 pounds overweight and didn’t always get the exercise he should, he felt better than ever at his 40th birthday party. Surrounded by family and friends, he helped himself to a big piece of birthday cake, drank some champagne, smoked his favorite cigars, and sat around a bonfire enjoying roasted marshmallows.
Later, Ben awoke in the middle of the night feeling nauseous, anxious, and short of breath. Unfamiliar sharp pains in his chest and back made him wonder if he was suffering a bad case of indigestion. He got up, chewed a couple antacid tablets, and went back to bed. Eventually, the pain and nausea subsided. He felt better in the morning, just a little weak. “I must be getting old,” he joked with his wife. “I can’t handle a simple birthday party anymore!”
Six months later, Ben suffered a heart attack. He survived but discovered what he thought was acid indigestion had been a mild heart attack..
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