[Tom357]

I'm home, now, and doing well. Last Saturday night/Sunday morning, I had what turned out to be a "micro" heart attack. When I realized it wasn't indigestion, I dressed on automatic, and drove myself to the ER. Being distracted as I dressed, I didn't think about not carrying. For those in central VA, I went to MCV because my transplant center is there and it would make communication easier.

So I got through triage and straight to an exam room, and it wasn't until then that they discovered my pistol. Nobody freaked. The nurse who was checking me out just said, "Oh! We need to secure this for you. I'll call security and they will check it in to the safe." The nurse called security and kept on with the examination and stuff until they arrived. They told me they needed to secure it while I was there, that it would in the safe, and that no one but me would be able to retrieve it. So, today, I went to the Security Desk, they took me to the safe, retrieved my pistol for me, and escorted me to the doors before turning my rig over to me.

They reminded me that state law prohibited firearms on VCU property, but that since I'd come in through the ER that it wasn't a problem, this time, and to remember not to bring it in the future. I assured them that I don't normally carry on campus, but that I hadn't planned on being there, and they understood. While I don't like the state law prohibiting carry on this one state university (and no other), I was treated courteously and professionally at every step of the process. All in all, a positive experience. The CHP definitely affected their reaction.

 

[grady]

I hope you're okay.

Did they fix you up good as new?

 

[dukalmighty]

That is great news,glad to hear they understood the emergency and didn't freak out over a gun like some morons would.Very professional all the way around

 

[rex03]

Ditto.. Glad the situation was treated professionally

 

[wormtown]

Quick request: next time call an ambulance. For your sake and others, if you might be having a heart attack, don't drive yourself.
Glad you're home and it was "micro" only. Maybe you need an Enhanced Micro Pistol...

 

[ccman]

Good. Hope you feel better. Don't clock out yet.

 

[matdicdad]

Had a similar situation two years ago. My Dad's attic stairs collapsed while I was on them. Too bad he has 10 foot ceilings and I was on the top step. I ended up with a laceration under my rt arm that required 35 stiches. Got to the hospital armed and as they began to irrigate my arm I told my Dr that I had a firearm and to please be careful and don't get it wet. He didn't blink and passed me a towel to wrap around the gun and holster. Everthing worked out just fine. Glad you are OK.

 

[RETSUPT99]

Hopefully, you are OK...glad no one went bonkers over the gun.:22a:

 

[Thumper]

Whew, glad your heart attack wasn't more serious. Take care of yourself. :yup:

Glad there were no issues with the weapon too. :wink:

 

[PastorPack]

Glad you are doing well now.

That sounds like they handled the gun-on-campus situation very well.

 

[archer51]

Carrying on VCU/MCV property can be pretty hard not to do. Seems like they own half of downtown Richmond, and buying more as fast as it becomes available. Glad it wasn't a major heart problem for you.

 

[HKR]

Glad you're at home. Take it easy and take care of that ticker.

Also glad you encountered professionals with common sense.

 

[Squawker]

I'm happy to hear that you're doing ok. As a former Paramedic, who worked for a volunteer rescue squad in the Richmond area for 22 years prior to moving to Las Vegas, I second wormtown's advice. If you have chest pains, call 911. The ambulance crew can do things like give you oxygen, which will help, and should you have increasing pain, they can give you morphine IV, which can limit infarct size. And should you suddenly get an arrhythmia, they can initiate treatment, and possibly prevent you from going into V-fib. They can also defibrillate you should you go into cardiac arrest. If that should happen while you're driving to the hospital, not only will you die, but you may cause a lot of property damage, injuries, or even death when you lose control of the car and crash.

By the way, if you should have a stress test at MCV, you'll be where I began my career as a Physician Assistant. My first job was working in the Heart Station in the north hospital. supervising treadmill tests, treadmill tests with thallium, chemical stress tests with dipyridamole and thallium. I also did research, and managed to get my name on a couple of abstracts that were published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. That was a long time ago, 1988 to 2001. It was a good job, and I learned a lot. Unfortunately, it didn't pay worth beans. I left there to move to Vegas, where I earned in 1 job as much as I did in Virginia working 3 jobs.

 

[Rugergirl]

It's good news to hear you are doing better and your "friend" was well cared for too:smile:

 

[SIXTO]

This reminds me of a story that happened a few years ago at our campus hospital. I had to go for some stitches when I was injured at work. Of course I had my gun, but I was not wearing a uniform.
The security guys were insisting that I had to disarm, they just couldnt understand how I could be on duty, there on official business without being in uniform. Oh well, I won in the end.

I've also been there for accident victims who were armed, and they handled things much like the OP's story.

 

[Tom357]

Thanks, all. Yes, they applied a couple of stints for partial occlusions and released me back into the wild with a minor adjustment to my transplant meds, although they said it will make a major difference in heart health.

I appreciate the concerns about driving. I was an EMT for years, here, too, and all I can say is that the symptoms were equivocal, not classic, and I wasn't willing to let Chesterfield Fire & EMS ream me for possible indigestion. In they time they could have been dispatched, responded, packaged me, and gotten out of the neighborhood, I was almost to the ER. Had I been experiencing classic signs and symptoms, I'd have called EMS, no question. My EKG was normal sinus rhythm, BP and pulse only slightly elevated. In fact, initially, the hospital found nothing, and had to run several sets of enzymes before one of the three elevated above detectable norms. The other two enzymes never deviated outside normal ranges. It did trigger them to keep me though, and discover two partial occlusions. So, I came out if it better than I went in.

I was just impressed with the way they handled discovering a weapon in the ER on the only public campus in the state on which firearms are banned by law, how it didn't interfere with patient care, and how professional the security was. It may be that there are some less professional ones there, but I didn't encounter them.

 

[nutz4utwo]

Glad you're still ticking!

 

[paramedic70002]

All sounds good, I was about to ask what you considered a micro heart attack. Next time you THINK you MIGHT be having an MI, chew a handful of aspirin first. That will get the anticoagulant therapy going.

Those VCU cops look scary to me, I'd hate to admit being armed to them. And it's not a law, it's a VCU regulation that is published in the VA Administrative Code. It is far from settled if it's legal considering other issues, although I will not voluntarily be the test case.

 

[ppkheat]

I was just impressed with the way they handled discovering a weapon in the ER on the only public campus in the state on which firearms are banned by law, how it didn't interfere with patient care, and how professional the security was. It may be that there are some less professional ones there, but I didn't encounter them.

Glad you're okay. Obviously, the security folks used common sense rather than freaking out. The ability to use common sense these days is getting rare.

 

[Tom357]

...Those VCU cops look scary to me, I'd hate to admit being armed to them. And it's not a law, it's a VCU regulation that is published in the VA Administrative Code. It is far from settled if it's legal considering other issues, although I will not voluntarily be the test case.

I stand corrected, it is in the Virginia Administrative Code. 8VAC90-10-50. I could have sworn it was in the Code of Virginia. It still sucks.