By Ramonalynn Bethley

It started like any normal Sunday morning, up at 5:30 at the church by 7:30 and the first service at 8:30.

The service kicked off right on time with an uplifting prelude. I took my spot on the chancel beside the Associate Pastor. He led us through the first half of the service and then it was my turn. I got up to preach. It was on a parable, I think. I don’t remember, because when I sat down, I could not sit still.

I felt like I needed to go running out the sanctuary screaming. I was clammy, sweaty, dizzy and nauseous. Was this a panic attack? A hot flash? I had never had either, so I did not know what was going on.

My Associate looked at me and asked me what was wrong. I told him, “I think I need to take off my robe,” as I was wearing my normal Sunday attire – a heavy black robe trimmed in black velvet. “Well then, take off your robe,” he said, as he assisted me.

That helped but it didn’t keep me from wanting to go screaming down the aisle. “Now what do you need?”, he asked.

Now mind you all of this was going on while the choir was singing, so I told him I needed him to get up and finish the service. While he closed us out, I sat there trying not to think about how embarrassing it would be if I threw up in church in front of God and everybody. Instead, I focused on that pain I was feeling in the ball and socket area of my right arm. My husband and I had cleaned out a storage unit the day before, so I figured it was just tired sore muscles from all the heavy lifting. After worship, I made a bee line to my office and skipped all the handshaking just in case I was coming down with something.

When I made it to my office, I was greeted by two women, Debbie and Marsha, both retired nurses. They had been watching me all morning from the second pew and knew something was up. In fact, they knew exactly what was up! They asked me my symptoms, I repeated the list – clammy, sweaty, dizzy and nauseous. Then they told me, “You are having a heart attack. You need to go to the hospital.” I told them, “I can’t go to the hospital, I have another service to preach.” To which they looked at my associate, who by this time had joined us in my office, and told him, “You are preaching at 11:00.”

You know in the back of my mind; I knew they were right. Two nights earlier, I had similar symptoms in the wee hours of the morning and said out loud, but not loud enough to wake my husband beside me, “I swear if I didn’t know better, I am having a heart attack.” I should have known better!

February is Heart Health Month, and I want you to know the symptoms of a heart attack. Come to find out, it is not like the “big one” Fred Sanford claimed to be having on Sanford & Son. It’s not always chest pain, because I didn’t have any of that. However, symptoms of a heart attack in both men and women are clammy, sweaty, dizzy, nauseous, and arm, jaw or neck pain.

It’s been five years since my heart attack, and I am so grateful to Debbie and Marsha for saving my life. I am also glad that now I know better, because next time there might not be a nurse or two in the second row watching out for me.

Ramonalynn Bethley is the pastor at First United Methodist Church of Alexandria. If you would like to contact Ramonalynn, you can email her at DrRevRL@fumca.org