No, one would not expect it to be a heart attack. Randy is bicuspid, and typically their coronary arteries are just fine.
But he has a very fragile, thin aorta. An aorta in trouble - tearing, on the verge of rupture - can have various symptoms. I am extremely concerned with a known aneurysm of this size. I believe I read that Randy had had symptoms that he called about not too long ago as well.
If this were myself or my loved one, I would not let anyone pass this off as some type of grastric condition. Jonathan Larson, the New York playwright, was sent home from two different hospitals - told it was flu or food poisoning - and died of aortic dissection.
Whoever is reading his CT scan needs to be very knowledgable about the aorta. Some tears are difficult to see, and it takes expert eyes.
Blood pressure should also be lowered immediately and kept low to remove stress off the aortic wall. I am not sure how well Randy's blood pressure has been controlled?
Aortic aneurysms/disease is extremely unpredictable and requires strong expertise to avoid emergencies. There is no margin for error.
Like Ross and others, I am extremely concerned for Randy.
Randy and his family have my prayers.
Arlyss
