In May, Tony and Katie Gnau flew to Amsterdam in celebration of their daughter Betsy's 13th birthday. The first few days, they strolled the canals and toured the Anne Frank house. On the third day, the family pedaled 18 miles into the Dutch countryside, past windmills and picturesque fishing villages.
Tony, a Wisconsin-based corporate communications speaker and video producer, enjoyed eating local cuisine. For instance, after the bike ride, he picked up a pickled herring sandwich, complete with onions and pickles. Back at the place where they were staying, Tony enjoyed the meal.
When he felt intense pressure in his chest soon after, he figured it was heartburn from the herring. The pain intensified. Then his lower jaw was suddenly sore.
He'd never experienced jaw pain like it before. When he told Katie what he was feeling, she said, "Oh, it's probably the herring." Tony lay down to see if it would pass.
While resting, an image of a woman moving her jaw and talking about heart attacks flashed before his eyes. He couldn't remember where he'd seen it. But at that moment, he knew.
He was having a heart attack. Tony got up and found Katie. "You may think this is crazy, but I think I'm having a heart attack," he said.
"We should call 911." "Are you joking?" said Katie. A heart attack seemed unlikely given Tony's overall health.
At 51, the former college athlete – he was a walk-on for the University of Southern California's football team for four years – worked out three or four.