I was considering turning it into my own AFD joke until nanojath took it to MeTa and mathowie declared "This is wendell's elaborate setup for an april fools joke tomorrow.". Elaborate? No, I was playing everything by ear, and I assumed that nobody was going to take it seriously after that. So, I got silly and even thought "If languagehat was here, I might even do a fake flameout". The hatman did show up with a highly critical comment and so I did.

That's when Real Life and my poor health pulled an April Fool's joke on me. My sleeping pattern has been very irregular lately and I'd had about five hours sleep in the previous two nights. So, as I began working on an April Fool's gag based on hat's "no one will do hard time in Gitmo" comment, I got sleepy and decided to take a nap. I awoke 10 hours later with a stabbing pain in my chest; having had Congestive Heart Failure before but never a real "heart attack", I panicked and drove myself to the Emergency Room, where I was told the pains were from some weird kind of muscle spasm and given some pain meds and muscle relaxants, assuring that I spent the rest of April Fool's Day and the day after mostly unconscious.

After this, I almost wish the original offer had been for real, because I really don't feel like being wendell right now, so I'm taking a self-imposed timeout for a few days. When I return, my next MetaFilter FFP is going to be my 200th, so expect something special.

WEll, wow, hope you feel better. I also hope this is not some elaborate setup for NEXT April Fool's Day.

Or -- wait -- are you the real Wendell? How would we know?

Wait, which one was the prank again?

C'mon, guy, I hope none of us took that seriously. You couldn't flame out badly if you tried (whoops, guess you proved it)!

Love, Dan

Get rested. Or if you're digging up feet in your yard, make sure you come up with all three.

Wendell, I'm glad your heart is okay. I liked the prank. I believed it was true for a while.

this better wendell, wendell. Rest & get better.

Crap. Feel better, man.

I still like you. Glad you're ok.

Feel better.

Jesus! Be well, wendell.

What is the connection between Languagehat and flaming out?

Driving yourself to the hospital with stabbing chest pains?

i dunno about having a back up wendell, but we might have to back up this wendell.

Gaaaah.

Take care of yourself. You're one of my favorite peeps.

Scary stuff. Glad your are OK.

rest up and take good care, wendell!

be well

Get well soon, funny man.

Glad to hear your health scare wasn't serious. Take care of yourself, you're the only wendell we want.

"having had Congestive Heart Failure before but never a real "heart attack", I panicked and drove myself to the Emergency Room,"—Wendell

Wendell, Wendell, Wendell
*shakes head*
Indeed an interesting¿ start to April.

The only explanation you owe, is WHY would you drive yourself to the hospital if you suspected you may have had a heart attack¿
If on the way you really had one...maybe running someone down in the process...
Know what I'm saying¿ You Should Know to call an ambulance for yourself Before any emergency comes up. I'm apoplectic with disbelief, because I know this is not the first time I've written this regarding playing ambulance driver.
That's reality. I don't want to hear, 'but nothing happened'...it's No excuse. Would you do some calisthenics for 1/2 hour if you suspected a heart attack¿ It's much the same idea.
ok, nuff said.

How the hell is your physical health then and what are you doing about it, hmmm¿ Did you know it's a full moon and does your sleep pattern change noticeably when it's full¿ I ask, because a friend mentioned this and he had a hard time sleeping. It may have been the fact he was on vacation, but... just a thought.

take care of yerself, old friend.

I wasn't going to say anything more, but alicesshoe, yes, I was a total idiot, as everyone at the Emergency Room pointed out to me. I was overthinking some unimportant issues (both of the two neighbors I thought I could rely upon for a ride back home were out of town for the weekend) and maybe I subconsciously wanted to go out like my musical hero Harry Chapin. And, strangely enough, when I woke up and started noticing the pain, I could see the full moon straight out my bedside window. Yep, I'm loony. But I'm back on my diet, and working on getting friendly with more neighbors.

Rest up and be well.

Damn, wendell, my sleep pattern has gone to hell also. I am basically awake for 24 hours straight and then sleep 5 or 6 hours, which means I am not sleeping at the same time from one day to the next.

I've had those stupid chest contractions as well. They are quite worrisome the first time you get them, but at least they feel the same from one episode to the next. Each of my heart attacks has felt significantly different from the others.

Hang in there, man, and oh yeah, sorry at your loss of some potential income.

Take care of yourself, wendell. I'm looking forward to #200.

Look after yourself, wendell, alright?

Wendell,
I didn't trash you twice in the same thread.

The full moon I mentioned is the friend said he didn't sleep at all. He was in Mexico, I don't know how many days, the conversation veered, but he said it was a full moon and blamed his sleepnesness on it. I thought, is this a thing I have missed¿ Could it be true.

You aren't a lunatic. Take a cab next time....or call an ambulance, but the hospital rightfully pointed out the err of your ways.

Wendell, I didn't trash you twice in the same thread.
alice, my apologies if you felt I was trashing you or accusing you of trashing me... let's just agree to misunderstand each other, OK?

And to me, there is an important difference between "lunatic" and "looney"... Bugs Bunny never starred in a "Lunatic Tune". Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to be giving myself a timeout.

When I should have given myself a timeout, I instead gave myself a haircut. Big mistake.

I thought you thought — you may have taken a double hit from me. Thought I'd clarify.
I've thick skin and can take slags 'a plenty.
Time out¿ Feh.