OH NO NOT MY HEART!
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Hey everyone! Well, today has been like an Indiana Jones adventure. It started out great, throw in some boulders, people shooting at me, and then I found the gold (meaning medicine). I figured if I didn't write a big huge blog I would have to answer to everyone individually. And I am way too drugged up to do that!
This morning, I went to go have coffee with one of my closest friends. She used to be my mentor but as time passed along, we become friends. She has always been so supportive of me. Even in times where I didn't know it, she still stood up for me. I truly believe that she would do anything for me if it were in her power. I had a lovely time, I was craving the sun, not a tan, just to feel the warmth on my face. Sunlight is a rarity and slightly dangerous for me. I was thrilled to be outside with someone whom I felt I hadn't seen in forever. I was sipping on iced herbal tea and she was sipping her coffee. We roamed around the city for a bit after a lovely and heartfelt conversation. No matter what happens in my life, no matter how long it's been since we've talked, it's like we instantly catch up.
Well towards the end of our short adventure, I started to feel short of breath and woozy. But I assured myself that I just over exerted myself and I would be fine after a couple of hours of rest. I got home and I thought to myself "Maybe a shower will make me feel better?" I was in the shower shaving my legs (a light bulb went off in my head saying "you might want to shave") usually I only shave my legs unless I have to. Towards the end of my shower, I started feeling short of breath with a feeling of someone was pushing on my chest with their hand.
I went downstairs and got the blood pressure monitor with the super small cuff that was ordered to fit my arm (I'm FUN size). So my blood pressure was withing normal range, usually around 120/78. But here's the kicker! My pulse was 125. I have an unusually high pulse in the first place so I wasn't too worried. I took my pulse every five minutes while remaining calm, and every five minutes my pulse was climbing by 5 points. I was feeling weak and lightheaded before the pulse adventure. Not to mention the chest pain. I called my rheumatologists office and he was out but the receptionist contacted me back and said "Get someone to drive you to the ER, go NOW. Do not drive, go to the ER NOW!" I called my sister, then my Mom, then my sister, and then it is decided my sister is taking me to the ER. But then all of a sudden it all got much worse. I got really hot, clammy, pain radiating into my shoulders. The only thought running through my mind is "Oh shit. Great. A heart attack." I grab my baby aspirin, chew the tablet (DISGUSTING POWDERY MESS), all while trying not to choke.
My sister comes to pick me up and she was more flipped out than I was. If I was having a heart attack, the best thing to do is to stay calm. There is no point in flipping out because you are only putting more stress on your heart. She was texting, Facebooking, Twittering, MySpacing, goodness knows what else while driving. I told her my heart was a tad bit more important than her cell phone. She didn't turn off her cell phone until the very last minute.
We get to the ER, fill out the doofy form, for example.
"What are your symptoms: Chest pain, dizziness, light headed feeling, numbness in fingers and toes, pain radiating into shoulder, shortness of breath."
Apparently in triage nurse terms "short of breath" = anxiety. I'm short of breath because I feel like something is on my chest and it is a pain that is not pleasant. Sorry if I'm not full of hot air. So on my chart it said "anxiety." That's what I hate, you're a young woman with heart attack like symptoms, forget the fact that something may actually be wrong. You're a woman, you're weak and frail, your life sucks, so yes of course you had an anxiety attack.
Back in triage the nurses looked at my hands all funny and I was like "Yes, I have Reynauds Syndrome, livedo reticularis, my hands and feet will forever look like this." They had never seen it before in real life, only in books, apparently I have a text book case, joys of joys. I wanted to say that I had frostbite in this 80 degree weather because I enjoy being an ice sculpture carver. They hook me up to check my pulse and it was between 140-145 and skipping beats all over the place. At that point it is decided that I get to hang out and get a room!
I get back in a room where the wrangling of the gown began. First of all, it was loud and noisy back there so I couldn't hear which way to put it on. Every place seems to do it differently. I put it on wrong the first time, the story of my life. But let me tell you, my nurse was so nice to me and I was putting on the charm. I figured her day has got to be way worse than mine, I'd take chest pain over dealing with patients any day of the week. I got hooked up, had an EKG, chest x-ray, CT scan, blood work, saline drip, and a loverly dose of ativan that made me happy as a clam.
I was on the borderline for having a clot but that is something that gets investigated tomorrow. I was sent home with a prescription of ativan in case my pulse goes off the charts again. Right now I'm doing well, tired, high as a kite. The ER was packed so hopefully I haven't picked up anything scuzztastic. I have more doctors appointments tomorrow, probably run some more heart tests. See what happens in this messed up body of mine.
So I ended up with the diagnosis of sinus tachycardia which is a dinosaur that lives within my heart. And that makes me special!
Bisous!
Loverly Lupie Me
This morning, I went to go have coffee with one of my closest friends. She used to be my mentor but as time passed along, we become friends. She has always been so supportive of me. Even in times where I didn't know it, she still stood up for me. I truly believe that she would do anything for me if it were in her power. I had a lovely time, I was craving the sun, not a tan, just to feel the warmth on my face. Sunlight is a rarity and slightly dangerous for me. I was thrilled to be outside with someone whom I felt I hadn't seen in forever. I was sipping on iced herbal tea and she was sipping her coffee. We roamed around the city for a bit after a lovely and heartfelt conversation. No matter what happens in my life, no matter how long it's been since we've talked, it's like we instantly catch up.
Well towards the end of our short adventure, I started to feel short of breath and woozy. But I assured myself that I just over exerted myself and I would be fine after a couple of hours of rest. I got home and I thought to myself "Maybe a shower will make me feel better?" I was in the shower shaving my legs (a light bulb went off in my head saying "you might want to shave") usually I only shave my legs unless I have to. Towards the end of my shower, I started feeling short of breath with a feeling of someone was pushing on my chest with their hand.
I went downstairs and got the blood pressure monitor with the super small cuff that was ordered to fit my arm (I'm FUN size). So my blood pressure was withing normal range, usually around 120/78. But here's the kicker! My pulse was 125. I have an unusually high pulse in the first place so I wasn't too worried. I took my pulse every five minutes while remaining calm, and every five minutes my pulse was climbing by 5 points. I was feeling weak and lightheaded before the pulse adventure. Not to mention the chest pain. I called my rheumatologists office and he was out but the receptionist contacted me back and said "Get someone to drive you to the ER, go NOW. Do not drive, go to the ER NOW!" I called my sister, then my Mom, then my sister, and then it is decided my sister is taking me to the ER. But then all of a sudden it all got much worse. I got really hot, clammy, pain radiating into my shoulders. The only thought running through my mind is "Oh shit. Great. A heart attack." I grab my baby aspirin, chew the tablet (DISGUSTING POWDERY MESS), all while trying not to choke.
My sister comes to pick me up and she was more flipped out than I was. If I was having a heart attack, the best thing to do is to stay calm. There is no point in flipping out because you are only putting more stress on your heart. She was texting, Facebooking, Twittering, MySpacing, goodness knows what else while driving. I told her my heart was a tad bit more important than her cell phone. She didn't turn off her cell phone until the very last minute.
We get to the ER, fill out the doofy form, for example.
"What are your symptoms: Chest pain, dizziness, light headed feeling, numbness in fingers and toes, pain radiating into shoulder, shortness of breath."
Apparently in triage nurse terms "short of breath" = anxiety. I'm short of breath because I feel like something is on my chest and it is a pain that is not pleasant. Sorry if I'm not full of hot air. So on my chart it said "anxiety." That's what I hate, you're a young woman with heart attack like symptoms, forget the fact that something may actually be wrong. You're a woman, you're weak and frail, your life sucks, so yes of course you had an anxiety attack.
Back in triage the nurses looked at my hands all funny and I was like "Yes, I have Reynauds Syndrome, livedo reticularis, my hands and feet will forever look like this." They had never seen it before in real life, only in books, apparently I have a text book case, joys of joys. I wanted to say that I had frostbite in this 80 degree weather because I enjoy being an ice sculpture carver. They hook me up to check my pulse and it was between 140-145 and skipping beats all over the place. At that point it is decided that I get to hang out and get a room!
I get back in a room where the wrangling of the gown began. First of all, it was loud and noisy back there so I couldn't hear which way to put it on. Every place seems to do it differently. I put it on wrong the first time, the story of my life. But let me tell you, my nurse was so nice to me and I was putting on the charm. I figured her day has got to be way worse than mine, I'd take chest pain over dealing with patients any day of the week. I got hooked up, had an EKG, chest x-ray, CT scan, blood work, saline drip, and a loverly dose of ativan that made me happy as a clam.
I was on the borderline for having a clot but that is something that gets investigated tomorrow. I was sent home with a prescription of ativan in case my pulse goes off the charts again. Right now I'm doing well, tired, high as a kite. The ER was packed so hopefully I haven't picked up anything scuzztastic. I have more doctors appointments tomorrow, probably run some more heart tests. See what happens in this messed up body of mine.
So I ended up with the diagnosis of sinus tachycardia which is a dinosaur that lives within my heart. And that makes me special!
Bisous!
Loverly Lupie Me
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