Greetings readers!
I know it's been a while since my last post. I've actually been meaning to write, I just have had so much going on lately that my brain just hasn't been in the right place to post an entry. I don't even know if today's entry will be all that great, but I figured writing my thoughts out is better than nothing.
Anyway, a few weeks ago (April 18th to be exact), I had a scary episode happen. I had just gotten ready for work & was downstairs getting a drink of water to take some ibuprofen for the pain in my knee I'd been having when all of a sudden, I had a shooting pain go across my chest & into my back. I had to grab a hold of the end of the kitchen sink to keep from falling, that's how bad it hurt. Well, somehow I managed to make it back upstairs to where my boyfriend was still asleep in bed. By that time, I was having severe pains all across my chest and upper back, and was starting to get short of breath. Managing to wake him up, I told my boyfriend that I thought I may need to go to the hospital as I was having these pains. Next thing I know, he is jumping out of bed, getting dressed, & calling an ambulance. By the time we got back downstairs to meet the paramedics out on the porch, the pain had intensified from a 7 to about a 12 on a scale of 1-10. I vaguely remember the fire truck & ambulance pulling up (we literally live like 5 mins from the fire station) & the paramedics & fire fighters coming onto the porch & asking me questions. I do remember that the paramedics took by blood pressure when they first arrived (it was like 127/180 or something like that-I just remember it being VERY high), I was nauseous & very light headed, & I do remember that they hooked me up to a portable EKG machine. I remember they kept asking me what hospital I wanted to go to (I kept telling them I didn't care, just take me-finally said St. Joe's as it was the closest) & the next thing I knew, I was strapped on a gurney & loaded into the back of the ambulance, while my boyfriend rode up front. I remember getting 4 Advil (I think that's what it was) & a nitro pill right away (incase it was a heart attack). I also remember one of the paramedics trying to get an IV started in my arm, and the first place he tried (my lower left arm), my vein blew, so he ended up having to put it in the vein near my elbow on my left arm. I should've told him to just put it there in the first place as it always seems that's where the best area is for people to get a vein. LOL! Once the IV was in & we were on the way to the hospital, I do remember getting another nitro pill, and the paramedics taking my blood pressure again. By the time we arrived at the ER, my blood pressure was back down to normal (well, normal for me) & the dizziness had stopped, although my head was hurting a little bit from the nitro (normal reaction I've been told). Got wheeled into the ER & once I was in the room, the paramedics removed the leads for their EKG machine, and then of course the ER crew swooped in & started doing their stuff. Was hooked up to another EKG & blood pressure machine, and of course asked all kinds of questions about what happened & what kind of pain I was feeling, etc. Well, after a couple of hours, many tests, a CT scan, & some blood work, the ER doctor came back saying that all my tests had come back okay & after talking with my primary care physician, they were going to release me back home, but I had to follow up with my primary doctor the following Monday. I was grateful that I was able to leave & that my pain had subsided (went down to about a 2 or 3 by the time I left the hospital) & that my boyfriend had been there by my side the entire time. I don't know what I would've done had he not been there!
I ended up spending the weekend relaxing at home (had to call off of work that Sunday) & the following Monday, went and saw my primary doctor who went over my ER test results with me & then ordered even more tests through her (echo cardiogram & treadmill/stress test)-found out the ER doctor was wanting to keep me overnight at the hospital but MY doctor actually talked him out of it-and after getting those tests set up, I was released back home & back to work. Ended up having my tests done at my Dr's office the following Monday (April 28th) & then had to wait a few days for those results to come back. When all the results came back, I was lucky. Everything looked good & the doctor is basically chalking the episode up to a severe stress induced anxiety attack, which I've been told can mimic a heart attack. So, I guess better safe than sorry & I'm glad that everything with my heart came back good, & I've just been told to try to limit my stress & anxiety as much as I can. Which, is where my boyfriend comes in to play. He has been so great with me over the last few weeks & has been watching out for me, and sees that when I'm starting to get upset or anxious, he tries to get me to calm down & focus my attention elsewhere (only once did it not work & I did end up having a small panic attack, but he sat with me through it). I think I scared him almost as much as I scared myself with this episode! He really is great & I'm so happy that he's in my life & is there for me. I don't know what I'd do if I had to go through this by myself! He might not think he's the best of boyfriends, but I certainly think he is. Especially when he's there to just hold me & tell me that everything's going to be okay as long as we have each other, when I think that the world is coming to an end & that everything is going wrong. Yeah, I'm pretty lucky. :) <3
Well readers, I think that's going to be it for now. Just wanted to pop on & give you an update on things, and I'm hopefully (cross your fingers) going to post more often...I know, I keep saying that! LOL! :) Anyway, I hope this post finds you all well, and I'll post again soon. Until next time, take care & stay safe!!
Later gators,
*Jolene*
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