Just back from the hospital where I decided it was time to go to be sure all the burning in my chest, nausea, dizziness, upper back pain and difficulty breathing wasn't heart related. It was not, nor was it my Gall bladder, though I didn't know that could cause similar symptoms. They did blood tests, two ekgs and a chest X-ray... and oh yes, threw in a pregnancy test for shits and giggles. The official diagnosis was GERD, but I suspect it was actually GERD with a panic attack on top. A number of stress related maladies tend to happen after the stressful event is over and not during as most people think. I'd been having what felt kind of like heartburn all night for a week or more and sometimes woke with my heart pounding, feeling dizzy and nauseated and with one or the other arm numb. When it happened in at 4:30 this afternoon while I was upright in the kitchen and hadn't eaten for hours, accompanied by blinding pain on one side of my chest, that was enough for me. So now when I lie awake at night with my chest on fire I can at least spare myself the hot and cold sweats of fear wondering if I'm going to die or if it's just indigestion.
Looking at my headings here and thinking how surreal this all is. Yesterday I posted about my wonderful, peaceful day and today I was in the hospital at the peak of terror. Odd, that.
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6 comments:
That's pretty scary. You're probably correct with regards to GERD with a panic attack. It's just easier for doctors to focus/diagnose on the GERD. I'm sure the nervousness from the GERD symptoms (and their ambiguity) contributed to the anxiety/panic.
I hope you have some time for some R&R over the holidays. You deserve it!
Wow, that is pretty scary. I'm glad you're okay.
Thank you both. I just discovered that the whole DMV disaster is not over yet, so am now trying to learn the art of Zen in ten minutes or less as my heart rate zips up and down. Or maybe dissociation would be more practical? Anyway, clearly I need to hone my coping skills. Xanax is contraindicated with my new GERD meds...
I'm off to play Fable. There are practical solutions to every problem in my little virtual world. :)
Wow, it sounds like everything has caught up to you. Don't forget to breathe here and there, ok?
I hope you have a great, peaceful holiday.
Donna
I'm just catching up on blog reading... I'm sorry you went through something so scary, but glad you went to the hospital to be safe. And really glad that you're okay!
Thanks again to everyone for the kind thoughts and checking in on me. The GERD meds worked immediately and I haven't had any symptoms since I started taking them. Have had some other stuff, but now I'm not freaked about the condition of my heart it's not as intense.
Been walking daily and eating a little better (hey, it's the holidays, can't get to radical until the cookies are gone...) and I think that's helping.
I'm feeling much more as if my life is managable, despite the lack of a photo ID yet. Doing one lecture per day for my upcoming class and being sure to take a walk, sit outside and meditate, play with my pets and so forth several times a day. Trying to find things I can 'book' into my days no matter how crazy they get...
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