Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Angina Monologues Part III

I gathered up all the chain maille stuff I was working on and put it away. I bid the ladies a cheery, "See ya tomorrow!" and left. I felt pretty crappy at this point, and was determined to get home. After all it was only an 8 mile trip, and pretty much a straight shot.

I was fine until I got to the stop light to turn back my lane. Suddenly I got a total body rush, and started seeing blinky lights at the end of a tunnel. They weren't the stoplight. My heart was pounding, and I felt all clammy. I KNEW I was dying. (I read it on WebMD) I started breathing deeply and telling myself that I was almost home. Once I got home I'd be okay. The tunnel cleared, and the lights went away, and I started back the lane to home.

The whole mile I debated, "Should I go to the hospital or should I go home?" After all, Obbie was flying home from San Francisco, and was due to be back at Midnight. And I avoid doctors like the plague (heh) and if he was along, maybe everything would be better. Or I'd die on the couch waiting for him. I opted to go home. The idea of sitting in the ER on a Friday night was a fate worse than death.

At home, I puttered around, trying not to be freaked out. By then I had started to feel a million times better, so I figured I wasn't going to die any time soon. I curled up on the couch under a quilt and a couple cats, and fell asleep.

Obbie got in around 1:00 am, and I explained what was going on. He said that if I felt that bad, we should go to the hospital now. "Oh no! I don't feel so bad now! Anyway, you're tired, so let's just sleep on it." (Meanwhile, according to WebMD, my heart was dying of lack of oxygen, so I'd probably be in the hospital several days instead of in and out) We went to bed, and I tossed and turned and rolled around until about 5:00 am when I woke Obbie and said, "Okay. I still feel like hell, let's go." He showered and got dressed, and I put on clean underwear, socks with no holes, and a presentable bra, because goodness knows, that's all very important.

We drove to the hospital, and found a parking space right up front. We waltzed in, and I was the only patient there. A nice young lady checked me in, and we sat down to wait for a nurse. Which took all of five minutes. The nice nurse (wearing black crocs with skeletons on them and scrubs made out of jeans) did my intake thing, asked a bunch of questions, and took my temp & BP. Three minutes later I found myself in a hospital bed strapped to an EKG. (Obbie got to come back because, "He's seen you naked right? Well yeah, we've been together like three years. Okay, he can come back) She made me lie perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity, until she got the read on the EKG. After the EKG, we chatted about beads & jewelry (she makes jewelry, and is a bead whore like me, we bonded.) "Stay put, I'll have the doctor come right over." she says. (Like I was going anywhere wearing a hospital gown)

The doctor came over and read the EKG, and asked me a million questions. (Coffee? Yes. Stress? Oh hell yes. Blood in the stool? No. and on and on) He smiled and told me that my blood pressure was okay, and my heart rate was just fine. "You're just experiencing a little anxiety." Really? No shit. I was THRILLED! (Because I had myself getting a heart catheter and open heart surgery and the whole bit) "You need to calm down a little bit, and be less stressed. I'm going to write you a prescription for some anti-anxiety meds, you can get it filled, or you can throw it in a drawer. Whichever you like. You're just fine, but you need to back off on the coffee a little bit, and just calm down, and quit reading WebMD." Heart attacks are a very serious pain and don't last a long time. You're having angina (or agita as Obbie says) It happens very often, and is rarely fatal. Just learn to relax a little bit." And that was that.

The nurse came back with my script, and to unhook me from the EKG. In doing so, pulling off a huge clump of hair off my leg, when I complained she said, "Well shave your legs the next time you come in!" We were apparently bead-buddies or something. She gave me her email address, and asked me to send her some beading information.

I practically skipped out of the hospital, with poor jet lagged Obbie behind me, smirking 'I told you so'. We went home and made tea & toast (because I was starving, in my anxiety of Friday, I didn't eat anything but a banana) and left for the craft show.

The day dragged, but we kept mildly amused by the Weeper and Pushpin. We didn't sell a whole lot, but at least made the booth fee back, and I got a custom chain maille order. At 2:00 we broke down the booth and went home, where we both passed out and slept until 8:00 that night.

So now I know. I have a fine heart, and for all intents & purposes, I'm fine. I need to just calm down a little bit, and not get so stressed about STUPID things. I need to back off the coffee, and stay away from Web MD. In case of emergency, I have a nice little batch of anti-anxiety medication that will make everything all warm and rosy.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it. Thanks for reading this week. Alls well that ends well.

Be aware, however, that chest pains are nothing to mess with, and if you're having them, don't be afraid and go directly to the hospital. The survival rate is very good if you get there quickly.

Labels: ,

  • Blogroll Me!
  • My Photo
    Name:
    Location: Pennsylvania, Fiji
    My Amazon.com Wish List

    Image hosting by Photobucket

    Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

    I Took The Handmade Pledge! BuyHandmade.org

    Powered by Blogger

    Blogwise - blog directory

    Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com